Squarespace from Signup to Launch: Build, customize, and launch robust and user-friendly Squarespace websites with a no-code approach

Cover
Title Page
Copyright and Credits
Dedications
Foreword
Contributors
Table of Contents
Preface
Introduction
Part 1: So, You Want to Build a Website on Squarespace
Chapter 1: Choosing Your Platform – to Squarespace or Not to Squarespace
	The evolution of Squarespace
		Squarespace 5
		Squarespace 6
		Squarespace 7
	Understanding Squarespace 7.1 and Fluid Engine’s features
		Core features summary
		Advanced features summary
	Squarespace versus other website builder tools
		Wix – the drag and drop competitor
		WordPress – the leader in blogging
		Shopify – commerce that scales
		Webflow – animations and interactions
		Comparing the cost of different site builder tools
	Squarespace’s most significant weaknesses
		So, why use Squarespace?
	Professional insight – why do professionals choose Squarespace?
	Resource – the Squarespace decision tree
	Summary
	Questions
	Answers
Chapter 2: Preparing to Build Your Site – Making an Outline and Gathering Your Assets
	Technical requirements
	Start with your why
	The time has come to build an outline
		Customer journey brainstorms
		The three questions to ask about every page
		Writing website copy
	Digital assets – what do you need?
	Creating your folders
		Gathering design inspiration
		Developing a color palette
		Logo and type styles
		Photos and video
		Graphic design elements
	Professional insight – what makes a good outline
	Resources – website outline template and digital asset checklist
	Digital asset checklist
		Must have
		Optional
	Summary
	Questions
	Answers
Part 2: Design and Build Your Site
Chapter 3: Setting Up Your Squarespace Site
	Technical requirements
	Creating a Squarespace account
		Answering onboarding questions
	Choosing a template
		Previewing templates
	Setting up your account
		How does a trial work?
	Professional insight – purchasing pre-built site templates
	Resource – top templates in 2023
	Summary
	Questions
	Answers
Chapter 4: Getting Started – Creating and Editing Your Site Header
	Technical requirements
	What is a site header and how does it work?
	Accessing your site editor
	Adding a logo or site title
		Using Pages to create a navigational structure
		Creating folders
		Styling and designing your navigation
	Professional insight – understanding the impact of navigation on SEO – an interview with David Iskander of Launch Happy
	Resource – five Squarespace page header examples to inspire your project
		AFMKTG
		Molly Each
		Canvas
		Coleague
	Summary
	Questions
	Answers
Chapter 5: Design Essentials – Color and Typography
	Technical requirements
	Why font selection and color choice matters
	A site style overview
	Choosing a typeface and adjusting font settings
		Switching font packs and editing the base size
		Editing headings, buttons, paragraphs, and miscellaneous
		Assign Styles
	Setting and editing color themes
		Changing the colors in your site’s palette
		Customizing your themes
	Professional insight – an interview with Kathryn Joachim from Crème Brands
	Resource – creating your style guide
	Summary
	Questions
	Answers
Chapter 6: Building Your First Pages and Sections
	Technical requirements
	Exploring what Fluid Engine is
	Understanding pages and sections
	Creating your first pages
		Adding pages to your website
		Types of pages
	Building pages with sections
		Building a page from a blank section
		Using pre-built section templates
		Using auto layouts
	Professional insight – making small adjustments to create a big impact with Kathryn Bethard from Crème Brands
		Keeping copy under control
		Using high-resolution images
		Keeping layouts fresh
	Resource – populating placeholder content with ChatGPT and Squarespace AI
	Summary
	Questions
	Further reading
	Answers
Chapter 7: Using Content Blocks and Building Forms
	Technical requirements
	What blocks are and how they work
		Opening the block menu and adding a block
	Understanding each block option
		Basic
		Powered by Tock
		Business
		Filters and lists
		Premium
		Integrations
	Using forms and newsletter signups
		Editing content
		Styling forms and newsletters
		Connecting a source
	Professional insight – your top five blocks
	Resource – keyboard shortcuts for using blocks
	Summary
	Questions
	Answers
Chapter 8: Optimizing Your Site for Mobile
	Technical requirements
	Understanding mobile optimization and responsive design
		What is responsive design?
		Why optimize for mobile?
		Visualizing websites on different screen sizes
	Viewing and reviewing your website in mobile view
		Device view
		Resizing your browser window
		Areas to consider when viewing on mobile
		How does Squarespace determine the order of content on mobile?
		How do I know when to check the mobile layout?
