Three Tips For an Optimized Squarespace Website
Creating a website for your business can feel like trying to learn a foreign language while riding a unicycle. Intimidating? Um, yes. 🙃
But here's the good news! We're living in the golden age of no-code websites, where your Squarespace design journey doesn't have to leave you curled up in the fetal position, rocking back and forth in the corner of your office.
There are tons of platforms out there (don't even get me started on the WordPress vs. Squarespace debate I've witnessed in Facebook groups), but Squarespace is my absolute ride-or-die, even when their support is questionable sometimes or they release weird updates.. Squarespace gives you a user-friendly interface that makes DIY-ing your website actually... dare I say it... fun?
With drag-and-drop functionality, Squarespace gives you a foundation to build something custom - not just another website that looks like everyone else's. And with some strategic know-how and attention to detail, you can absolutely optimize your site to help Google find you in the vast internet wilderness. The platform gives you the basic tools… but it's how you implement them that makes all the difference.
One thing I hear from frazzled entrepreneurs in my DMs all the time: "But will it look like ME?" The flexibility of Squarespace customization is where the magic happens. Whether you're creating a personal travel blog documenting your van life adventures or building a sophisticated online home for your yoga studio, Squarespace lets your unique personality shine through.
Customize Your Website's Style & Layout
This is where the real Squarespace design magic happens. Between Fluid Engine letting you drag-and-drop elements anywhere your heart desires and all the customization options tucked into those settings panels, you can create a website that makes your visitors go "Whoa, who MADE this?!" (Seriously.)
If you're designing your website solo (high five for DIY hustle!), the standard Squarespace templates might look pretty on the surface, and they do work in a pinch, but here's the thing you won’t know unless someone tells you— they often hide serious SEO and accessibility issues. We're talking multiple H1 tags confusing Google about what your page is actually about, color contrasts that would make accessibility advocates cringe, and other technical headaches that can affect your site's performance.
Oh, and if you're thinking "ain't nobody got time for fixing all that"... same. That's actually how my Boring Squarespace Website Template came to be.
It's intentionally "boring" looking (hence the name), but what it lacks in flashy design, it makes up for in solid SEO and accessibility foundations.
If you're into in getting the foundations right so you can easily add your own colors and fonts and be off to the races, it might be worth checking out. No code needed, just plug in your content, customize the colors, and you're good to go.
Just another option if you're looking to save time and skip the headaches.
COLORS
When it comes to selecting colors for your Squarespace site, here's the golden rule I wish someone had tattooed on my forehead when I started: keep it simple, sweetie.
Choose 5 colors max that play nicely together.
Why 5 and not 27? Because too many colors make your site look like a unicorn had an unfortunate accident all over it. Using a limited, cohesive palette creates a consistent theme that holds your visitor's hand as they journey through your virtual home.
But here's something serious that entrepreneurs often overlook – accessibility matters, like, a lot. Pay close attention to contrast to make sure your text is actually readable against your gorgeous background images. Use contrasting colors or add semi-transparent shapes behind text to make sure everyone can read your brilliant words, regardless of visual abilities.
Read more:From Drab to Fab: Transform Your Squarespace Site with the Perfect Palette
Color Theory How-To: Your Color Theory Guide to Website Design
Is Your Website Excluding Visitors? Fix It with These Accessibility Tips!
Tired of Searching for Your Brand Color Codes? Here’s a Free Chrome Extension
Typography
Ah, fonts. The rabbit hole I've lost entire afternoons to. 😅 "Just one more font option to check" quickly turns into three hours later wondering if serif or sans-serif better expresses your brand's deepest soul.
💡 My pro tip: Pick fonts available in both Squarespace AND your other design platforms (like Canva or Adobe). This consistency helps your Instagram graphics, PDFs, and website all feel like they belong to the same family instead of distant relatives who barely recognize each other at reunions.
Your font choices are secretly doing double duty – they establish your brand's personality (playful? serious? luxurious?) while keeping your content easy on the eyes. Stick to three fonts maximum:
One header font for those attention-grabbing titles
One body font for your main text that people can actually read without squinting
Maybe one accent font for those special moments (but honestly, two fonts total is often ideal)
Read more:CSS Code
Want to level up your Squarespace game and make your web designer friends wonder if you've been secretly taking coding classes at night? Custom CSS code lets you make those "how did they DO that?!" tweaks like adding hover color to navigation links, incorporating that gorgeous handwritten font you paid for, changing button colors when someone clicks them, and even boosting your SEO with custom adjustments.
Don't worry – you don't need to become a coding wizard. Even copying and pasting a few snippets can transform your site from "nice template" to "custom masterpiece."
