Squarespace Mobile Design for Beginners

Learning Objectives

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

• Set up responsive design on your Squarespace store
• Customise mobile layouts for better user experience
• Preview your site across different devices
• Apply mobile-first design principles to boost conversions

Introduction

Your Squarespace store needs to work perfectly on phones, tablets, and desktops. With over 60% of online shopping happening on mobile devices, getting this right can make or break your sales.

The good news? Squarespace handles most of the technical work for you. All templates automatically adjust to different screen sizes. But there are specific tweaks and best practices that can turn a basic responsive site into a mobile shopping experience that actually converts.

This chapter shows you exactly how to optimise your store for mobile users, preview your changes, and avoid the common mistakes that cost sales.

Lessons

Understanding Squarespace's Responsive System

Squarespace uses a mobile-first approach. This means your site automatically adapts to smaller screens, but you can control how it looks and behaves.

Step 1: Open your Squarespace dashboard and go to Design > Site Styles.

Step 2: Look for the mobile icon at the bottom of the style panel. This switches you to mobile-specific settings.

Step 3: Any changes you make here only affect mobile devices. Desktop settings remain separate.

Key point: Squarespace 7.1 templates offer more mobile customisation options than 7.0 templates. If you're on 7.0, some features mentioned here might not be available.

Customising Mobile Navigation

Mobile navigation needs to be simple and thumb-friendly.

Step 1: Go to Design > Site Styles and click the mobile icon.

Step 2: Under Navigation, you can adjust:

• Menu style (hamburger menu vs. always visible)
• Button size and spacing
• Text size and colour

Step 3: Test different menu styles. Hamburger menus save space but can reduce navigation by up to 20%.

Step 4: Make sure your main product categories are easily accessible within two taps.

Optimising Product Pages for Mobile

Product pages need special attention on mobile devices.

Step 1: In Design > Site Styles (mobile view), go to Products.

Step 2: Adjust image sizing. Product images should be large enough to see details but not so large they push important information below the fold.

Step 3: Check your "Add to Cart" button. It should be:

• At least 44px tall (Apple's recommended touch target)
• High contrast colour
• Positioned where thumbs naturally rest

Step 4: Keep product descriptions concise. Mobile users scan rather than read.

Testing Your Mobile Design

Regular testing prevents mobile usability issues.

Step 1: Use Squarespace's built-in preview. Click the eye icon in your dashboard, then select device types.

Step 2: Test on actual devices when possible. Emulators don't always show real-world performance.

Step 3: Check these key areas:

• Page loading speed
• Button tap accuracy
• Form completion ease
• Checkout process flow

Step 4: Ask friends or family to test your store on their phones. Fresh eyes catch issues you might miss.

Mobile-First Design Principles

Apply these principles to improve mobile conversions:

Keep forms short: Only ask for essential information. Long forms kill mobile conversions.

Use large, clear buttons: Anything smaller than 44px is hard to tap accurately.

Prioritise above-the-fold content: Your most important information should be visible immediately.

Simplify navigation: Reduce menu items and create clear pathways to purchase.

Optimise images: Large images slow down mobile loading. Squarespace automatically compresses images, but you can help by uploading appropriately sized files.

Practice

Open your Squarespace store and complete these tasks:

1. Switch to mobile view in Site Styles and adjust your navigation menu
2. Preview your homepage on mobile and identify three elements that could be improved
3. Test your checkout process on a mobile device and note any friction points
4. Check your page loading speed using Squarespace's built-in analytics

Make notes on what needs improvement and tackle one issue at a time.

FAQs

Can I hide certain elements on mobile but keep them on desktop?
Yes, in Site Styles, you can adjust visibility settings for different devices. Some elements can be hidden on mobile to reduce clutter.

Why does my mobile site look different from the preview?
Different devices and browsers can display sites slightly differently. Always test on actual devices, not just preview mode.

How do I make my mobile site load faster?
Keep images under 1MB, limit the number of elements on each page, and avoid heavy customisations that require lots of additional code.

Can I create a separate mobile version of my store?
No, Squarespace uses responsive design, meaning one site adapts to all devices. This is actually better for SEO and maintenance.

What's the difference between tablet and mobile views?
Tablets usually display the desktop version unless specifically customised. You can adjust tablet-specific settings in Site Styles.

Jargon Buster

Responsive Design: A website that automatically adjusts its layout and content based on the screen size it's being viewed on.

Mobile-First: Designing for mobile devices first, then scaling up to larger screens.

Above the Fold: The portion of a webpage visible without scrolling.

Touch Target: The area of a button or link that responds to finger taps.

Hamburger Menu: The three horizontal lines icon that opens a mobile navigation menu.

Wrap-up

Your Squarespace store now has the foundation for excellent mobile performance. Remember that mobile optimisation is ongoing – regularly test your site, monitor your analytics, and make adjustments based on how users actually behave.

The key is keeping things simple and user-focused. Every element on your mobile site should either help users find products or complete purchases. Everything else is just getting in the way.

Start with the basics covered in this chapter, then gradually refine your mobile experience based on real user feedback and behaviour.

Ready to take your Squarespace skills further? Join Pixelhaze Academy for more advanced tutorials and ongoing support.