The Internet is a global marketplace for every kind of service and a showcase for every type of man. Where’s your spot? If you want to leave a scar on this world, there is one way to ensure that you stay alive in time – get your website on the web!
If you feel that building a website from scratch is an arduous, tedious process, then you’re wrong. There is nothing more attractive than a well-built aesthetic website of your own.
A personal website can do wonders for any goal you might have set – right from composing a blog to creating an e-commerce platform.
Thanks to applications like Squarespace, you can create a website of your own at negligible costs and without writing any code. Any layperson could create a website with ease using Squarespace.
Often referred to as ‘designers’ paradise,’ Squarespace is home to an unfathomable amount of themes, templates, and other multimedia that you can use to adorn your website.
With its brilliant editor tool, you can customize your website to look just the way you want, and you can even set up a website for business purposes.
Let us take a look at how we can build a website on Squarespace.
Design A Personal Website Squarespace
Sign-Up For The Design On Squarespace
For you to build a website using Squarespace, you need to start with an account over there. So, run along to the Squarespace homepage and sign yourself up by filling in a few details.
Now, Squarespace does not land you a website for free; you have to pay $12-$40 every month for it. However, there are a few exceptions to this. If you’re a student, you get a 50% discount on this fee, and you can avail of a 14-day free trial.
So, let’s check out the free trial for the time being, and we can discuss the paid plans later. Once you are on the Squarespace homepage, click on “Get Started.” Here, for the free trial, you won’t have to answer any questions right now.
Choosing the right template
We promise you that you will be blown away by this window. The sheer amount of variety on offer is jaw-dropping. Squarespace is known for the size of its theme library, and it has an unfathomable, ungodly amount of themes in there.
You can look through the showcase with help from the website. First, you can browse through the themes by industry; try to find the ones that would work with your website.
For example, if you’re creating a photography portfolio, you can check out themes under the “portfolio” tag. You can even check out the popular designs at that time and choose one for yourself.
Filter templates by category, so you see the most relevant ones for your website. Moreover, you can hover over a template to see its full-screen preview. It enables you to glimpse at various aspects of the theme you have chosen.
The template that you’ve chosen acts as a springboard for your website, so find the one that feels right and go for it.
The sheer amount of variety on offer can confuse you, like how bright and beautiful things leave you in a daze. So stick to your industry or topic of interest when you’re choosing a template.
It will narrow down your options significantly. Additionally, you can put the ones you like in your “Favourites” list and come back to it later with fresh eyes. Lastly, pick one. You can customize the website however you want, so don’t get lost in choices.
Once you’ve settled down on one, hover over that template and select “start with [template name].”
Sanction Your Login Credentials
Once you have chosen the theme and template you want to move ahead with, Squarespace will ask you to create your login credentials.
Then, you can easily link up your Squarespace account to your email address or Google account and think up a new password for it.
Now, you have to give your site a name. This name will appear on the top of the website. You can give it any name you want, as you can alter it later on.
After you’ve christened your website, Squarespace will show you a few slides on how their editing process works, but it’s alright if you skim through these.
Edit, Design, And Build Your Website
Hitting this part of the website building process feels like coming to a clearing in the forest, with a view that can mesmerize anyone. Squarespace’s editor provides so many choices (again) that you need a minute to take it all in.
Let’s begin by adding pages to your website. It is synonymous with arranging a space before decorating it. It helps to have a clear skeleton of your website in mind.
That way, you can formulate or edit the theme and template for the best user experience. It would be best if you made your website feel like a journey to the user.
Once you have added pages and created a firm structure, we can move ahead. First, you should know that every new page you add can have a different layout. Squarespace provides layouts for a variety of purposes.
For example, if you need to add a blog page, you only need to go to “Pages,” tap on the “+” sign, and select “Blog.” It’s that easy!
Once you’re set with all the pages on your website, it is time to decorate all of them. You can add or rearrange any section you want, add or change text anywhere on the webpage, and replace the placeholder copy.
All you need to do is go to the page you want to edit and click “Edit” in the top left corner. Squarespace allows you to edit a page in sections. You can hover over a section and then click on the pen icon to edit it.
You can add sections for various purposes – a gallery section, a quote, new text, or some multimedia.
You can save your work once you’re done rearranging sections by clicking “Done” and “Save.”
Now we move towards the design and branding aspect of your website. With a clean and crisp layout in place, you can alter and tweak your design to give it life.
You can also add brand markers to your site to give it more of an identity. To do all this, go to the main menu and select “Design.”
Change fonts, font sizes, colors with ease using the Squarespace designer. You can choose from font packs, a collection of fonts that go together. Similarly, you can also select color palettes for your site.
For all elements on your site, you can add animations. Give your ingredients a fun entrance to add more life to the website. Of course, you can edit the positions and styles of all your elements, too.
Squarespace allows you to build a “favicon” for your website – the little icon appears next to the website title in a browser tab. You can upload your brand logo there. This addition makes the site look more professional.
Adding Site Info
After finalizing the look of your website, you need to get down to the crucial information. First, you need to set the language and region of your site.
For this, go to Settings and select “Language & Region.” Here you can choose your location, language, and time zone.
If you’re making a business site, you need to fill out contact details and hours of business in the “Business Information” section.
One of the most integral parts of the website is the domain name. You can either use a domain that you own – remember, you have to purchase a domain or get a domain name through Squarespace.
Some other website builders offer free subdomains. However, a domain via Squarespace costs approximately $20 per year, which is a little more expensive than buying it on your own. You can handle all of this in the “Domain” section of the site settings.
You can link your social media accounts to the website in “Social Links.” Any accounts you add here will be accessible from their icons.
Choose a Price Plan
Squarespace has four price plans ranging from $12-$40 per month if billed annually. The logic is simple here – you pay more to get more. Every ascending plan gives you more features to work with.
A personal plan is perfect for blogs and portfolios but isn’t suited for business and e-commerce. The two e-commerce plans that Squarespace offers promise zero transaction fees, while the business plan charges you 3% for the same.
Factor in your budget and your fundamental needs, and then choose the plan that fits your bill.
Once you choose a plan and pay for it, the site is live immediately. If you’re making a portfolio or a blog, your work is done. However, for business and e-commerce websites, you can use Squarespace’s extensions for PR and marketing pursuits.
You can add marketing tools to your website easily. You can run email campaigns or build a profile on social media with assistance from Squarespace.
Squarespace Vs. Competitors
Squarespace is arguably one of the best website builders today. It offers many themes and templates and enables netizens to discover and create their identities on the Internet.
However, Squarespace does not provide a website for free, whereas competitors like Wix and Weebly do. Therefore, even though Squarespace’s plans are not all that expensive, the absence of free plans would be instrumental in deciding the customer’s choice.
You can, however, avail yourself of the 14-day free trial and figure out which website builder is best for your taste.
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