Why you need a Squarespace web designer to build your website
Squarespace is widely known to allow small businesses to create and design their own websites. Squarespaces’ website templates are customizable, unique and stylish right out of the box. So why would your small business even need to spend the money with a professional web designer for your website? Why not just use the Squarespace template straight as it comes?
Why should I use a web designer for my website?
For the same reason you need a branding and graphic design expert for your small business brand in the first place. You wouldn't get your mate Dave up the road to build your house just because he knows how to use a hammer and saw right?
Don’t believe us? Take a look below. Sure, you could get a logo online designed for $50 but….
Above: some of the options available through online logo creation tools. Nice, right? Professional? Reputable?
However, for some reason graphic designers get worked up over these online websites that offer cheap or “free” templated logo designs like the examples above. Like these websites will be the downfall of our industry. They have impacted the perceived value of the work we do as graphic designers, and web designers, however those who truly value the work we do and how it makes massive impact on a small business will always ensure the craft will stay alive.
The fear flashing through a graphic designer's mind is that a client will see the super cheap price tags and think they don’t need a professional graphic designer at all put us all out of business in no time.
You can always get things cheaper, do it your self, or free, however when talking about your brand and website why would you risk doing anything else but professional for your business.
You wouldn’t do your own haircuts, build your own extension, change the motor in your car or write your own legal contacts unless you were a professional in that area, so why risk it with your website. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, more than 60 percent of small businesses cease operating within the first three years of starting, so again why wouldn’t you give your business a fighting chance with a quality website and brand
“More than 60% of small businesses in Australia close in the first three years of starting.”
The true cost of going cheap on your website design
First, we firmly believe that any small business owner, entrepreneur or anyone with a pair of working eyeballs can see the difference between the clipart-tastic examples above and a professionally logo design. No comparison.
Secondly, we firmly believe that business owners who are serious about their small business success know the true cost of cheap design – You can think about the money you might be saving getting a cheap (or free) website of brand designed, however think about the massive amount of business you're losing because your organization looks like it's run by a 17 year old back in 1992.
Professional web and brand designers know what we're doing.
True, anyone could create a logo, but unless you've worked as a professional in logo and brand design you're going to miss the mark massively. Unless you've worked extensively in branding, you won't be able to pull off a full brand strategy for your small business on your own. As a graphic designer and brand specialist our creative capacity, higher level thinking skills, technical knowledge and decades of experience that make graphic designers like ourselves immensely valuable.
Savvy and switched on small business owners know that.
Here at Squarely, we've crafted branding and website solutions for years - infact decades. We know where to start, what to ask and where to go. We know where and how small business owners drop the ball with their branding and website design and guide you through the process of creating and, most importantly, maintaining your brand.
Graphic designers and brand experts create truely unique brand identities for your small business.
Templated logo design is the complete opposite to this philosophy – the whole point of templates is that the business name can be swapped out with minimal effort to create many very similar designs.
And a templated website? It's the same story.
You can see the difference between a right-out-of-the box Squarespace template and a Squarespace site that's been professionally designed.
Granted, the difference is not as extreme as the eye-wateringly bad clipart logos above – Squarespace sites do look stylishly beautiful right out of the box, however to stand out effectively and uniquely you still need a professional designer to not only integrate your brand into the the template, but configure and customise it to meet your business goals and site objectives.
NOTE: If you begin tinkering with Squarespace customization on your own and have no web design and branding experience, you're going to run into major issues.
Issues? Like what?
Well, like these:
Your site will be pretty generic. Remember, using the template as it is you’ll remain pretty vanilla, even if the template you start with is beautiful, it's still going to look like a template which many other businesses like yours will be using.
Customization is easy to use, but takes skills to nail. Look, more likely than not, you'll change a few colors around, maybe try and incorporate a different font, even switch out some photos and voila, you’re done. Your site's still going to look pretty much the same as those hundreds of other sites built off of your template.
You have already spent some money investing in your brand, and people recognise and respect your business, however you might throw your brand investment out the window with a sub-par website that is lacking finesse and usability. Consistency is key to maintaining the integrity of your brand, and your online presence has a huge impact. The minute you start using unapproved fonts, off-brand language, inappropriate color combinations, off-brand photography, your whole brand is starting a wayward direction. Keeping your brand intact. Thats what you’ve spent the money on. If you're investing in a brand, don't blow it on your website, of all places!
Knowing best practices when it comes to useability, functionality, latest brand / design trends, and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) will see you lose customers as soon as they hit your DIY website.
Small business owners, the takeaway is this:
Squarespace has great customization options, but you’ll still need a professional website designer to maintain your brand and create a website that functions, is stylish and creates action for your business.
If you care about your brand and the success of your business, you need to make sure that your business looks, feels and sounds professional. If your website becomes your businesses weakest link, your customers will see you at your worst from the moment they begin interacting with you. Investing in the same professional quality of work that's gone into creating your brand and business is worth it for your website, where many potential customers are meeting you for the very first time.
Small businesses, tradies, entrepreneurs, mompreneurs, side-hustlers and everyone in-between, you've got everything to gain with Squarespace! It's the perfect solution for a stylish, functional, responsive site at less than what a custom-developed website solution costs. Why? Because using Squarespace starts out with a solid design platform and can be built on from their to match your business and unique brand personality.
