3 Reasons Why Squarespace is Still the Best Website Design Platform in 2024
3 min read
Why am I still building websites in 2024 with Squarespace when things like Webflow are around with their infinite customizability? I’ve tried them all over the years, but nothing beats Squarespace for its simplicity and all-in-one package. Here’s why you might not want infinite choices…
1. Easy to edit/design because of the grid system
Squarespace is dead easy to set up and design all around, I love the grid system it uses. Unlike Wix, it does not have 900 plus templates to choose from but personally, I found that sifting through 900 and counting templates took way longer and ultimately didn't amount to a nicer site than the 110 templates Squarespace offers. The pipeline for creating your site is much more streamlined and doesn't dangle a million shiny bells to choose from at every step to get distracted by.
The grid system also makes it almost impossible to screw up. Yes, other website builders offer more customizability right out of the gate (there are ways to work around things in Squarespace too) but remember fully customizable also means fully breakable! I have dozens of stories of moving a line of text or altering a link just slightly on other website builders and somehow it breaks the whole page! And then I spend an entire day trying to fix it. Exhausting. I don't have time for that, you don't have time for that. I also find that this bleeds into my next point…
2. Easy to update
Simply put Squarespace is user-friendly, and not “tech person user friendly”. I’m talking “I can barely remember my email password and don't know how Google Drive works” friendly. I don't mean that as an insult either. If you don't need to use something why would you learn it?! Squarespace understands this and it is reflected in the backend. I didn't start out as a web designer. I just wanted a portfolio site for my acting. I didn't want to have to learn all about coding, I just wanted a beautiful site where I actually understood the backend. This allowed me, and now my clients, the ability to update our own sites without learning to code. Navigating the backend of Squarespace is easy and intuitive. (I’m glaring at YOU Wordpress… who I spent way too many hours trying to master.)
3. All in one to grow with you.
Is Squarespace the best at everything web individually- ie scheduling, selling products, email marketing, blogs? No, I won’t lie to you and say it kicks butt when there are purpose-built solutions for each of these individual things. BUT is it the best Jack of them all? YES.
Squarespace is truly a one-person show. It handles content management (ie pictures, graphics etc), hosting, domain names, and e-commerce (good for book authors or creatives who sell their work). Plans start in the mid 20$/month and while there are plugins (Squarespace calls these extensions) you can add for outside functionality, like email lists and subscribers, it is not necessary. When you want to add additional functionality on your site like maybe yes the email subs or password-protected pages you don't need to wrestle with external plugin management or API’s. You get to do everything from one behind-the-scenes dashboard.
