A simple step-by-step Squarespace setup guide for creative business owners
Setting up a Squarespace website can feel like a big task, especially when you’re already juggling client work, creative projects, and running a business. The good news is, it doesn’t have to be complicated.
This step-by-step guide walks you through setting up your Squarespace website in a simple, manageable way, so you can get online with confidence and without overwhelm.
1: Get clear on what your website needs to do
Before you get started in Squarespace, take a few minutes to get clear on your goals. This will save you so much time later.
Ask yourself:
What is the main purpose of my website?
Do I want to attract clients, sell products, or showcase my work?
What action do I want visitors to take?
You don’t need everything figured out as your business will naturally evolve. Just a clear starting point.
2: Choose a Squarespace template
Your template is the foundation of your website. Choose one that fits your business now, but also has flexibility for future ideas.
Free Squarespace templates are a good starting point, but many creative business owners prefer premium templates for more creative layouts, better structure, and a less generic feel. A good template should support your content, not limit it.
3: Set up your main pages
Start with the essentials. Most creative business websites need:
Home
About
Services or shop
Portfolio or gallery
Contact
You can always add more pages later. Keeping things simple helps you launch faster.
4: Customise your site styles
Head to the site styles panel, this is where you set your fonts, colours, and spacing. Choose:
One headline font
One body/paragraph font that’s easy to read
A small colour palette with contrast between the colours so that your website is easy to read i.e. no putting beige text on top of a cream background.
Consistent button styles
Make sure that these colours are styles are consistent with the rest of your brand. You don’t want to confuse customers by having a social media account and a website with two different brand styles.
Quick tip: Squarespace gives you the option to upload custom fonts, meaning that you can make your website feel perfectly on-brand without knowing a single line of code.
4: Add your content
Now it’s time to add your content. Start with rough text and images rather than aiming for perfection.
Add your copy, upload images, and build out page sections. Once your styles are in place, your content will automatically start to look cohesive, even if it’s not final yet.
6: Check the mobile view
Squarespace has a separate screen for mobile editing is, and it gives you more control than many people realise. This is an important step, not something to skip at the end.
Switch to the mobile view and scroll through each page. Here you can:
Adjust spacing specifically for mobile
Reorder sections for smaller screens
Hide sections on mobile if they do not work well
This is especially important to make sure that your website looks just as good on mobile as it does on desktop.
7: Set up basic SEO settings
There’s no need to worry about advanced SEO right now. Just get started with the basics:
Add a clear page title and description for each page
Edit page URLs so they are short and descriptive
Add alt text to important images
These small steps can really help your website get found over time.
Quick tip: You can even use Squarespace’s SEO tools to help generate your page descriptions and image text for you.
8: Connect your domain and settings
If you have a custom domain, connect it to Squarespace. Then check your site settings, including:
Site title and logo
Contact email
Social links
This is also a good time to add a favicon and set your site language and timezone.
9: Preview and test everything
Before you launch, click through your site like a visitor would.
Test links and buttons
Check contact forms
Read your copy out loud
If something feels confusing, simplify it.
10: Launch and tweak as you go
Once your site is live, take a breath. You can always tweak things later. A website is never truly finished, especially for creative business owners who are always evolving.
Launching is better than waiting for it to be perfect.
Our final thoughts
Setting up a Squarespace website doesn’t need to be stressful. Taking things step by step helps you build a site that supports your business and reflects your creativity.
With a clear plan and the right template, your website can feel like a helpful tool rather than another overwhelming task on your to-do list.
If you want a quicker, more design-led starting point and training videos, our premium Squarespace templates can make this process even smoother, giving you structure, flexibility, and confidence from day one.
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