This is really two blog posts in one as not only do I want to answer some of the FAQ I get about Squarespace but I also want to share a tip on where to find out what FAQ to answer when you are looking for blog content ideas.

As I mentioned, I get a lot of questions about Squarespace! I also see them posted in Facebook groups, the Squarespace help forum itself and on social media. It’s no surprise, Squarespace is such a popular platform many people are considering using it for their business, portfolio or personal website.

I decided a blog post about the most-commonly asked questions might be useful, but where to start! There’s a very handy tool called https://answerthepublic.com/ where you can type in a topic (ex Squarespace) and you get a whole host of commonly asked questions online about that topic. This is brilliant no matter what topic you are interested in blogging about. Here are some screenshots of the results I got when I typed Squarespace into the search bar. They are divided into Questions (most Google searches are in the form of a question), the word Squarespace used as a Preposition, Comparisons…and more

Popular Search Terms about Squarespace

So, what the most commonly asked questions I get asked or see being asked about Squarespace?

What exactly is Squarespace?
Squarespace is a drag and drop Content Management System for building websites. It is a subscription-based model whereby you pay an annual fee to Squarespace for hosting your website. If you stop paying, you lose your website. You can backup your content but not the site layout. That belongs to Squarespace.
Do Squarespace sites work on mobile?
Yes, Squarespace sites are all automatically mobile-friendly, you do not need to reformat your site for mobile. Sometimes you might need to use a bit of custom code to get something to look exactly how you want it on mobile, but overall Squarespace websites look fab on mobile. Indeed you can design them from your desktop in mobile view, to ensure your layout works 100% the way you want it on mobile.
Are Squarespace sites good for blogging?
Yes, absolutely. You can set up a blog in jig time on Squarespace, with multiple layout options available to you, categories, tags, comments, SEO settings and everything you need for a really great blog.
Are Squarespace sites secure?
The good news is that yes, All domains correctly added to a Squarespace site are automatically protected with free SSL certificates to improve security. This means you do not have to pay your hosting company for an SSL cert. It is included in your Squarespace subscription. It makes sure things like login details or credit card information is handled securely. It also protects any data you receive via a form on your website. SSL certs are also super-important if you want Google to rank your site. Google actively punishes sites that do not have an SSL cert. So, what do you need to do to ensure your SSL cert is enabled? Login to you Squarespace account. Head to Settings > Advanced > SSL. Make sure you select Secure.
If you’d like to know more, Squarespace have their own article about SSL security here.
Do Squarespace provide support?
Yes, Squarespace offers support through a really good live chat functionality with teams in Dublin and New York ready to answer all your questions. They also have a good online forum where you can find answers to your questions from other Squarespace users and a super comprehensive library of ‘how-to’ videos and guides. You can also work directly with your designer for support, if they offer it.
Can Squarespace host my domain?
If you have a .com domain, yes you can have it hosted by Squarespace. If your .com domain is currently hosted elsewhere, you can transfer it to Squarespace to keep everything in the one place. Or you can keep it with your domain host.
If you are an Irish company with a .ie domain, you will still need to have this hosted by a company such as Hosting Ireland, Blacknight or LetsHost. You can then point this domain to your Squarespace website by updating your DNS settings in your hosting account. Ensure you are not paying your hosting company for anything other than the domain and any domain-related emails. You do not need to pay them to host your website if you are using Squarespace. You just pay them for the domain (usually less than €20 per year).
What Squarespace theme should I use or which Squarespace template to use?
Squarespace doesn’t offer themes, that’s WordPress terminology :) Up until recently Squarespace offered a variety of templates as part of their 7.0 version of the platform. If you’ve had a Squarespace website since before mid-2020, it has been built on one of these templates. Brine was the most common family of templates as they were by far the most versatile in terms of layout options. In July 2020 Squarespace launched Squarespace 7.1 and did away with the idea of templates. There is now just one template. So when you log on to Squarespace.com today and look at the layouts on offer - they are all the same template, just with different designs/layouts to give you an idea of what’s possible. I was initially reluctant to make the switch as a designer as there was a bit of a learning curve with the new platform (and they are continuously updating it), but now I design and build all my client sites in 7.1! They have made a lot of aspects of the platform even easier to manage (if that is possible!) and they have combined all the good bits of the old templates into one and have eliminated to some extent the need for custom coding. You may be wondering if my website is built on Squarespace 7.1…and the answer is no, it’s not. It’s on my to-do list, but given that sadly there isn’t an easy way to migrate everything over, I am waiting for a lull in my workload to make the switch.
Is Squarespace good for SEO?
I have written other articles on SEO and Squarespace (On-site Search Engine Results Page Listings, How can you improve your SEO, Myths about Squarespace SEO) which you might find interesting in answer to this question. The short answer is yes. Here are the main places for you to get started with your SEO on your Squarespace website:
- The search engine description (Marketing> SEO > Search Engine Description)
- The URL slug of each page (click the gear icon beside each page name > URL slug)
- The page title for each page (click the gear icon beside each page name > SEO)
- The page description for each page (click the gear icon beside each page name > SEO)
- Every image on your website should have an SEO friendly filename (it must also describe the image for the purposes of screen-readers)
5. Is is possible to customise a Squarespace website so it doesn’t look like a template or too Squarespacey?
Yes, it is! There are several ways to make your Squarespace site your own
1. Firstly, don’t follow the template! By this I mean, start with blank page layouts to add your content, instead of following the layouts suggested by Squarespace.
2. Ensure you use your own branding to make your site truly representative of your business. This includes your brand fonts and colour scheme. And try to avoid stock photography too.
3. Thirdly - hire a designer. If you really want to avoid the DIY-look, get in touch so I can design you a site that makes you stand out from the rest and which will communicate your expertise and brand values so that your ideal customers want to buy from/hire you! Book a free consultation call here.
6. Will I lose my Google ranking if I switch to Squarespace from Wix, Wordpress or another CMS?
No, there’s no reason your rankings should suffer if your web designer makes sure to map all your old URLs to any new ones on your new site. This way your pages don’t lose their address (url), just the content and layout is different. It’s like renovating your house. You don’t move address but you change the interior. The postman (Google) still knows where to find you.

