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

Uncover expert insights, practical tools, and a library of resources, including everything you need to build design-focused websites with rich user experience―from signup to launch

Purchase of the print or Kindle book includes a free PDF eBook

Key Features

• Discover professional insights as you get hands-on with designing a custom website on Squarespace 7.1 and Fluid Engine
• Launch a website on your domain with features like commerce, member areas, blogging, and scheduling
• Grow your audience with a mobile-optimized website you can own, edit, and update

Book Description

You may have heard about Squarespace and even started a trial site, but launching it can be a real challenge for new users. While the basic features look simple enough, shaping Squarespace to fit your business needs requires expert help. That's where author and Squarespace expert Kelsey Gilbert Kreiling can help. Squarespace from Signup to Launch is a comprehensive resource for customizing the most design-focused and user-friendly website builder in the no-code world.

Enriched with insights and resources from Squarespace experts such as Christy Price, Will Myers, David Iskander, Kristine Neil, Kathryn Joachim, Beatriz Caraballo, Justin Mabee, Shelly Morse, and more, this book goes beyond a technical manual. It prepares you to build a website, explains the foundational knowledge behind Squarespace 7.1 and Fluid Engine, and fosters a professional designer's mindset. Throughout the book, you'll learn how to build forms, use content blocks, optimize websites for mobile, build an online store, and become proficient in Squarespace's built-in SEO, marketing, and analytics tools.

By the end of this Squarespace book, you'll have the confidence to build professional websites with a developer's technical knowledge, project organization, and design intuition. You won't just launch your site; you'll be proud to share it with the world.

What you will learn

• Build a website on Squarespace, step by step, with expert insights and practical tips
• Plan your site content with an easy-to-understand outline
• Source and create the visual elements necessary to achieve a professional website
• Go beyond pre-set templates by creating a polished design from navigation to footer
• Integrate custom code to enhance both the design and functionality of your project
• Optimize your website for mobile viewing and search engine visibility
• Implement effective marketing strategies to promote your site and grow your audience after its launch

Who this book is for

If you are interested in building a website on the Squarespace platform, using its newest version 7.1 and Fluid Engine, this book is for you. Whether you're a brand designer with little or no code experience, an entrepreneur seeking full ownership and usability of a website, or a website designer versed in other platforms looking to expand your skill set to other platforms, this comprehensive go-to guide covers everything you need. No matter your entry point, this book will offer an understanding of the why and how of Squarespace.

Table of Contents

1. Choosing Your Platform – to Squarespace or Not to Squarespace
2. Preparing to Build Your Site – Making an Outline and Gathering Your Assets
3. Setting Up Your Squarespace Site
4. Getting Started – Creating and Editing Your Site Header
5. Design Essentials – Color and Typography
6. Building Your First Pages and Sections
7. Using Content Blocks and Building Forms
8. Optimizing Your Site For Mobile
9. Using Custom Code to Enhance Your Website

(N.B. Please use the Look Inside option to see further chapters)

Kelsey Gilbert-Kreiling is the co-founder of Week of the Website. Created in 2014 with Mallory Ulaszek, Week of the Website has reimagined the web design process to be transparent, creative, and joyful. Founded with solo innovators and small businesses in mind, the agency has evolved to bring high-touch efficiency to large scale projects and ambitious creatives alike. The former clients include driven entrepreneurs, best-selling authors, notable artists, non-profit organizations. Kelsey is the co-host of the No Surprises podcast and creator of Better than Launched: Advanced Squarespace Tools, a course built in partnership with SuperHi. She has led panel discussions for Squarespace, General Assembly, and Apple. Kelsey lives in Chicago with her husband and son.