An Effective Squarespace Client-Site Design Process
Creating a website using Squarespace comes with a number of advantages. A Squarespace website looks good while being easy to customize and use as well.
Squarespace is relatively newer. Correspondingly, Squarespace designers are fewer as compared to WordPress designers. Let us take a look at the ways to create a Squarespace website right from scratch.
1 | Create a trial site
For someone who intends to create a Squarespace website, Squarespace makes a 14-day free trial available. This helps a Squarespace designer without having to purchase anything on the first go.
In these 14 days, one can create a nice Squarespace website. It is unlikely to take any longer. A new user can also create a trial site.
An advantage of making websites using Squarespace is that one has easy access to each of his websites. One can access them by clicking over one’s profile image, which is right below the main menu.
When one is required to work over a site that already exists, one can create a trial site to be sure about the layouts, without messing the pre-existing site.
A trial site also gives one a better understanding of Squarespace’s capabilities. This is important when makes a switch from some other platform to Squarespace.
2 | Customize the design
Choosing a template
When one is through creating a trial site, one is prompted to choose one of the Squarespace templates.
A range of custom Squarespace templates is made available for a Squarespace designer’s selection. They are across different categories, such as restaurants, portfolios, and businesses, and help create a nice Squarespace design for a website. One can browse across the different templates easily.
A few of the top points which a Squarespace designer should keep in mind when choosing the templates are its functionality, the layouts, and the feature index. This demonstrates the template’s capabilities and gives a fair idea of its feasibility for a particular website.
With each template, Squarespace gives an overview of other websites that were created using the templates. A Squarespace web designer must run through those as well. This helps with designing sites in Squarespace. The template chosen depends on the kind of website that one wants to create and the functionalities and features one wants the site to have.
In Squarespace, one can switch templates at any time and bring about a change in the Squarespace site design. One keeps all the content one created while using a prior template. Customizations made over colors, spacing, and fonts are however not saved. It is, therefore, recommendable that one does a bit of homework and chooses the best-suited theme right from the start. Being sure of one’s requirements, before getting started help.
Mapping out the content
Many Squarespace themes have predefined spacing and require no knowledge of coding. Mapping a wireframe beforehand, based upon your requirements is likely to be helpful.
So make a list of pages and see the ones that will be listed in the main navigation menu. Calls to action create a flow for the end-users of the website.
After choosing the template, work on the pages and the navigation.
Receiving content from clients
When a Squarespace web designer receives written and multimedia content from the clients, it is preferable for the same to organized, in folders and subfolders for each webpage and section.
Customizing the template
If a Squarespace specialist has the framework for a website ready with him, he can add in the logo and use the Style Editor to make adjustments in colors, fonts, and sizes.
One also previews the changes while one makes them. This saves time. After finalizing the presentation of the website, one adds in the buttons.
3 | Client approval
The first step involved with getting a client approval is sending the link of the trial site over to the client.
By default, each Squarespace site receives a unique Squarespace URL. But customizing the Squarespace domain name for the website makes it easier to recall. This is done by going to the Main Menu and clicking on Settings followed by Domain.
Client feedback guides a Squarespace designer to make changes or revisions.
4 | Add client as a site administrator
In case the client is switching over from WordPress or some other CMS to Squarespace, the client is then added as an administrator. This is after they approve the site by clicking over Settings>Permission>Invite Contributor.
First, they create a Squarespace account. This lets them log in to the backend of the site. Here, they can make an upgrade to a paid site from a trial site. The billing information can also be set up over here.
In case the client already has a Squarespace site, the Squarespace designer can ask the client to let them be the administrator. This lets the designer bring about changes in Squarespace website design and Squarespace themes over the preexisting site.
5 | Transfer content and reroute domain
When clients make a switch from WordPress to Squarespace, a Squarespace designer can transfer the prevailing blog posts and reroute the domain name. This saves trouble for the client. A square space designer should know the login details and the existing domain content for the same.
In case the client already has a prevailing Squarespace site, put a cover page before getting started, in order to mimic the trial site.
6 | Client tutorial
Once the site is ready, a Squarespace designer meets the client over Google Hangouts or Skype. They share the screen and explain the backend.
It is preferable to explain basic items such as:
- Updating text and images
- Editing or adding blog posts
- Go through site metrics
- Add items to the shop
- Connect social media accounts
Squarespace is intuitive and user-friendly. The final consultation takes less than an hour.
It is time to transfer the ownership of the site to the client, send an invoice, and celebrate.
Conclusion:
Squarespace is used by designers who want to create a streamlined, professional, user-friendly, and efficient website. The aforementioned is one of the processes that work best for creating a Squarespace website.
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