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7. Is Shopify better than Squarespace for selling physical products?

Shopify is undoubtedly the leading e-commerce platform on the market, but Squarespace is not far behind, particularly since the launch of Squarespace 7.1 which allows you to sell thousands of products through your site. My personal issue with Shopify is the design - all Shopify websites tend to look the same! OK, ok, you’re probably thinking the same about Squarespace, but Shopify really only does e-commerce and not much else. So, if your primary goal is to sell physical products quickly and easily, Shopify is definitely a good option. If you wish to incorporate blogging, stand alone sales pages, memberships, email etc….then Squarespace is much more robust.

8. Is Squarespace easy to update or will I need to pay someone?

That really depends. If you are at easy with computers and the internet, you should have no difficulty maintaining your own website. And if you are actively marketing your business, you will want to know how to maintain your own website. However, maybe you are too busy to look after your website or maybe you are completely tech-illiterate, in which case you might want to work on an ongoing basis with a Squarespace designer and marketeer.

9. Can I sell my online courses on Squarespace?

Yes, you can, depending on what format your course takes and what functionalities you want to have within the course content itself. Thanks to Squarespace’s new Members Area functionality, your course students can have their own log-in and password to your website to follow the course. Previously it was the same password for everyone. You can host video content, pdfs, articles, music…whatever format your course content takes. You can drip feed content and get feedback from users using the blog page format. What you can’t do is have a progress bar, for example, or built-in assessments or the ability for students to click ‘complete’ after they have finished a less or module. These are the types of functionalities that belong in a true LMS (learning management system). Squarespace is not an LMS but it does allow for paid, gated content, with individual passwords. Read more about online course set-up here

10. Can I put a Facebook Pixel on my Squarespace site?

Yes, you can!

11. When is Squarespace not the right platform to use?

If there are very specific layouts or functionalities that you require that are not available elsewhere. as an open-source platform, Wordpress has access to thousands of different plugins relating to thousands of different industries and requirements. So sometimes that’s the way to go. It requires much more technical know-how, however, than Squarespace, and you will most likely need your developer (note I use the word developer and not designer!) on an ongoing basis. WordPress also gives you the opportunity to back up your entire site, whereas web-based platforms like Squarespace only allow you to backup your content - but they own the layout/template. So you are effectively hoping that the Squarespace servers never go bust, as they will take your site with them. But worry not, Squarespace engineers are working 24/7 to keep their millions of customers’ sites up and running night and day and I trust our websites are in good hands.

12. Do I have to pay for Squarespace?

Yes, Squarespace is a subscription-based Content Management System. There are four plans to choose from (Personal, Business, Commerce, Commerce Advanced) and you can pay monthly or annually. Work with me to get 20% off your first year’s subscription! You do get a 15 day trial when you are first starting out. Or if you are a Squarespace Circle member like me, you get 6 months free trial. To become a Circle member you have to have built at least 3 Squarespace websites (I think!). To read more about Squarespace pricing, see here.

13. Squarespace is asking me for a VAT number, but I am not VAT registered. Help!

You do not have to enter a VAT number to pay for your Squarespace subscription. Simply leave the Business Name box free.

14. Are Squarespace sites slow?

There are a number of things to be aware of when you or your designer is building your Squarespace website to ensure good site speed. These include:

ensure all images are resized for web
add a thumbnail for all videos for quicker loading
switch on SSL
keep custom code scripts to a minimum

15. Does Squarespace integrate with MailChimp?

Yes, Squarespace has a very handy integration with MailChimp for your newsletter sign-up forms. You can connect directly to MailChimp when choosing the storage for your subscribers names. You can also embed MailChimp code for lead-magnets or forms that trigger automations in MailChimp directly onto your site.

I hope this was helpful. If you’ve got questions, either pop them in the comments below or if you are ready to get started with your new Squarespace website, get in touch to discuss your requirements.