Squarespace is among the most prominent website builders for small businesses and has been adding some powerful features for ecommerce companies in the past few years. The platform's multitude of powerful yet user-friendly features are just some of the reasons for its immense popularity. Setting up a storefront can seem complicated, but it doesn’t need to be. Creating an online store with Squarespace is easy– here’s a step-by-step guide to help you get started.
Psst. If you’re still debating using Squarespace you’ll want to read our article comparing Shopify vs Squarespace for ecommerce. If you’ve narrowed it down to Squarespace that’s great too, keep reading!
1. Create a Squarespace account and choose a template
Squarespace offers a 14-day free trial so you can begin constructing your website without incurring any costs. Simply head to squarespace.com to begin your free trial. You are not required to enter any information now. Simply click the "Get Started" button to proceed.
After clicking "Get Started," you will be asked to choose a design for your website. Since the template you choose will be the basis for your website's design: it's in your best interest to examine many before settling on one.
Squarespace offers many great templates that can make it hard to settle on one. Here are our top tips to help you pick a template:
- Choose from their online store templates –while Squarespace templates all support ecommerce stores it’s a good idea to specifically select from their “online store” category to get the most features.
- Click the heart to 'favorite' templates you like–the platform will save the templates under the 'My Favorites' category for you to return to them with fresh eyes.
- Just select one–don't stress out over picking the perfect template at this point because you can alter it to your liking later on.
Once you have selected your template: click on it to get started. Then create your account using your Google account, email, Apple, or Facebook.
2. Add your site title and logo
The next step after creating your account is adding your site title and logo. After signing up, a pop-up should appear in which you must enter the title of your site and click the Continue button to proceed. Squarespace will then walk you through four additional steps. You can skip the steps immediately or keep clicking "Next."
You are now on the Squarespace dashboard. Before you can add your store's logo, you'll need to change the header. Click the "Edit" button in the editor's upper left corner. Move your cursor to the site's header and select "Edit site header." A toolbox will then pop up. Choose "site title and logo" and then upload the file with your logo. You can change the height of the logo after you've uploaded it.
3. Add necessary pages to your website
At this point, the homepage is all you have, but there are many more pages to a website than the homepage. Sections that provide helpful information on the variety of services you offer will increase the likelihood that visitors will become paying customers.
Create an About Us page, a Contact Us page, and a Terms and Conditions page. You can add pages in the "Pages" section by selecting "Main Navigation" and clicking the "+" symbol that appears. Then choose "Page Layout" from the menu that appears.
To start making new pages, choose either the "Add Blank+" button or one of the premade page templates. Once you've decided on a design you can browse numerous premade variations of that design for each page type. Customize one of them and publish the result.
Feel free to build out as many individual web pages as you see fit. You can also check if your website looks good on a mobile device and make changes accordingly.
The next step after adding the pages is to modify your blog's settings page. Though you can remove the Blog section if you'd like, we advise keeping it and customizing it. Visit the "Pages" tab and then click the "Edit" button next to the "Blog" heading. In the pop-up window that appears, you can make any necessary edits to the Blog page's title, meta tags, social image, and more.
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4. Add products to the catalog
All that's left to do with your site is to add the products and services you wish to sell. Access the "Shop" page under "Pages" to add the items. Simply click the "+" button to add more items.
With Squarespace, you can sell anything from physical goods to digital products to subscriptions. To get started, choose the category of products you wish to offer, then fill out the relevant fields with the product's information.
Remember to include a photo of the product and a brief description. You can improve your customers’ experience by offering detailed specs. While adding products to Squarespace, you can also optimize the product pages for search engines, so don't miss out on it!
5. Choose a payment processor
One of the best things about online stores is that customers can pay you remotely. But you need to choose a way to get paid before you can start collecting money for the things you sell. To set up your store's payment method, go to the "Commerce" section in the sidebar and click "Payments."
Squarespace accepts payments via PayPal, Stripe, or Apple Pay depending on the user's preference. Different regions use different payment methods, so pick the ones that are standard in your location. When using one of these payment methods, you can either use an existing account or sign up for a new one and link it to the shop.
6. Select the localization and calculate taxes
Although everyone can view your website, you are restricted from offering worldwide shipping on tangible goods. You'll need to specify the shipping address, currency, and measurement units for the items you offer. You also have to pay taxes when you sell your products online. Squarespace includes a built-in tax calculator to alleviate the stress of figuring out how to calculate taxes on your own.
The built-in tax calculator determines how much tax you need to pay based on your location. The amount you pay also varies depending on the nature of the products you sell. Under "Commerce," choose "Taxes" to establish a method for calculating sales tax for your online store. Then click the "Set up now" icon. You'll then get a pop-up where you can choose the country where your business is located.
Add the appropriate tax name and rate for your country and then decide whether or not to include tax in the price of your services and shipment. Click "Save" and your store's tax system will be ready.
7. Choose how to ship your products
If you intend to sell physical goods, you must set up a way to ship and deliver them. To add the shipping cost, go to "Commerce" and choose "Shipping." Here you can choose how much to charge for shipping based on different factors.
