Why I chose Squarespace to Design my Home Decor Blog
When I finally decided to take the plunge and start this blog, I have to admit that I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I had a fantasy idea of blogging where I would just press publish and all of a sudden a rush of people would be directed to my site. Ha! If it were only that easy!
I now know that A LOT more than just writing great content is involved with blogging. Photography, marketing, networking, and continued learning are all part of what makes a successful blog. After a little over a year of blogging, I feel like I'm finally keeping my head above water, so I thought, what a better time to share what I've learned so far.
If you have been following me for a while, then you know that I recently rebranded my blog from Dapper House Designs to House by the Preserve. (You can read all about my decision here). One of the biggest decisions I had to make when I was contemplating rebranding was deciding if I wanted to stay with Squarespace or switch to a more popular content manager like WordPress.
By popular, I mean that approximately 30% of websites on the entire internet run on WordPress. Most of the websites that you visit everyday are probably using WordPress: CNN, NBC, Time.com, USA Today, New York Post, and New York Observer to just name a few.
So when I first started thinking about rebranding my blog I thought it was the perfect opportunity to migrate my blog over to WordPress. You see, when I first created my site, my husband, who works in the technology industry suggested I use Squarespace and I agreed without doing any research. Because what did I know? As rebranding became more and more of a reality, I decided that this time I was going to research, research, research before I actually made my decision and boy was I surprised when I finally realized that I would be keeping my website with Squarespace. If I'm going to go against some of the most popular sites in the world, I better have good reasons don't you think?
Reasons why I didn't switch to WordPress:
SQUARESPACE MAKES WEBSITE BUILDING EASY!
Do you know how to drag and drop? Because that's basically how you use Squarespace. You don't have to be technologically savvy to be able to create a beautiful site with Squarespace. I don't know an inch of code and plan on keeping it that way!
With Squarespace, there's no need to modify code to get the website to look and feel like you want. Yes, you CAN customize a lot more with a WordPress site than with Squarespace but you need to know code in order to do so. With a toddler running around, I have limited time taking a shower let alone website design!
And to be honest, the few things that I did want out of my Squarespace site (like a sidebar), I was able to find great resources that helped me achieve the look and feel I was going for without ever touching code.
NO WIDGETS NECESSARY
Unlike Wordpress, with Squarespace everything I need is already built in. For example, I don't have to search and install the perfect widget to help me with SEO. With Squarespace, SEO best practices are already integrated in every template they offer. Leaving me with time to worry about more important things, like creating great content.
Also, there is never a need to worry about your site crashing or breaking after installing an update for a widget. With Squarespace, all of the updates are done by their team, so there is never a need to worry about updating your site.
DESIGNER TEMPLATES AT NO EXTRA COST
By choosing to design your site with Squarespace, you will automatically have access to award winning designs at NO extra cost. You can build a stunning site in just minutes by dragging and dropping in your images into the template. Looking for a little more customization? No worries, you also have the ability to configure your fonts, colors, and page configurations, allowing you to create a website that's truly yours.
One of my favorite features is that all of the templates are mobile friendly, meaning that you don't have to design several sites to fit in different mobile devices. Less work for me is always a win in my book!
24/7 SUPPORT
Squarespace makes it easy to get your questions answered. And fast! I've used their live chat services quite frequently when I was creating my site and always got my answers super fast without a lot headaches. Think of them as your own personal web developers ready to answer any of your questions.
Squarespace also has a great Help section with tons of videos and tutorials to help you create the best website. This is usually where I start whenever I have a question and if I can't find it here, I then move on to their live chat. It's nice to know that someone is always available to help.
SECURITY IS TAKEN CARE OF BY SQUARESPACE
A cool thing about creating your site with Squarespace is that the host all of their websites, allowing them to update your website as necessary without you even noticing it. Unlike Wordpress where you'll have to manage the updates of your plugins and hope that it doesn't break anything else within your website. Peace of mind and one less thing to worry about.
So if you are ever in the need to design a website, be sure to think about Squarespace. You won't be sorry! I know I'm not!
Happy Designing!
