There are more than two million websites that have been created using Squarespace, which means that there is a wide market of clients interested in designers who know how to create web pages using this platform.
If you want to specialize in Squarespace it is probably because you feel attracted to its comprehensive platform and because it does not take up a lot of time to manage or maintain it.
However, there are several tips that you should take into account if you want to become an expert and get clients.
1. Take Online Courses
Don’t be fooled by the simplicity of this platform. While it is very practical to use and easy to use, the best thing you can do to further your career as a designer is to learn all the details of Squarespace.
Some clients give a lot of importance to university degrees and academic experience, so if you do an online course, you will prove to your potential clients that you are a prepared freelancer, who has studied how to get the most out of this platform.
Certainly, having a web designer career is not a requirement to become a freelancer, but taking online courses will help you a lot to become a Squarespace designer.
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Source: usesixty.com
2. Learn How To Optimize The SEO of Your Pages
By optimizing the SEO of a website, you will make the page receive more visits and be useful for users.
Squarespace includes SEO tools and its own analytics panel, which makes it much easier to track a website’s statistics on a day-to-day basis.
Since this is one of the best advantages Squarespace offers, you must learn to get the best out of it as SEO is the main interest of many clients.
This means that you should learn how to allow access to search engines of the content of the page.
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3. Use Social Media
It is perfect that you know how to design a website using Squarespace, but if no one finds out about your services, your chances of being found by potential clients will be reduced.
Social networks help to make you known, spread your work, and enhance your personal brand.
This is a highly recommended technique and websites like Oberlo affirm that 73% of marketers affirm that being present on social media is essential to growing your business.
Create your profile on LinkedIn, Facebook (as a fan page), Twitter, along with others, and share your work, projects, and other useful material.
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4. Create A Portfolio Website
A portfolio website is a web page where you can showcase all the work you have done.
This is a practical way to show your clients the projects you have worked on and will increase the chances that you will be found on the web.
On the other hand, while you can fill your portfolio with work samples, designing your portfolio website can be an example of the work you are capable of.
Create your website using Squarespace, make it attractive, and add a touch to your personality. This will teach clients what they can aspire to.
Having a portfolio website with your own domain and that bears your name or the name of your brand, will add professionalism to your image.
Your clients will know that they are dealing with someone who takes their job seriously.
Besides, this makes things easier for you when it comes to showing someone your designs since you only will have to send a link.
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5. Join A Community Of Squarespace Designers
You can find these communities in Facebook groups or by following designers on other social networks.
Belonging to a community of designers specialized in Squarespace will allow you to keep abreast of news, recommendations and you can even receive advice directly from other professionals who already have a track record designing with this platform.
On the other hand, being in these groups will also increase your chances of finding work or connecting with potential clients, since there they also usually publish job offers.
You can also interact with other designers, share your work with them and they will take you into account whenever they need someone to help them with a project or to suggest your services to a client.
6. Use Job Platforms
Freelance job platforms are of great help for web designers who are looking to get their first freelance project.
In these freelance platforms, you will find a great variety of projects to which you can apply and that are suitable for Squarespace designers.
At first, it may seem a bit tedious to do a job search on these websites, but with patience and effort, it will be worth it.
You should take the time to see how each platform works, what are its peculiarities, how much job availability there is in your area, and thus start applying for job opportunities.
It is likely that when you join one of these platforms, you should start with jobs that pay less than you expect, but accepting them will be necessary for you to start gaining a reputation within that platform.
Having a good reputation will help you land other better job opportunities and where you will receive higher pay.
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7. Optimize Your Profile On Freelance Platforms
Sometimes the reason why you do not get clients is in your own profile.
It is common to make mistakes about the information you put there, so you should keep in mind that your profile is your presentation, the first impression that potential clients take. You must optimize it to get the best out of it.
Make sure you specify very well that you specialize in Squarespace websites and what types of projects you are capable of carrying out.
Put a profile photo that looks professional and that represents you, fill in each space of information in your profile to convey confidence and that potential clients can know you well.
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8. Stay On Top Of New Technologies
Every day there are new improvements and novelties in web design. Not only in software but in tools, apps, and even hardware.
To keep up to date, you should be aware of all the innovations and that will improve the quality of your work.
Dedicate a space of your week to learn about this news and how you can apply them to your daily work.
You should also find out what things are being discontinued or what tools or technologies are already becoming obsolete or out of use.
This will make you an avant-garde designer, who can bring fresh and unique ideas to your clients. This will also separate you from the competition and make you stand out in the market.
Clients always want the best for their business and this is a great way to guarantee them excellence.
9. Have A Blog
Running a blog requires time and effort but it is a way to gain a lot of visibility if you really do a good content strategy.
You should update it periodically (at least once a week) and share content that is of great interest to your potential clients and related to your specialty.
With a blog, you will not only get more exposure on Google, but you will gain authority, visibility, and become a benchmark in your niche.
It is your best business card when a client visits your website and it attracts potential clients and convinces them without you having to persuade them directly.
