004 How to Build a Website, Part 3: Using the Squarespace Website Builder – Web and BeyondCast

How to Build a Website, Part 3: Using the Squarespace Website
Builder Welcome, Small Business owners, entrepreneurs and
community, to episode 004, which is part three in our five-part
series for the Web and BeyondCast launch, on how to build a website
for business. I'm Ray Sidney-Smith and so far, I’ve chatted with
with experts on the principles of good website design and
development, and getting your content together for your website
launch. On today’s show, I have a panel of Web experts for building
a website completely using a website builder called Squarespace.
Let’s see what Squarespace is all about and if they’re the right
choice for your business website. (If you’re reading this in a
podcast directory/app, please visit http://webandbeyondcast.com/004
for clickable links and the full show notes and transcript of this
cast.) If you'd like to discuss this episode, please click here to
leave a comment down below (this jumps you to the bottom of the
post), or contact us. In this Cast Ray Sidney-Smith, Host
Kerstin Martin Originally from Germany, our first Squarespace
expert panel member is Kerstin Martin, who has lived in four
countries and travelled around the globe before settling down in
the beautiful seaside town of Bellingham, WA. Her professional
background in the airline, technology, finance and education
industries eventually led her to starting her own business in her
early 50s, as a Squarespace Web Designer and officially endorsed
Squarespace Authorized Trainer. Kerstin specializes in designing
professional websites for small businesses in only three days, and
also teaches popular online courses in Squarespace web design, SEO
and e-course hosting, as well as a business course on building a
successful web design business. Paige Brunton Our next Squarespace
expert panelist is Paige Brunton, a Squarespace web design expert,
who helps creative entrepreneurs launch sites that connect and
convert, all in just two weeks. Paige’s blog is the go-to
destination for Squarespace info, helping thousands of Squarespace
users every month. Her Start Your Squarespace Website Workbook is a
popular free option for setting up the foundation of your
Squarespace site. Paige earned a master's degree in the arts from
the University of Mississippi. You'll find Paige traveling Europe
and Asia where she lives as a location-independent digital nomad.
Brad Good And, last but not least, Brad Good is an officially
endorsed Squarespace Specialist, Authorized Trainer and has been
building sites on Squarespace since 2008. He has helped hundreds of
Squarespace customers with their websites. Brad started a web
development company, based in San Diego, California, in 2015 that
specializes in Squarespace and has built a team of 13 talented
designers and developers. Questions/Topics We Discussed About
Squarespace What are the benefits/advantages and disadvantages of
using a website builder platform like Squarespace versus building
on a self-hosted website content management system? Who is
Squarespace best for? What’s the process you take clients through
when they want to launch a website? What challenges business owners
the most when trying to get a website launched, in your experience
working with owners? You work in a very visual niche industry with
creative and design professionals. How does that affect your design
process? I’m guessing these sites are image and/or video rich; does
that require different accommodations within Squarespace? How does
Squarespace square up against other website builders regarding
mobile/responsive design, loading speed (desktop/mobile), SEO, and
design flexibility? Are there features that Squarespace really
cannot do well? Do you use other services or tools to overcome
those within Squarespace? Squarespace has a reputation of being a
“do-it-yourself” platform. What’s the value in paying a
professional? Show Notes Resources we mention,