	Editing site settings
		Mobile header edits
		Adding a Mobile Information Bar field
	Editing page by page
		A detailed breakdown of adjustments
		Giving yourself space to work
		Checking object spacing
		Re-ordering blocks
		Focusing on images
	Professional insight – reviewing your navigation from a mobile-first perspective with Launch Happy’s David Iskander
	Resource – using development tools to the check site experience
	Summary
	Questions
	Further reading
	Answers
Chapter 9: Using Custom Code to Enhance Your Website
	Technical requirements
	Custom code and Squarespace
		Using CSS, HTML, and JavaScript
		The world of snippets and plugins
	The custom CSS editor
		When to use this area
		How to access the CSS Editor
	Code injection
	Adding code to pages
		Code blocks
		Embed blocks
		Markdown
	Common issues with custom code
	Professional insight – getting curious about custom code with Will Myers
	Resource – the best custom code resources and plugins
		Online CSS, HTML, and JavaScript resources
		Squarespace tutorials and education
		Plugins and code snippets
	Summary
	Questions
	Answers
Part 3: Give Your Site Superpowers
Chapter 10: Commerce – Selling Items, Subscriptions, and Services
	Technical requirements
	Let’s make some money with commerce
		A tour of the selling tools in Squarespace
		Storefront
		Detail pages
		Your commerce dashboard
		Cart and checkout
		Checkout settings
		Notification settings
	Adding products to your store
		Adding products
		Details and images
		Adjusting inventory, setting price, and creating variants
		Organization – adding categories and subcategories
		Other product types
	Designing your shopping experience
		Designing your storefront
		Customizing product detail pages
	Making your store live
	Professional insight – using Squarespace add-ons with Squarespace commerce expert Kristine Neil
	Resource – three add-ons to boost Squarespace commerce
		Universal Filter plugin
		LiveChat
		AfterShip returns
	Summary
	Questions
	Further reading
	Answers
Chapter 11: Blogging – Sharing Your Ideas
	Technical requirements
	The value and power of blogging
	Adding a blog to your website
		Editing the format of your blog page
	Creating a new blog post
		Editing Blog Post Settings
		Adding tags and categories
	Editing the format of your blog posts
	Blogging and search engine optimization
	Using Summary Blocks to add blog posts to other areas on your website
	Professional insight – making your blog stand out with Christy Price
	Resource – adding an archive and a search bar to your blog page
	Summary
	Questions
	Further reading
	Answers
Chapter 12: Member Areas – Selling Your Knowledge and Protecting Your Content
	Technical requirements
	What is a Member Area?
		How to access Member Areas
	Setting up your first Member Area
		Adding a video page
		Adding a Member Area signup block to a sales page
	Member Area settings
		Adding a Login button to site navigation
		Editing notification messages and styles
	Managing user accounts
	Member Areas pricing
	Professional insight – Max Pete on common mistakes when building a community
	Resources – member tool comparison chart
	Summary
	Questions
	Answers
Chapter 13: Scheduling – Selling Your Time and Sharing Your Availability
	Technical requirements
	What is Acuity Scheduling?
		Why use a scheduling tool?
	Turning on Acuity Scheduling
	Setting up your calendar and availability
		Setting hours of availability and calendar limits
	Creating appointments
		Creating a new type of service
		Creating a new type of group class
	Adding scheduling to your website
		From the Squarespace pages menu
		From the Acuity Scheduling menu
	Connect to other calendars
	Additional functionality
	Resource – a scheduler setup checklist
	Summary
	Questions
	Further reading
	Answers
Part 4: Launch Your New Website
Chapter 14: Prepare to Launch Your Site
	Technical requirements
	Testing time – reviewing your site, page by page
		Viewing your site on different devices and screen sizes
		Sending it to a friend
		Thinking about what’s missing
	Adding SEO page descriptions and checking page titles and URL slugs
		Page titles
		SEO
		Social images
	Building your footer
		Adding a footer
		Important content to include in your footer
		Copyright
		Contact information
		Social media links
		Call to action
		Privacy policy and Terms of Use
		Makeing it a bit more special
	Adding a browser icon and social sharing image
		Adding a browser icon
		Adding a social sharing image
	Upgrading your site to a paid subscription
	Professional insight – preparing for launch day with Christy Price
	Resource – launch checklist
	Summary
	Questions
	Further reading
	Answers
Chapter 15: Connecting Your Domain and Making It Live
	Technical requirements
	You.com – how to choose a domain name
	Setting up your domain with Squarespace
	Connecting your domain name with other DNS providers
		Transferring a domain
		Using Nameserver Connect
		Using DNS Connect
	What happens after you have connected your domain?
		SSL certificate setup
		Hosting services
		Social media debugging
	Professional insight – why isn’t my domain connecting? The top seven things to check
	Resource – help links for common DNS issues
	Summary
	Questions
	Answers
Chapter 16: Understanding Analytics and Setting Up SEO
	Technical requirements
	Analyzing the analytics page
		Finding your Squarespace analytics
		Key metrics
		Cookie banners and data collection options
		Other tools that you can use to understand user behavior
		Five ways to use analytics to grow your audience
	Completing your SEO checklist
		Before launching
		After launching
	Professional insight – SEO expert David Iskander on the top 5 things to do to help your site be found
	Resource – best DIY SEO resources list
		Tools
	Summary
	Questions
	Further reading
	Answers
Chapter 17: Keep Growing Your Site with Marketing Tools
	Technical requirements
	Keeping it fresh – how your website stays updated (hint – it’s you!)
		Taking a whole-site view
		Checking the details
		Optimizing for mobile and SEO
		When in doubt, duplicate and edit
		Looking for new Squarespace updates
	Integrating social media
		Adding social media icons
		Connecting accounts to push content updates
		Adding an Instagram feed to your site
	Additional content creation tools
		Unfold
		Bio.Sites
		Squarespace Video Studio
		Marketing Kit
	Email marketing
		Creating a mailing list
		Creating a Sender Profile
		Selecting an Email Template
		Automations
	Promotional popups and announcement bars
		Popups
		Announcement bars
	Professional insight – using site audits to help clients evolve with Beatriz Caraballo
	Resource – website launch marketing worksheet
	Summary
	Questions
	Answers
Index
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