Remember that there is a tendency to integrate the content of your website and your blog in social networks to gain traffic, but it is unlikely that someone will enter your website if the content is only focused on your business.
This is where a blog is key to your marketing strategy.
Your blog will help you to attract a large number of users to your website and start the first phase of gaining an online presence: achieving visibility of your website.
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10. Understand The Platform Completely
To be an excellent web designer, you must not only learn everything about how to create a web page but also go further and learn about the benefits it offers, its advantages, what audience it is aimed at, among others.
Remember that if you learn to sell Squarespace as the ideal platform, this will increase your number of customers.
Keep in mind that Squarespace is ideal for businesses that offer services, artists who need to put their portfolio on the web, people who sell downloadable digital products, and for businesses that have a physical space and that require a website with a catalog and contact space.
Source: peachs.co
11. Build Your Personal Network And Reputation As A Squarespace Designer
To advance as a professional you also need to rely on other people who are going in the same direction as you, so you should try to expand your online presence on platforms where other web developers participate.
This will help you meet other people who work in the same area and also spread your work, which will earn you a reputation among other designers.
This will also increase the chance that you will be discovered by potential clients or that you will be recommended by other web developers.
Belonging to a network will help you keep abreast of important news and events, answer questions about topics, and even get job opportunities.
Twitter, Quora, Reddit, and Facebook are ideal social networks to interact with other people in your niche and start your own networking.
On those platforms, you can display projects you are working on and receive feedback from the community, which will help you refine details and become a better professional.
12. Accumulate Good Testimonials And References
When you are starting to work as a freelancer it is likely that you still do not have many clients in your history to have good references, but you can make collaborations or free work for a friend, family member, or foundation and thus obtain honest reviews that help you promote your job.
A good reference from a client is the beginning of achieving another new design project.
Most companies get new contracts because ‘another’ previous client recommended it.
That is why you must do your best to have happy customers and to make your work speak for you.
When you finish a project, you can ask the client to refer you to their acquaintances or to those who need a similar service.
Also, send them an email thanking them for the opportunity to take charge of their project and take the opportunity to suggest that they write a comment that will serve you for your new clients.
13. Practice
One of the best things about Squarespace from a web designer’s point of view is the ability to create test websites.
You can create your website and view it for free for 14 days and this function allows you to create a draft that you can show to your client without having to pay the service provider, in case the website is not used.
Also, many clients will want you to re-create their websites. With a test website, you can experiment with the design without having to close the current web page while you work on it.
14. Offer Tutorials To Clients
The fact that Squarespace is so easy to use also means that you won’t have to work long on its maintenance, so you should come up with another way to earn extra money: tutorials on how to use the platform.
After you’ve created a website, host a meeting with your client and teach them how to do things on Squarespace on their own.
The software is quite intuitive, which will ensure you don’t have to give a lengthy explanation.
Teach them how to update images, add and edit posts, and view the most important parameters of the website.
This should be more than enough and it probably won’t take more than an hour, but in the end, you will have a satisfied customer.
Things To Avoid:
15. Spreading Out On Other Platforms
If you’ve decided to specialize in Squarespace, stick to it.
Surely you have thought that the more platforms you know how to use the better, but instead of investing your time learning to handle different platforms, the best thing is that you learn in-depth everything about just one.
This is something that all expert web designers get to do.
If you decide to invest your time in becoming a Squarespace expert, all the courses you take can be related to it and thus grow your knowledge.
Instead of knowing a little about everything, you will be able to know everything about a single platform.
If customers perceive you as an expert on the subject, that will convey more confidence and satisfaction.
16. Don’t Lie About Your Abilities
As a beginner, it’s normal to discover that you lack the skills or experience that clients often demand.
Rather than falsely convincing them that you’re the perfect fit, it’s smarter to use these demands as benchmarks for your own professional growth and learning.
Being untruthful will only lead to trouble when you’re in the thick of the project, unable to meet their demands. This not only creates a stressful situation for you and your client, but it can also potentially jeopardize your career if it leads to a negative review or testimonial.
17. Religiously Follow Client’s Directions
This may sound confusing, but it has a reason. Between you and the client, the web design expert is you.
That means that the client is likely to ask you for some demands that will not work well with their website, that are not aesthetic or functional, and instead of pleasing them, you should suggest better options.
Remember that every job you do will be a test of your ability as a designer, and if your client gets a website that does not look or work well (even if you have done just what they wanted), that will affect your reputation as a professional.
The best thing is that you serve as a guide, that you tell your client what is best for their website and that they choose from the options you provide. You can also take their ideas and turn them into something more functional.
Strive To Be The Best
To grow as a web designer and become an expert in Squarespace, you should try to take courses that increase your knowledge of the platform, practice, stay abreast of technological developments, and network with other Squarespace designers.
It is a path that requires a lot of effort and patience, but with dedication, you will surely achieve it.
Squarespace is a modern, easy-to-use platform that attracts many clients, so it will undoubtedly help you build an excellent freelance career.