Tips for Choosing the Best Squarespace Website Template for Your Business
What the hell is a Squarespace template anyway? Maybe you already know, and that’s why you landed on this blog right here. But me? I didn’t actually grasp what Squarespace website templates were for (I’m ashamed to admit) quite some time.
You see, I knew what they were in the sense that you had to pick a template from the Squarespace platform when you wanted to build a new website. When starting my clients' websites, I did this all the time, but I would always scrap the template and create from scratch.
Yet, I kept on seeing fellow website designers creating “Squarespace website templates. I didn’t understand how they could do that, as I thought it was just Squarespace who could create templates.
Alas no, website designers like myself can use our expertise in our particular niches and create templates that are specific to the type of clients we work with.
For instance, I work with a lot of coaches and female entrepreneurs in the wellness and personal development space: yoga teachers, therapists, healers, etc..
So if you’re thinking about creating a website for your business and you want to go down the Do It Yourself route…
...then there’s no better, quicker, easier or more stylish way of doing so than using a Squarespace website template from a website designer whose design style you love.
What is a Squarespace Website Template?
A Squarespace template (or, in fact, any website template) is the starting point of your business website.
There are numerous website builder platforms, such as WordPress, Squarespace, Wix and Showit, to name a few. They all enable you to build a website, whether you DIY or get a designer to create it for you.
And they all start off with a basic template block for you to get started. That’s exactly what they offer - basic templates. And there’s a good chance their templates are not 100% what you want for your business.
That is why many designers (like myself) have created Squarespace website templates that are more niche and suit clients who want to DIY their websites but want a more bespoke designed look and feel rather than the basic templates Squarespace offers.
How Does a Squarespace Website Template Work?
Every single Squarespace website template in the latest 7.1 version offers the same functionalities. So don’t fear that you can’t pick a particular design because it doesn't have (for example) a scheduling feature or a testimonials page with scrolling images.
See the template as a building block for which you will build your website.
Once you choose the template you like best, you keep the original design the same but replace the “demo” pages with your content.
Oftentimes, when you choose your Squarespace template it won’t be exactly perfect. You’ll want to add pages and edit the current ones, but essentially you’ll want to keep the “soul” of the template because that’s why you chose it in the first place.
3 Tips for Choosing the Right Squarespace Website Template for Your Brand
Choosing your Squarespace website template can be both exciting and overwhelming. Here are three things to consider to help you choose the best template for you.
Tip One: Do Your Research
There are lots of Squarespace website templates out there. You have the ones on the Squarespace website already, and then you have numerous website designers who have turned their design expertise into templates.
I’ll be compiling a list of other design companies with Squarespace templates in the coming weeks, so watch this space.
To start, I suggest googling “Squarespace website templates for [insert your business]” or simply “Squarespace website templates.” For example, “Squarespace website templates for coaches” or “Squarespace website templates for yoga teachers.” It’s pretty obvious to do that, but my main suggestion is not to choose from the first few options that pop up. Instead, click on through to up to at least page five to see what designers pop up that “feel” right to you.
You’ll know whether a designer’s templates are the right fit for you when you land on theirwebsite and find and browse their template “shop.” I always trust my intuition on this and encourage you to do the same.
Tip Two: Pick One that Has the Most (if not all) the Features You Want
Now, this is a biggie! Remember when I said trust your intuition (gut)? I mean it. If you find one that feels right go with it, but do try and pick one with all of the features you want in place.
If you have a couple that “feel” like the right template for you, go for the one that has all the features you’re looking for.
What do I mean by picking a site that has all or most of the features you need? Ask yourself these questions to help you decide:
Does it have every page I need - Home, About, Services, Blog, Contact etc.?
Do I need a scheduling page? Does it have one?
Would I like to have a more robust sales page? (Remember, lots of companies offer sales pages at an extra cost if you want a longer format style page.)
Does it have the design style that I like, so I only need to tweak a few colours to make it more my own?
Tip Three: Go with Your Gut
Ahhh, this is what I have built my business on - my intuition. I use my intuition to get the essence of who my client is and bottle that into their online presence.
When picking your template, choose a site that “feels” like you already,here you like the ethos of the business/person you’re buying it from.
Most Squarespace website templates are created by small, independent business owners like myself, and they have lots of blog posts with helpful tips and testimonials from previous clients. I think it’s lovely to get a feel of the business and see if they’re aligned with your values. It’s not essential, of course, but that’s also something I look at when deciding if something is right for me.
Shop My Squarespace Website Templates Today
I’ve taken you through what Squarespace website templates are, how they work and how to pick the right one for you. I’m very excited to share that I will be offering my own templates for you to use - coming soon!
My area of expertise is designing Squarespace websites for life coaches, business coaches, therapists, psychotherapists and female entrepreneurs in the wellness and personal development world.
Please sign up below if you are interested in being the first to know when my templates go live. I cannot wait to share them with you and have the opportunity to be a part of your business growth.