Squarespace Ecommerce Product Strategy Basics

Learning Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you'll be able to:

• Build a product strategy that works with Squarespace's features
• Organise your inventory for easy management and customer browsing
• Create product content that converts visitors into buyers

Introduction

Getting your product strategy right makes everything else easier. When you know what you're selling, who you're selling to, and how to present it, your Squarespace store becomes a powerful sales tool rather than just a pretty website.

This chapter covers the practical steps for planning your product range, organising your inventory, and creating content that actually sells. We'll focus on what works specifically within Squarespace's system.

Lessons

Lesson 1: Building Your Product Strategy

Your product strategy determines everything from what you stock to how you present it. Start with your customers, not your products.

Step 1: Define who you're selling to
Write down your ideal customer. What do they need? What problems do they have? Where do they shop online? Be specific – "busy parents" is better than "everyone".

Step 2: Research your competition
Look at similar stores on Squarespace and elsewhere. What products do they feature? How do they price them? What gaps can you fill?

Step 3: Choose your product range
Pick products that match your customer needs and stand out from competitors. Start small – you can always expand later.

Step 4: Set your positioning
Decide if you're competing on price, quality, convenience, or something else. This affects everything from your product descriptions to your photography.

Lesson 2: Organising Your Inventory

Squarespace's inventory system works best when you plan your structure before you start adding products.

Step 1: Create logical categories
Use Squarespace's product categories to group similar items. Think about how customers browse – by type, occasion, or price range. Keep it simple with 5-8 main categories maximum.

Step 2: Use tags strategically
Tags help customers filter products. Use them for features like colour, size, material, or style. Be consistent – don't use both "blue" and "navy" for similar shades.

Step 3: Plan your product variants
If you sell items in multiple sizes or colours, use Squarespace's variants feature. Set this up before adding products to avoid reorganising later.

Step 4: Set up inventory tracking
Enable inventory tracking in your Squarespace settings. This prevents overselling and helps you spot popular items that need restocking.

Lesson 3: Creating Product Content That Sells

Good product content does more than describe – it convinces customers to buy.

Step 1: Write customer-focused descriptions
Focus on benefits, not just features. Instead of "cotton fabric", write "soft cotton that gets comfier with every wash". Answer the question "what's in it for me?"

Step 2: Use high-quality images
Take photos in good lighting with clean backgrounds. Show multiple angles and include lifestyle shots of products in use. Squarespace displays images beautifully, so make them count.

Step 3: Optimise for search
Include relevant keywords in your product titles and descriptions. Think about what customers type into Google when looking for your products.

Step 4: Add essential details
Include size charts, care instructions, delivery information, and return policies. The more questions you answer upfront, the more confident customers feel about buying.

Practice

Pick one product you want to sell (or already sell). Write a complete product strategy for it:

1. Describe your target customer for this product
2. Identify three competitors and note how they position similar products
3. Write a 50-word product description focusing on customer benefits
4. List five tags you'd use to help customers find this product
5. Choose which category it belongs in

FAQs

How many products should I launch with?
Start with 10-20 products maximum. This gives customers choice without overwhelming them, and keeps your workload manageable while you learn the system.

Can I change my category structure later?
Yes, but it's easier to plan it properly from the start. Moving products between categories is simple, but changing your whole structure affects navigation and SEO.

How do I handle products with lots of variants?
Use Squarespace's variant system for up to 100 combinations per product. For more complex products, consider splitting them into separate listings.

What's the best way to price products on Squarespace?
Research competitor pricing and factor in your costs plus desired profit margin. Squarespace displays prices clearly, so customers can easily compare options.

Jargon Buster

Product variants: Different versions of the same item (like size or colour options) managed as one product listing
Inventory tracking: Monitoring stock levels to prevent overselling and identify restocking needs
Product categories: Main groupings that organise your products for easy browsing
Tags: Labels that help customers filter and find specific products
SEO optimisation: Making your product content more likely to appear in search results

Wrap-up

A solid product strategy makes everything else easier. When you know your customers, organise your inventory logically, and create compelling content, your Squarespace store works harder for you.

Start with a small, focused product range and expand as you learn what works. The key is matching what you sell to what your customers actually want to buy.

Ready to put this into practice? Check out our advanced ecommerce courses at https://www.pixelhaze.academy/membership