3 Steps to Become A Squarespace Designer in 2023
If you follow the right strategy when building your Squarespace business, you’ll be amazed at what you can accomplish - $10k a month is an attainable goal if you learn how to market yourself and meet the market need. Here are 3 key steps to starting your design business in a short amount of time.
Image Source: Unsplash
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1. Create a Portfolio Website
The first step to becoming a successful Squarespace designer is to create a portfolio website showcasing 3-5 projects you’ve worked on.
Don’t have 3-5 projects yet? This is a great opportunity for you to practice risk-free and to
Build 3-5 demo websites you can show off on your site.
What does a full website need?
Each demo site should be broken down into five core pages:
Homepage
About page
Services page
Projects page
Contact us page
After you’ve built your demo sites, showcase them on your website. Take screenshots, add links, etc.
Don’t overthink the design
When building your demo sites, don’t overthink the process. Follow the Rule of 10 -- do something ten times before you start questioning it.
In other words, build 10 sites before you question if you’re good at it, what kinds of clients you should focus on, etc. Just practice building Squarespace sites.
Follow the Website Checklist
Are you still confused about what you should include in your portfolio? The following are some essential elements to keep in mind when designing each page:
Home page: Describe your specialty, highlight your best projects, include a call-to-action
About page: Add a picture of yourself and explain what you do
Services page: List the specific services you offer
Portfolio/Projects page: Include a least three projects, each with an image, headline, and description of what you did
Contact page: Add a contact form or calendar link
Testimonial page: This is where you’ll later add your reviews and positive feedback from clients.
You can also download a complete checklist from our website.
Aim to build in less than 3 weeks
Strive to build your site in under two weeks. Don’t seek perfection; seek progress instead. This challenges you to come up with solutions for unknown technical hiccups in a short amount of time - a feeling you may experience later but under the pressure of a client deadline.
Remember that the primary goal is to get your website up and running. That way, you can start telling people about your Squarespace design business and point them to a place where they can learn more.
2. Dedicate 100 Hours to Practice
Image Source: Unsplash
To become a skilled Squarespace designer that people want to hire, you need to spend time on the platform -- at least 100 hours in the first month. When you spend 100 hours getting to know the Squarespace platform, you’ll become well-acquainted with its nuances. You’ll learn how to solve common problems, such as how to build an e-commerce store or blog. You’ll also discover how to add headers and social links, connect accounts, set up shipping, and more. All this information will help you become a more skilled designer, so don't try to short-change this process.
Aim for 100 hours, but remember that even if you only get to 50 in the next 30 days, you’re still significantly more prepared than someone who just started today. You’ll be able to help someone who’s brand new, which will help you begin growing your design business.
3. Join a Circle Membership
Becoming a Circle member is the next step to building a Squarespace design career. Squarespace’s Circle program is for new designers and offers a few extra perks within the platform -- including a six-month trial.
The six-month trial will make your initial work with clients much easier than the typical two-week trial period. The sooner you become a Circle member, the better. If you have $100 to invest in your business by becoming a Circle member, you can potentially generate thousands of dollars in revenue.
If you can’t afford to become a Circle member yet, you have a couple of other options:
Recommendation 1
When you build your demo sites, just start paying for them each month.
At first, this might sound like a lot. However, if you pay a monthly fee, even the smallest one, you can become a circle member faster. As a result, when you take on your first client, you can access the six-month trial.
Recommendation 2
Another option is to befriend another designer who is a circle member. They can start the site for you, then pass ownership to you and give you access to the six-month trial.
Circle Forum
When you become a Circle member, you also get put into the Circle forum. The Circle forum helps you stay up-to-date with the latest Squarespace tools, and you’ll get access to new features before the general public.
Need More Help?
Are you ready to become a Squarespace designer? It’s easier than you might think. Follow the three steps discussed above, and you’ll be on your way to a successful career.
But if you need more help setting up great Squarespace sites that will catch potential customers’ eyes, check out our Squarespace Designer Starter Kit. This kit includes a starter template, the top 10 plugins to use on every site, and the best tools and systems to create high-quality sites in no time.
At Launch Happy, we offer many other resources to help business owners like you speed things up and get the most out of the Squarespace platform. Here are a few other guides and tools to check out:
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