Choose from offering shipping at a fixed charge, basing shipping costs on the product's weight, or outsourcing the logistics to a third party. You can also choose not to pay for shipping if you like.
Squarespace gives you various choices that shift depending on the goods you're selling and your region. once you've decided on a delivery partner, your ecommerce journey can move forward!
8. Finalize the store layout
Your online store is finally ready for business… but it might not look as good as you wanted. Spend time ensuring that each page of your website is optimized for user experience. You need to impress your visitors to keep coming back to your website. How do you do this? By creating a site that is aesthetically pleasing and simple to use.
Incorporate a simple contact form and ensure the site is easy to navigate. Customers will have less hassle reaching out to you if they have any questions or concerns.
9. Update the website settings
Your Squarespace site is now complete, but you still need to modify specific settings before launching it. To make the necessary changes, visit the "Settings" tab in the sidebar. you'll find a variety of customization choices in the settings menu. Select each setting and modify or update it as needed for your region and business strategy.
Here you can connect social profiles, add the domain for your site, add teammates, and connect external tools like Google Analytics.
10. Launch your store
Your ecommerce site can officially go online now! But make sure you sign up for a paid subscription to continue using Squarespace after your free trial expires. To choose one of the platform's plans, select the "Site Availability" option in the configuration settings and click the "Upgrade to Publish" icon. With Squarespace you can choose from four different pricing packages.
- Personal at $12 per month
- Business at $18 per month
- Basic Commerce at $26 per month
- Advanced Commerce at $40 per month
The Personal plan doesn't have any business features or an ecommerce store, so you’ll need the Business plan at least. If you're just starting: the Business plan is a great choice but beware that there is a 3% transaction fee with this plan.
For more features like customer reviews, enhanced e-commerce analytics, and 0% transaction fees it is best to go for the Basic or Advanced commerce plans.
Alright! Your Squarespace store is up and running and ready to take orders.
Get product photography for your Squarespace shop through soona
Squarespace is an excellent option for those looking for a website builder with powerful ecommerce tools. The platform is reasonably priced, includes a user-friendly drag-and-drop editor, and comes with various attractive templates.
One of the key ways to ensure your Squarespace online store succeeds is to add high-quality product photos. soona offers you access to a digital platform where you can develop and share your own content. The ecommerce starter pack is the best option when you need high-quality images for your Squarespace store product listing. Do your product photos need an upgrade? Schedule a shoot with us today!
Squarespace is among the most prominent website builders for small businesses and has been adding some powerful features for ecommerce companies in the past few years. The platform's multitude of powerful yet user-friendly features are just some of the reasons for its immense popularity. Setting up a storefront can seem complicated, but it doesn’t need to be. Creating an online store with Squarespace is easy– here’s a step-by-step guide to help you get started.
Psst. If you’re still debating using Squarespace you’ll want to read our article comparing Shopify vs Squarespace for ecommerce. If you’ve narrowed it down to Squarespace that’s great too, keep reading!
1. Create a Squarespace account and choose a template
Squarespace offers a 14-day free trial so you can begin constructing your website without incurring any costs. Simply head to squarespace.com to begin your free trial. You are not required to enter any information now. Simply click the "Get Started" button to proceed.
After clicking "Get Started," you will be asked to choose a design for your website. Since the template you choose will be the basis for your website's design: it's in your best interest to examine many before settling on one.
Squarespace offers many great templates that can make it hard to settle on one. Here are our top tips to help you pick a template:
- Choose from their online store templates –while Squarespace templates all support ecommerce stores it’s a good idea to specifically select from their “online store” category to get the most features.
- Click the heart to 'favorite' templates you like–the platform will save the templates under the 'My Favorites' category for you to return to them with fresh eyes.
- Just select one–don't stress out over picking the perfect template at this point because you can alter it to your liking later on.
Once you have selected your template: click on it to get started. Then create your account using your Google account, email, Apple, or Facebook.
2. Add your site title and logo
The next step after creating your account is adding your site title and logo. After signing up, a pop-up should appear in which you must enter the title of your site and click the Continue button to proceed. Squarespace will then walk you through four additional steps. You can skip the steps immediately or keep clicking "Next."
You are now on the Squarespace dashboard. Before you can add your store's logo, you'll need to change the header. Click the "Edit" button in the editor's upper left corner. Move your cursor to the site's header and select "Edit site header." A toolbox will then pop up. Choose "site title and logo" and then upload the file with your logo. You can change the height of the logo after you've uploaded it.
3. Add necessary pages to your website
At this point, the homepage is all you have, but there are many more pages to a website than the homepage. Sections that provide helpful information on the variety of services you offer will increase the likelihood that visitors will become paying customers.
Create an About Us page, a Contact Us page, and a Terms and Conditions page. You can add pages in the "Pages" section by selecting "Main Navigation" and clicking the "+" symbol that appears. Then choose "Page Layout" from the menu that appears.
