Why Choose Squarespace for Your Online Store
Learning Objectives
By the end of this chapter, you'll be able to:
- Understand the key benefits of using Squarespace for selling online
- Identify which Squarespace features make it suitable for beginners
- Make an informed decision about whether Squarespace fits your business needs
Introduction
Setting up an online store means choosing the right platform from the start. Get this wrong and you'll waste months rebuilding everything later. Squarespace has become popular with small businesses and entrepreneurs because it handles both design and commerce without needing separate tools. This chapter covers why Squarespace works well for new online sellers and what makes it different from other platforms.
Lessons
Lesson 1: Getting Started is Actually Simple
Most ecommerce platforms overwhelm beginners with too many options. Squarespace takes a different approach. Here's how to set up your first store:
Step 1: Log into your Squarespace account and click 'Create New Site'
Step 2: Choose 'Online Store' from the website type options
Step 3: Pick a template that matches your product type
Step 4: Add your first product by going to Commerce > Products > Add Product
The whole process takes about 30 minutes, not the days you might expect with other platforms. Everything works through drag-and-drop, so you can see changes immediately.
Common mistake: Don't skip the mobile preview. Check how your store looks on phones since most customers browse on mobile devices.
Lesson 2: Templates That Don't Look Like Everyone Else's
Squarespace templates stand out because they're designed by professionals, not churned out by algorithms. Here's how to customise yours:
Step 1: Browse templates in your industry category first
Step 2: Use the Style Editor to change colours, fonts, and spacing
Step 3: Rearrange sections by dragging them to new positions
Step 4: Add custom CSS if you need specific styling (optional)
The templates are more restricted than completely custom designs, but this actually helps beginners avoid common design mistakes. You get professional results without needing design skills.
This is the bit most people miss: Templates are mobile-responsive automatically. You don't need to create separate mobile versions.
Lesson 3: Built-in Tools Save Time and Money
Instead of connecting multiple third-party tools, Squarespace includes the basics you need:
SEO tools: Add meta descriptions, alt text, and URL slugs without plugins
Analytics: Track sales, traffic, and customer behaviour from your dashboard
Email marketing: Send campaigns to customers who've bought from you
Social media: Auto-post new products to Instagram and Facebook
Step 1: Set up SEO for each product page using the built-in SEO panel
Step 2: Connect Google Analytics for deeper insights (optional)
Step 3: Create your first email campaign using customer data
Step 4: Link your social accounts to share products automatically
These tools aren't as advanced as specialist software, but they're enough for most small businesses starting out.
Practice
Choose three competitors' websites and compare them to Squarespace templates. Look for:
- How easy it is to find products
- How the checkout process works
- Whether the design looks professional on mobile
Then pick one Squarespace template and imagine how you'd set up your own products. What categories would you need? How would you organise your navigation?
FAQs
Can I sell products on any Squarespace plan?
Yes, but ecommerce features improve with higher plans. Personal plans allow basic selling, while Commerce plans include abandoned cart recovery and advanced analytics.
Are there limits on how many products I can sell?
No product limits on any plan. You can add as many products as you need.
What payment methods does Squarespace accept?
Stripe, PayPal, and Apple Pay are built in. Customers can pay with cards, digital wallets, or bank transfers depending on your location.
How much does Squarespace take from each sale?
Transaction fees vary by plan. Commerce plans have no transaction fees, while lower plans charge 3% per transaction.
Jargon Buster
Ecommerce: Buying and selling products online rather than in physical shops
SEO: Search Engine Optimisation – making your website easier to find on Google
Analytics: Data about who visits your website and what they do there
Responsive design: Websites that automatically adapt to different screen sizes
Transaction fees: Percentage of each sale that the platform takes as commission
Wrap-up
Squarespace works well for beginners because it simplifies the technical side of running an online store. You get professional-looking templates, built-in business tools, and reliable hosting without managing separate services. The trade-off is less flexibility than platforms built for developers, but most small businesses don't need that complexity.
The main question is whether Squarespace's strengths match your needs. If you want to focus on products and marketing rather than technical setup, it's worth considering. If you need extensive customisation or plan to scale to thousands of products quickly, other platforms might suit you better.
Next, we'll cover how to set up your first products and configure your store settings.