Masterclass #2 coming your way! The other day I hosted part 2 of 4 masterclasses that I'm hosting fo' freezies helping y'all who are saying

"I want to build a website, but I have literally no clue where to start"

I put together 4 classes that all build on each other to help you go from website dreaming to website launching, no overwhelm or confusion included!

This post contains the replay of the 2nd masterclass, where we talk about how to organize your website and create a 'roadmap' through your site to effectively get visitors to the pages that really matter!

Y'all I'm stoked to share this with you today! The other day I hosted part 1 of 4 masterclasses that I'm hosting fo' freezies helping y'all who are saying;

"I want to build a website, but I have literally no clue where to start"

I put together 4 classes that all build on each other to help you go from website dreaming to website launching, no overwhelm or confusion included!

This post contains the replay of the 1st masterclass, where we get clear on the foundation of your site! 

As a Squarespace website designer and blogger I'm often asked to give input on if Squarespace is right for my potential clients and blog readers.

I've answered this so many times now, I figured I'd just blog about it, so the answer is available to anyone.

Oh, and no, even though I am a huge fan of Squarespace, I don't recommend it to everyone.

There are different web building platforms that are suited to different circumstances, so I'm going to break my opinion down honestly as to which platform makes the most sense for your business.

It's getting to the point where you're racking up a nice hefty list of testimonials from past clients and customers, eh? So, you're wondering, how exactly should I put all of these rave reviews on my site, without filling valuable site space with row after row of testimonials?

Do you add a new page, or just continue to list lots and lots of testimonials down your sales or services page?

So you’ve got a longgg page, and you’re looking for a way to help your visitors quickly skip to the content they most want to see?

Jump-to links, sometimes also called ‘anchor links’ are what you need then!

Now, because they’re called anchor links, I’m of course going to get all nautical on you, and drop as many sea-worthy puns in here as possible!

Oh hey friends, I'm back with another little Squarespace hack for yeh!

Know how on websites you'll commonly see a bunch of logos, side by side stating where the website owner has been featured, or the past clients they've worked with? It generally also has a colored background to really make it pop on the page too.

This 'logo stripe' as I'm calling it, is fab for showing social proof. Logo stripes are a quick and easy way to say 'I'm a big deal' without having to say it out loud and look all self-absorbed.

So, you're all ready to build your site and you're getting around to picking out or take photos for it? Or maybe you're thinking of building a new site soon, and are just doing your research to get prepared for when the big site build comes?

Either way, today's post is for you!

Before I go even one step further, I have an insider web designer secret for you. 

So you’ve decided on Squarespace and that DIY’ing isn’t your thing? Great, it’s time to find you a Squarespace website designer who can take over building the website of your dreams!

Finding the designer who fits your style, timeline and budget can be a little tricky however, so I’ll go through the most common places you can find Squarespace designers to get you started on your hunt.

I’ll also load you up on some insider tips on what type of designers you’ll find on each!

Google Analytics or Squarespace analytics can only tell you so much. They can tell you what pages are popular, but not how site visitors are getting places, or if they're getting stuck on the way to find the info they want.

So you've got a website, and are wondering,

'What exactly are visitors doing while on my site?'
'Are my Calls To Action working?'
'Are people finding the info they need, or getting lost along the way?'
'Is anyone even clicking that new opt-in gift I put on my home page, or would that real estate be better used?'

The Squarespace Style Editor is something every new Squarespace user should get familiar with, as it enables you to change so much of the look and style of your site.

When you're first building your website, you'll spend lots of time in the Style Editor, but down the line in the years ahead of using your Squarespace site, you'll most likely leave this bit alone, as it's really not necessary to give your site a constant face lift.

Before we get even one step further, I want to explain exactly what your Style Editor controls, versus your template, or Squarespace blocks.

In terms of experts in Squarespace SEO, Kerstin Martin is right up there at the top of the list. Kerstin is a fellow Squarespace website designer, and educator, with a number of courses all centred around Squarespace.

I asked Kerstin to write a piece for y'all because I know she has some amazing SEO tips up her sleeve that we can all benefit from, so thank you kindly Kerstin for sharing your wisdom with us all!

I'm sure you'll agree, Kerstin knocked it out of the park with this very much so lesser-known Squarespace SEO tip!

This is one of my fav Squarespace hacks to give sites an extra special look!

It's a very simple, no coding needed, hack of the banner image and parallax scrolling on any template in the Brine family. With this hack you can make your content appear to parallax scroll at two different speeds.

Here's an example from one of my recent clients on sequelpd.com.

One common design element you'll find on my site, in opt-in gifts and now and again on my blog post graphics is custom icons, created in my brands colors and style.

My icons are a bit more complex and detailed than most, so you would expect it takes me forever to create one right? Thankfully, that's not the case at all!

Each one takes me under 1 minute to create!

(So great right?!)

So, you're in the middle of picking a Squarespace template and want to know which templates have what features?

Well perfect, you're in the right place!

Before we start, I want to mention two superrr handy resources that are perfect for when you're just getting started with building your Squarespace site (or are switching templates).

First, there's the Start Your Squarespace Website Workbook which gives you a clear guide on how to use this list and pick a template, how to determine your site goals & what to do with them, and how to properly use your inspiration sites!

You may have noticed a couple changes around here recently.

My home page, about page and work with me pages got brand spanking new copy in the past couple weeks.

Here’s why I decided to give them an update.

I realized when taking B-School just how vital being able to write copy that connects with my ideal clients that also converts was.

After finishing up B-School my top priority was to figure out what to do about my copy. 

"Students, please grab out your pen and a piece of paper. It's test time!"

No really, I want you to score your site for just 1 moment here.

Here's what you'll be tested on: 

Your websites Calls To Action (or CTA).

This is how it works. 

Every page on our sites needs a CTA.

Ahem - story time!

Just a few years ago I was Googling up a storm, wanting to build a website and was struggling to find the right platform.

I scoped out all the options and looked up all the comparison charts.

I tried to learn a little about how each website building platform worked, and what creating and blogging on them would look like before I settled on one.

Squarespace ended up winning my heart, and years later, I'm still a huge fan of the platform.

So you've got something to sell, and would like to give your customers both the option to purchase it one time, or recurring subscription style on your Squaresapce site?

Can do friend!

I'm going to walk you through exactly how this is set up. 

The Squarespace e-commerce system doesn't have the ability to make subscription-style recurring sales, but MoonClerk, a 3rd party integration that works with Squaresapce does, so that's what I'll be showing you how to use.

Okay so before I even start on this post I need to give credit where credit is due.

The 2 week website was not my idea! (Though I do love it and am so darn happy I found out about it!)

The idea came from the fab Lauren Hooker who runs Elle & Company, or more specifically her husband Jake. Jake thought of the 2 week website, Lauren implemented it and then she shared it on her blog, advocating for others to considering switching to the 2 week process.

When I get on the phone with potential clients for our initial consult call, a few common questions come up about just what is included in my packages.

95% of the time when a potential client asked if something was included my answer was ‘yes.’ 

As such, I started describing my packages as ‘all-inclusive.’ 

(Partially because my answer was almost always yes, and partially because I love vacations, and being reminded of them often).

So, as with all the client and reader questions I get, I blog about it!