To start making new pages, choose either the "Add Blank+" button or one of the premade page templates. Once you've decided on a design you can browse numerous premade variations of that design for each page type. Customize one of them and publish the result.
Feel free to build out as many individual web pages as you see fit. You can also check if your website looks good on a mobile device and make changes accordingly.
The next step after adding the pages is to modify your blog's settings page. Though you can remove the Blog section if you'd like, we advise keeping it and customizing it. Visit the "Pages" tab and then click the "Edit" button next to the "Blog" heading. In the pop-up window that appears, you can make any necessary edits to the Blog page's title, meta tags, social image, and more.
{{studio-ad="/external-components"}}
4. Add products to the catalog
All that's left to do with your site is to add the products and services you wish to sell. Access the "Shop" page under "Pages" to add the items. Simply click the "+" button to add more items.
With Squarespace, you can sell anything from physical goods to digital products to subscriptions. To get started, choose the category of products you wish to offer, then fill out the relevant fields with the product's information.
Remember to include a photo of the product and a brief description. You can improve your customers’ experience by offering detailed specs. While adding products to Squarespace, you can also optimize the product pages for search engines, so don't miss out on it!
5. Choose a payment processor
One of the best things about online stores is that customers can pay you remotely. But you need to choose a way to get paid before you can start collecting money for the things you sell. To set up your store's payment method, go to the "Commerce" section in the sidebar and click "Payments."
Squarespace accepts payments via PayPal, Stripe, or Apple Pay depending on the user's preference. Different regions use different payment methods, so pick the ones that are standard in your location. When using one of these payment methods, you can either use an existing account or sign up for a new one and link it to the shop.
6. Select the localization and calculate taxes
Although everyone can view your website, you are restricted from offering worldwide shipping on tangible goods. You'll need to specify the shipping address, currency, and measurement units for the items you offer. You also have to pay taxes when you sell your products online. Squarespace includes a built-in tax calculator to alleviate the stress of figuring out how to calculate taxes on your own.
The built-in tax calculator determines how much tax you need to pay based on your location. The amount you pay also varies depending on the nature of the products you sell. Under "Commerce," choose "Taxes" to establish a method for calculating sales tax for your online store. Then click the "Set up now" icon. You'll then get a pop-up where you can choose the country where your business is located.
Add the appropriate tax name and rate for your country and then decide whether or not to include tax in the price of your services and shipment. Click "Save" and your store's tax system will be ready.
7. Choose how to ship your products
If you intend to sell physical goods, you must set up a way to ship and deliver them. To add the shipping cost, go to "Commerce" and choose "Shipping." Here you can choose how much to charge for shipping based on different factors.
Choose from offering shipping at a fixed charge, basing shipping costs on the product's weight, or outsourcing the logistics to a third party. You can also choose not to pay for shipping if you like.
Squarespace gives you various choices that shift depending on the goods you're selling and your region. once you've decided on a delivery partner, your ecommerce journey can move forward!
8. Finalize the store layout
Your online store is finally ready for business… but it might not look as good as you wanted. Spend time ensuring that each page of your website is optimized for user experience. You need to impress your visitors to keep coming back to your website. How do you do this? By creating a site that is aesthetically pleasing and simple to use.
Incorporate a simple contact form and ensure the site is easy to navigate. Customers will have less hassle reaching out to you if they have any questions or concerns.
9. Update the website settings
Your Squarespace site is now complete, but you still need to modify specific settings before launching it. To make the necessary changes, visit the "Settings" tab in the sidebar. you'll find a variety of customization choices in the settings menu. Select each setting and modify or update it as needed for your region and business strategy.
Here you can connect social profiles, add the domain for your site, add teammates, and connect external tools like Google Analytics.
10. Launch your store
Your ecommerce site can officially go online now! But make sure you sign up for a paid subscription to continue using Squarespace after your free trial expires. To choose one of the platform's plans, select the "Site Availability" option in the configuration settings and click the "Upgrade to Publish" icon. With Squarespace you can choose from four different pricing packages.
- Personal at $12 per month
- Business at $18 per month
- Basic Commerce at $26 per month
- Advanced Commerce at $40 per month
The Personal plan doesn't have any business features or an ecommerce store, so you’ll need the Business plan at least. If you're just starting: the Business plan is a great choice but beware that there is a 3% transaction fee with this plan.
For more features like customer reviews, enhanced e-commerce analytics, and 0% transaction fees it is best to go for the Basic or Advanced commerce plans.
Alright! Your Squarespace store is up and running and ready to take orders.
Get product photography for your Squarespace shop through soona
Squarespace is an excellent option for those looking for a website builder with powerful ecommerce tools. The platform is reasonably priced, includes a user-friendly drag-and-drop editor, and comes with various attractive templates.
One of the key ways to ensure your Squarespace online store succeeds is to add high-quality product photos. soona offers you access to a digital platform where you can develop and share your own content. The ecommerce starter pack is the best option when you need high-quality images for your Squarespace store product listing. Do your product photos need an upgrade? Schedule a shoot with us today!
