Is Squarespace Worth It?

In short: This website was created on Squarespace after sitting as a messy Wordpress site for the better part of a year. It then just became a domain URL that would redirect to my YouTube channel. After a week on Squarespace it is finally presentable and I’m hoping to finish the site completely over the next few weeks. Super satisfied with the new design features, templates, and lack of bugs.

This video is...not sponsored by Squarespace, but I'm sure you've seen a ton of videos that are. Now, it could just be me, but when I see so many sponsored videos I begin to question the validity of the product or service since they seem to be pouring their budget into their marketing rather than the actual thing they're selling.

So seeing Squarespace everywhere raised my doubts. On top of that, a few years ago I remember trying it out, but I was frustrated with the lack of customization, and the steep price tag. This led me to build crappy Wordpress websites over the years, though it’s important to mention that they were crappy because I have no talent when it comes to this stuff.

Fast forward to 2019, I used Squarespace again for a podcast and it was a pleasant experience. I didn't need much—just a simple blog—and Squarespace made things so much easier than I was used to.

But that was the thing, it was such a simple website that it seemed overpriced if I were to be honest. For example, I think the cost of hosting for one year on Squarespace was more expensive or at least similar to 3 years on a site called Green Geeks.

However...at least I had a website for the podcast. The other site I wanted was one for Boywithacamera. It was a mess of ideas and sitting down to work with Wordpress themes was a nightmare. It was one of those situations where there was simply too much choice and I was far too limited with my dearth of knowledge. It quickly became evident that none of the themes I was coming across really suited my needs or the look and feel I wanted. It also become clear that I simply don't have the brain to use Wordpress, as dumb as that sounds, and I kept on pushing off my website.

What I mean by that is, it kind of reminds me of the Windows vs. Mac OS experience. Mac makes everything so streamlined and foolproof. Though it comes with a restricted experience, their users don't ask for much in terms of customizability in the first place and probably can't even understand the complexities that come along with such freedom in hardware and software.

To me, Squarespace is very similar to the Mac experience. The design experience as of 2021 has improved quite a bit and everything I wanted to do on my site, except for maybe one feature, I was able to figure out with a quick Google search. The feature by the way is having my logo switch colour from black to white on darker pages automatically. I've just opted to leave it as text for now. Responsiveness for Web, Tablet, and Mobile has been stellar too—a constant problem with some of the Wordpress templates I was using before.

After a year of trying to build my website on Wordpress, I was left with a domain name that redirected to my YouTube channel. A week on Squarespace and I finally now have a decent-looking website. There's still tons of work left to do, but I'm pleased with the way things are looking and am confident that I can finish what I'm envisioning.

I want to emphasize the fact that it only took one week to figure out whether or not I was going to stick with Squarespace. This is relevant because you can sign up for a free 14-day trial, build a rough site, and decide whether or not you like the experience. This is probably a good time to mention that I have an affiliate link down below that'll get you 10% off your first subscription, but I'd just use the link to sign up for a free trial.

Now, the question, is Squarespace worth it? It's definitely cheaper to go with something like Wordpress and third-party hosting, but I find the ease-of-use and the robust templates of Squarespace to be worth it. I was envisioning a place where I can post all of my YouTube videos, some client work until I finish transitioning, and eventually, digital products. With Squarespace I'm finally beginning to take steps towards that final product. When comparing that to my nonexistent website before, I can absolutely say that it's worth it.

In terms of monetary value, I'll have to sit on it for a while longer, but at this point in time, I'm going to assume that the monetary value is dependent on how I choose to use the website. I need to put in the proper time to flesh out the blog portion and digital store. In the meantime though it's definitely nice to be able to send clients a website.

Of course, the more important question might be, is a website worth it in 2021 for videographers? I think the simple answer is yes and will continue to be yes for the foreseeable future. Like I just mentioned, having a website you can send to potential clients presents a much more professional persona. It might also help you to really figure out what type of jobs you want to be taking. Finally, it gives you a space on the internet that you can really shape into whatever you envision it to be. People far more successful than I am make great use of their websites to create value for themselves—so again, its value is kind of what you make of it.

On that note, Squarespace also has an affiliate program, which I hope to use to create some value for myself. So although this video is not sponsored, I do, again, have an affiliate link in the video description you can use to sign up for a free trial or 10% off your first subscription.

Anyways, that's it for me. As always, thank you for your time, stay healthy, bye.