Read more: Use High-Quality and Optimized Images
Now that you've got your Squarespace design looking good enough to screenshot and send to your mom (who will definitely print it out and put it on her fridge), let's talk about what REALLY makes a website pop… images.
As a business owner who's invested precious time and probably more coffee money than you'd care to admit into your Squarespace site, you want a website that doesn't just look good, but is strategically designed to turn visitors into clients faster than you can say "conversion rate optimization."
You want your ideal clients to land on your website and think, "Oh yeah. I like it here. This feels like home." And then immediately hit that contact button because they're already mentally spending money with you.
High-quality images are the secret to make that magic happen. When you use crisp, clear visuals that actually tell your brand story, your Squarespace site instantly looks more polished and professional. Plus, intentional images make it infinitely easier for your website guests to understand what you're all about without reading a novel of text. This leads to better engagement, longer page visits, and those sweet, sweet higher conversion rates we're all chasing. 🙌
Read more:And can we talk about the elephant in the room? When you use photos taken with your phone, they can look amazing on your tiny screen but turn grainy or blurry on a 27-inch desktop monitor. If hiring a photographer isn't in the budget right now, no worries! You've got options. Download free stock images from sites like Dupe Photos or Pexels that don't scream "I'm a generic stock photo!" quite as loudly as others.
✍️ TIP: Want images that aren't plastered all over every other website in your industry? Sign up for Haute Stock or Styled Stock Society and get around a dozen or two free stock images that are a bit more unique. Your visitors won't get that weird déjà vu feeling when they visit your site.
Let's Talk Squarespace SEO and Images
Here's something most people don't realize about Squarespace – it absolutely LOVES optimized images. And guess what? So does Google. Those search engine algorithms give major priority to websites with high-quality, properly optimized images. So if you want Mz. Google to notice you when someone's searching for exactly what you offer, your image game needs to be strong.
Why image optimization matters for your Squarespace site:
Large, uncompressed images slow down your page loading speed to a painful crawl (and nothing makes visitors bounce faster than watching that loading circle spin for more than 3 seconds)
Properly sized images help visitors navigate your site smoothly without weird formatting issues that make your site look broken
Adding descriptive image titles and alt text helps Google understand what your site is about (because Google can't "see" your images, but it CAN read your descriptions)
Taking time to choose and optimize your images isn't just about making things pretty – it's about creating an experience that keeps your ideal clients around long enough to fall in love with what you offer, while simultaneously sending all the right signals to search engines so they can match you with people actively looking for you.
Optimize Your Website's Navigation and User Experience
Easy navigation is super important for keeping people around once they finally find you. Think about the money and effort you put into getting those eyeballs on your site – through SEO, social media, maybe even paid ads – only to lose them because they couldn't figure out how to find your services page? That's like inviting someone to your house and then hiding all the doors. Not cool.
Whole careers are built around user experience (UX Design is a very real and very lucrative profession), and it's easy to feel completely overwhelmed when you're just starting out.
But I gotcha. Here's how to make your site user-friendly without getting a degree in human-computer interaction.
Why Navigation Matters
Think about the last time you landed on a website and couldn't find what you were looking for within 10 seconds. What did you do? If you're like 99% of humans with internet access, you hit that back button ASAP.
If a site is confusing, cluttered, or just plain hard to use, visitors bounce away without finding what they need – and without booking your services or buying your products. We definitely don't want that! 😬
Make Your Menus Make Sense
Keep your navigation menu simple and organized – nobody needs 15 different options competing for attention
Limit your upper navigation to five pages max (Home, About, Services, Portfolio/Work, Contact is a solid foundation)
Use clear, obvious labels so people know exactly where each link goes – "Work With Me" is much better than "Opportunities for Engagement"
Skip generic "click here" text (your visitors are smarter than that and so are search engines!)
Calls to Action That Actually Convert
A call to action (CTA) is the digital equivalent of asking for the sale – it helps visitors take the next step, whether that's signing up for your newsletter, booking a discovery call, or making a purchase. Make these buttons stand out visually and use action-oriented language that creates excitement.
"Transform Your Business Now" hits different than "Submit Form."
Don't Forget Mobile
Remember that mobile traffic stat from earlier? As of 2025, over 50% of people will see your site on their phones while waiting for coffee, sitting on the train, or (let's be honest) in the bathroom. Make sure your Squarespace design looks good and works well on all screen sizes by regularly testing it on different devices. If your buttons are too tiny for human fingers on mobile, you're losing potential clients with every frustrated tap.
These three tips will help you create a Squarespace website that looks chef's kiss, works like a dream, and actually brings in paying clients while you sleep. Because your website should be your hardest-working employee – not just a pretty digital business card.
