1. When Squarespace is the right choice
Squarespace is a website builder. You pick a template, change the words and pictures, and publish. It is made for people who are not developers.
I would rather you picked the right tool than paid me for a job you do not need. A builder subscription is usually the cheaper option if you have the time to do it yourself. Use Squarespace if any of these are true:
- You want to build and update the site yourself, and you do not mind doing it.
- You have the time to learn it and keep it tidy.
- You only need something simple, like a handful of pages, a menu or price list, and a way to get in touch.
- You are trying out an idea and do not want to commit to a bigger project yet.
2. Where Squarespace falls short for a local business
You still have to build it
Squarespace gives you the tools, but the work is yours. Every page, photo and change comes out of your day. For a business owner who is already busy, that is the real cost.
It starts from a template
You begin with a design that other sites also use. You can change the colours and the words. It was still not designed around your business.
The site stays on Squarespace
Squarespace is a closed, hosted builder. Your site lives on their platform and cannot simply be moved to another host as it is. If you ever want to leave, you generally rebuild it.
You can only add what Squarespace offers
What the site can do is limited to what Squarespace and its add-ons provide. A booking flow with awkward rules, a customer portal, or stock and rota tools may not fit. You may end up changing how you work to suit the tool.
You pay for as long as the site exists
A site you depend on is normally on a paid plan. That is a recurring cost, and it carries on for as long as the site does.
3. What you get with me instead
I do the work
I handle the domain, the hosting, the design, the build and what comes after. Changes to your text and images are done for you as part of the fee.
Built for your business
Your site is built for you, not from a template that other sites share. It is designed and built for that one business.
Built around how you already work
Bookings, enquiries and bespoke systems are built around the way your business runs now. If something slows you down, I can build the thing that fixes it.
One person from start to finish
You deal with me, and only me. I answer my own messages, and I am still here after the site goes live.
A way to pay that suits you
Pricing is per project. You can pay upfront, or make one monthly payment that includes hosting and updates. I aim to have your project up and running for you to test within 7 days. Extremely complex projects may take longer.
4. Squarespace and Built by Curtis side by side
| Topic | Squarespace | Built by Curtis |
|---|---|---|
| Who does the work | You build it and keep it up to date. | I build it. I make text and image changes for you as part of the fee. |
| Starting point | A template that other sites also use. | Built for your business, not from a shared template. |
| Where the site lives | On Squarespace's platform. Moving usually means rebuilding. | I handle the domain and the hosting for you. |
| What it can do | What Squarespace and its add-ons offer. | Bookings, enquiries and bespoke systems built around how you work. |
| Cost | A subscription for as long as the site exists. Usually cheaper if you do it yourself. | Priced per project. Pay upfront, or one monthly payment that includes hosting and updates. |
| Time to a first version | As long as it takes you to build it. | I aim to have it up and running for you to test within 7 days. Extremely complex projects may take longer. |