Squarespace is a well-known platform for building ecommerce websites. It offers easy-to-use tools that make it a good choice for beginners and small business owners.
Squarespace can be a great option if you want a stylish and simple online store. It has built-in ecommerce features like product management, secure checkout, and marketing tools.
This article will help new website developers and those planning to purchase Squarespace understand that whether Squarespace fits their online store or not.
Why Use Squarespace For Ecommerce?
Squarespace can be perfect for those who want an all-in-one ecommerce platform. It simplifies the process of creating and managing an online store. According to Backlinko, around 4.91 million subscribers use Squarespace, who can easily build websites and earn good revenue through it.
The platform provides ready-made templates, built-in SEO tools, and secure payment options. This is ideal for users who want a store without dealing with technical complexities.
Unlike other platforms that require plugins or coding, Squarespace offers everything in one place, making it easier to run an online business.
Who Should Use Squarespace for Ecommerce?
Small to medium-sized businesses, entrepreneurs, and creatives should prefer using Squarespace to build E-commerce websites. It suits those who like simplicity over advanced customization.
- Small to medium-sized businesses can easily set up and manage without technical skills.
- Entrepreneurs and startups will find it quick to launch an online store.
- Artists and creatives can take advantage of visually appealing templates to showcase products.
- Service-based businesses can sell digital products and add appointment sections or memberships to the website according to the purpose.
- Bloggers and influencers can easily integrate for adding an online shop to an existing site.
Pros of Using Squarespace for Ecommerce
Squarespace offers a user-friendly e-commerce platform with built-in tools that make selling online easier. Here are a few benefits that you can get by using Squarespace for Ecommerce:
- Easy Store Setup: Squarespace makes it simple to build an online store with its drag-and-drop editor. You don’t need coding knowledge to create a professional website, saving time and effort.
- Beautiful Design Templates: The platform provides modern, high-quality templates that are fully customizable. These templates help businesses create a visually appealing storefront without hiring a designer.
- Secure and Reliable Hosting: Squarespace includes secure hosting with all its plans. Websites load fast, and users don’t have to worry about security updates or server maintenance.
- SEO Optimization: The platform includes customizable page titles, meta descriptions, and automatic sitemaps. These features help improve a store’s search engine rankings and attract more customers.
- Portfolio & Content Creation: You can showcase your products or services through portfolios, blogs, and multimedia content.
Cons of Using Squarespace For Ecommerce
Squarespace does have some limitations such as businesses with advanced needs or large inventories might face some challenges. Here are a few drawbacks:
- Not Ideal for Large-Scale Ecommerce: The platform works well for small and medium businesses but lacks the advanced tools to manage high-volume stores. Large companies may need more flexibility and scalability.
- Fewer Third-Party Integrations: Compared to other ecommerce platforms like Shopify, Squarespace has limited third-party app integrations. Businesses relying on specific tools may find this restrictive.
- Transaction Fees Available: The Basic plan charges a 3% transaction fee on every sale. However, upgrading to an e-commerce plan removes this fee but increases the monthly cost.
Squarespace Pricing
Squarespace offers different pricing plans to suit various needs, from personal websites to fully functional online stores. Below is a breakdown of Squarespace’s pricing plans:
| Squarespace Plans | Annual Billing | Monthly Billing |
|---|---|---|
| Personal | £12/month | £16/month |
| Business | £17/month | £24/month |
| Commerce | £23/month | £28/month |
| Commerce Advanced | £35/month | £43/month |
Let’s get into more detail about what each plan offers. This will help you get the details of its features, which are included in it:
1. Personal
The Basic plan is ideal for individuals or small businesses looking to build a professional website easily. It includes access to all core website-building tools, beautiful design templates, and unlimited bandwidth.
Users can create pages, add a blog, and integrate basic SEO tools. This plan also provides access to Squarespace extensions and allows users to connect to a custom domain. Basic website analytics help track visitor engagement and site performance.
2. Business
The Core plan offers enhanced features for those wanting a more functional website with ecommerce capabilities. It includes all the features of the Basic plan, plus the ability to sell products and accept payments.
It features managing inventory and processing orders, and it provides flexible shipping options. This plan also supports customer accounts, allowing buyers to save their details for faster checkout. Built-in SEO tools and email marketing features help businesses reach more customers.
3. Commerce
The Plus plan is designed for growing businesses that need advanced ecommerce tools. It includes abandoned cart recovery and advanced discount features. Store owners can sell unlimited products, set up automated tax calculations, and access in-depth analytics for sales tracking.
The plan also provides additional customization options for product pages, making creating a unique shopping experience easier. Priority customer support ensures users receive quick assistance when needed.
4. Commerce Advanced
The Advanced plan is perfect for businesses looking to scale their online store with powerful ecommerce features. It includes all Plus plan benefits and offers subscription-based selling, advanced shipping options, and commerce APIs for custom integrations.
Businesses can set up advanced analytics, track customer behavior, and integrate third-party tools to optimize store performance. This plan also supports real-time shipping rate calculations, helping businesses provide accurate pricing.
Note: All plans include a free custom domain for one year when purchasing any one of the annual plans.
Which Squarespace Commerce Plan Is Better?
The Squarespace Plus plan is the best choice for most e-commerce users because it offers essential tools for growing an online store without unnecessary extras.
It includes abandoned cart recovery, advanced discounts, and unlimited product listings, making it ideal for small to mid-sized businesses.
If you need subscription selling or advanced shipping, the Advanced plan is worth considering for scaling your business further. However, it depends on your use and the profit you want to make from your business through the website.
