Prepare Your Squarespace Store for Launch

Learning Objectives

• Understand how to finalise your Squarespace ecommerce store before going live
• Identify essential checks to ensure your website is responsive and visually appealing
• Learn to integrate and test payment gateways for smooth customer transactions

Introduction

Before you open your online store to customers, everything needs to work perfectly. This chapter walks you through a practical pre-launch checklist for Squarespace 7.1 ecommerce stores. We'll cover visual checks, payment setup, and the final tweaks that make the difference between a good launch and a great one.

Lessons

Check Your Website Design Works on All Devices

Your store needs to look brilliant and work smoothly whether customers visit on their phone, tablet, or computer. Here's how to make sure:

Step 1: Open your Squarespace editor and click the device preview icons at the top of the screen.

Step 2: Check each page systematically. Look for text that's too small, images that don't fit properly, or buttons that are hard to tap on mobile.

Step 3: Test your navigation menu on mobile. Make sure customers can easily browse your products and find what they're looking for.

Step 4: Check your product pages specifically. Product images should be clear and large enough to see details. The 'Add to Cart' button should be easy to find and tap.

Step 5: Fix any issues you spot by adjusting spacing, font sizes, or image positioning in the editor.

Set Up and Test Your Payment System

Your payment system is the heart of your store. If it doesn't work, you don't get paid. Here's how to get it right:

Step 1: Go to Settings > Payments in your Squarespace dashboard.

Step 2: Choose your payment processor. Stripe is usually the best choice for most UK businesses as it accepts major credit cards and digital wallets.

Step 3: Follow the setup process to connect your bank account. You'll need your business details and bank information.

Step 4: Enable test mode (you'll find this in your payment settings).

Step 5: Make a test purchase. Add a product to your cart, go through checkout, and complete the payment process.

Step 6: Check that you receive order confirmation emails and that the order appears in your Commerce dashboard.

Step 7: Switch off test mode when everything works properly.

Complete Your Store Setup

These final checks ensure your store is ready for real customers:

Step 1: Add your shipping settings. Go to Settings > Shipping and set up your delivery options and costs.

Step 2: Create your essential pages. You need Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, and Returns Policy pages. These build trust and are legally required.

Step 3: Set up your taxes. Go to Settings > Taxes and configure this based on your location and business requirements.

Step 4: Write your product descriptions properly. Include key details customers need to know and use natural language that helps with search rankings.

Step 5: Upload high-quality product images. Use Squarespace's image editor to crop and adjust them if needed.

Step 6: Test your contact forms and make sure enquiries reach you.

Practice

Run through a complete customer journey on your site. Start by finding a product, add it to your cart, and complete the entire checkout process using test mode. Check that confirmation emails arrive and that the order appears in your dashboard correctly.

FAQs

Can I change the checkout process on Squarespace?
You can customise some elements like adding fields or changing colours, but major changes to the checkout flow require custom code.

Are Squarespace stores automatically mobile-friendly?
Yes, all Squarespace 7.1 templates are responsive and work on mobile devices. However, you should still test and adjust content for the best mobile experience.

Which payment methods can I accept?
Squarespace integrates with Stripe, PayPal, and Square. Most UK businesses use Stripe as it accepts credit cards, debit cards, Apple Pay, and Google Pay.

How do I know if my store is ready to launch?
Complete this checklist, test everything thoroughly, and make sure you can process orders from enquiry to delivery.

Jargon Buster

Ecommerce Store – An online shop where customers can browse and buy products or services

Payment Gateway – The service that processes card payments and transfers money to your bank account

Responsive Design – A website that automatically adjusts to look good on different screen sizes

Test Mode – A setting that lets you test payments without processing real transactions

Wrap-up

Your Squarespace store is nearly ready for customers. You've checked the design works on all devices, set up payments properly, and completed the essential setup tasks. The key now is thorough testing before you go live. Take time to check everything works as expected, and don't rush the launch. A well-prepared store will serve you much better than one that's rushed online.

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