Squarespace Discounts: Save Up To 29%
Squarespace offers discounts on its plans when paid annually, providing significant savings for users. The Basic and Core plan offers 29% savings, the Personal plan provides 30% and the Commerce Advanced plan offers a 18% discount on yearly billing.
These discounts are available to new users who commit to annual subscriptions, helping them get the most value out of their Squarespace experience.
Besides that, Squarespace offers Student discounts as it partners with Students Beans. When choosing the annual plan, students will get 50% off the first year.
Also, if you are a new user, you can get 10% off a website or domain. You can use Promo code GIMME10 at the checkout. But remember, the discount is applicable on the first purchase only.
How Squarespace Helps in Ecommerce?
Squarespace can help you build and manage an online store efficiently. These tools are used to sell products, track inventory, and handle payments seamlessly.
- Online Store Creation: Squarespace provides easy-to-use tools to set up an online store. You can design and customize your store with pre-built templates to reflect your brand.
- Product Management: Seamlessly manage products with the option to organize them by categories, collections, and tags.
- Inventory Tracking: Easily track stock levels, manage product variants, and get notifications for low stock.
- Order Management: Squarespace simplifies order tracking, providing a central dashboard to manage customer orders and shipping details.
- Secure Checkout: The platform ensures a smooth and secure checkout experience for customers with various payment methods such as credit cards, PayPal, Apple Pay, and more.
- Mobile Optimization: All Squarespace stores are automatically optimized for mobile devices, ensuring customers can shop easily on their phones and tablets.
- Integrated Payments: The platform integrates with payment processors like Stripe and PayPal, allowing seamless transactions.
- Shipping Options: Offers built-in shipping integrations with USPS, FedEx, and UPS, along with automatic shipping rate calculations at checkout.
- Marketing Tools: Built-in tools like email campaigns, social media integrations, and SEO features help drive traffic and sales.
Squarespace Support
Squarespace offers 24/7 customer support through live chat and email. You can easily access the help center for articles, guides, and tutorials that cover a wide range of topics.
The platform also provides video tutorials and community forums where users can engage with other Squarespace members. Customers can submit support tickets for more personalized assistance and receive responses to their specific issues or inquiries.
Squarespace Reviews: Customer Testimonials
Here are the honest reviews of customers from the trusted Reddit site.
1. This testimonial is from a small business considering Squarespace for a language tutoring business. They want an aesthetically pleasing website and found Squarespace templates helpful. The pricing is also a good factor compared to other platforms as per the review.
2. This business owner enjoyed domain authority and SEO rankings on his current Squarespace site. But they’re concerned that Squarespace’s e-commerce capabilities pale compared to Shopify’s features, questioning if Squarespace has abandoned competing in e-commerce altogether.
Alternatives To Squarespace
While Squarespace offers excellent design templates and all-in-one functionality, it may not suit every business need, especially for advanced e-commerce.
Here are three popular alternatives that better serve your specific requirements.
| Platform | Starting Price | Free Trial | Ideal For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shopify | £25/month/ year | 3 days | Dedicated e-commerce |
| Wix | $17/month | Free Plan | Small businesses |
| WordPress | £3/ month/ year | N/A | Content flexibility |
Read the features included in Shopiy, Wix, and WordPress:
1. Shopify
Shopify offers advanced ecommerce features like product management, payment processing, and inventory tracking.
Shopify excels in scalability and integrations with various third-party tools. However, Squarespace is better for those seeking beautiful design templates and a more user-friendly, all-in-one website solution. Shopify focuses more on ecommerce, while Squarespace balances design and functionality.
If you want to use Shopify’s ecommerce features on Squarespace, This Shopify integration guide can help you set it up seamlessly.
2. Wix
Wix offers a flexible website builder with drag-and-drop features, which is ideal for beginners. It includes ecommerce tools for small to medium-sized stores but lacks some advanced features compared to Squarespace.
Squarespace stands out for its superior design templates, built-in marketing tools, and cohesive ecommerce experience, while Wix is more customizable but can feel less polished for serious ecommerce use.
3. WordPress
WordPress is a powerful platform mainly used for content-based websites. It offers extensive plugins, including WooCommerce for ecommerce. While highly customizable, it requires more technical knowledge.
Squarespace is simpler for those who prioritize ease of use, with fewer setup complexities. Its all-in-one package and beautiful designs make it perfect for users who want a streamlined experience.
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Conclusion: Squarespace Is Good For Ecommerce
Squarespace is best for small to medium-sized businesses, creatives, and entrepreneurs who want an easy-to-use platform with beautiful design templates and essential ecommerce tools.
It offers an excellent starting point for those new to ecommerce or businesses with moderate product offerings. Consider your specific needs, such as the size of your product range, customization requirements, and long-term growth plans.
Evaluate the above factors neatly to determine if Squarespace fits your ecommerce vision. You can start your Ecommerce business on Squarespace and get the experience that will help you understand the platform better.
FAQs
Squarespace is fully equipped for ecommerce. It allows users to create online stores, manage products, track inventory, and process payments seamlessly. It’s ideal for small to medium-sized businesses.
Shopify is better for large-scale ecommerce due to its advanced features and scalability. Squarespace, however, is great for smaller businesses or entrepreneurs looking for an easy-to-use platform with design-focused templates.
Squarespace charges no transaction fees on the Basic and Advanced plans. However, the Business plan has a 3% transaction fee. Payment processing fees vary depending on the provider, such as Stripe or PayPal.
Squarespace’s pricing is generally affordable, especially for small businesses and individuals. With plans offering built-in ecommerce tools, it’s a good value for beginners compared to other platforms with higher upfront costs.
Both Wix and Squarespace have ecommerce capabilities, but Squarespace excels in design and customization, making it better for creatives. Wix offers more flexibility and scalability, which may suit larger stores.
