Has anyone used Squarespace for their buying website? If so any tips on themes or otherwise that worked well for you? I have used Squarespace for my personal website/blog and even worked with some form data so I am familiar with their tools and comfortable with everything on there. I have used Bluehost/wordpress as well and although extremely powerful, it's such a slog on the backend.
Anyways, just curious if others have used Squarespace and what were results, pros, cons, etc. vs. Bluehost. THanks!
@maxhouseholder - I think I’ve encountered a few square space websites for real estate investors in the past. I think the advantage with them is that they’re beautiful and easy to create. They may not have all of the functionality for real estate (or land specifically), but even so, they can probably cover most of the needs you’ll have, especially if you’re already familiar with them, that’s another thing to consider.
@retipsterseth My personal site is $96/year for hosting, etc. and $20 for the domain. There are less industry-specific plug ins, but they have added a lot of off-the-shelf functionality since I first started using several years ago. I've also used Cozy.co for payments on some garage storage we had for a bit, so I know there are other platforms that work well for other functions I may want from my site. All I need from the buying site (more or less) is an attractive way to convey information and a form that works, right?
@retipsterseth Actually it's $18/mo. for their business hosting and they throw in a free domain ($20 discount). Not cheap, but I was able to make a pretty good-looking site in just a few hours. www.landholderinvestments.com
I set it up with a form for sellers, a form for buyers, and a page for property listings. I think I'll try your advice of creating a separate dba for the sell side, but probably cross that bridge when I come to it for now
<p>Could Magneto be the one for you? I am satisfied with it, I haven't looked into Squarespace too much though.<br /></p>
The reason for me sticking with Magneto is in the cool extensions I was able to add to my website. The one I liked the most is an auction extension from https://amasty.com/auction-for-magento-2.html. It's so cool, adding that option to your store can get you more profit. The cool thing is that it is easy to do because it's set up already, and adding it would be the easiest thing. I am not sure if Squarespace has something like this.
Hey @maxhouseholder! I know this thread is old, but did you end up using squarespace? If so, do YOU have any tips on themes, etc? I started using carrot but I don’t like the look, so I’ve been thinking of switching over to them. If you ever see this, thanks!
@lunsford_will For what it’s worth, I had my first real experience with Squarespace this past week, and I was surprised at how cumbersome it was to work with.
It’s kind of nice in that it gives you a drag-and-drop interface, so you can easily move elements around on each page to be positioned exactly where you want them to be, but it almost felt like too much freedom, without the natural boundaries I needed to keep it looking uniformed. It wasn’t as easy or fun to work with as I always assumed it would be.
Granted, this could be user error on my part. After working with WordPress for so many years, that has become the established “norm” in my brain. Even so, after working with SqSpace a bit, I don’t think I’d steer people in this direction. There are much better alternatives out there.
@retipsterseth Thanks for your response. That’s interesting, I had a different experience. I tried Carrot first but ended up not liking it. It felt too cluttered and almost scammy feeling. It gave me the feeling of a billboard on a highway or a sign that says “we buy cars!”. It also gave me an early 2000’s website vibe. Maybe that’s just me. That said, I haven’t tried others like WordPress.
I just finished making a Squarespace website and I love it so far. I found Squarespace much more clean looking and with less distracting elements. I only have exactly what I need/want on there. I think if you pick the right template you can probably eliminate a lot of moving stuff around. It did take me a couple tries before I found the right one. They have awesome color themes, fonts, pre-made layouts, etc. I did think the drag and drop interface was a little cumbersome to use. It’s not perfect, but its definitely my favorite so far (not that I have much experience with others). I would personally recommend it to others, especially for the price. If your trying to find something in between making your own website with WordPress and using Pebble, I think it’s a substantially better option than Carrot.
It gave me the feeling of a billboard on a highway or a sign that says “we buy cars!”. It also gave me an early 2000’s website vibe. Maybe that’s just me. That said, I haven’t tried others like WordPress.
Yeah, I can kinda see that. Carrot is actually built on WordPress, but the look and feel of any WP site depends entirely on the theme and how you set it up.
I just finished making a Squarespace website and I love it so far. I found Squarespace much more clean looking and with less distracting elements. I only have exactly what I need/want on there. I think if you pick the right template you can probably eliminate a lot of moving stuff around. It did take me a couple tries before I found the right one. They have awesome color themes, fonts, pre-made layouts, etc. I did think the drag and drop interface was a little cumbersome to use. It’s not perfect, but its definitely my favorite so far (not that I have much experience with others). I would personally recommend it to others, especially for the price. If your trying to find something in between making your own website with WordPress and using Pebble, I think it’s a substantially better option than Carrot.
Good to know! Perhaps I was working with the wrong template or something (I only ever tired one, so maybe a bit more testing would’ve solved my problem).
I’m glad you were able to find a workable solution. Good to know my experience isn’t the only perspective out there.
@retipsterseth Oh okay, I didn’t realize that. Perhaps the way things were laid out fit me well specifically. Anyway, so far its worked out well. Thanks for sharing your experience with it.
@lunsford_will Squarespace is definitely easy to use. I’ve been helping a lot of people in the past on making sure they’ve got a few elements to ensure higher conversion - form above fold line, multipages, video, etc…
If you need someone to give you a quick audit, leave a link here!
Yes, some people have used Squarespace for their buying website, including those looking for "Property For Sale Pattaya." If you’ve already used Squarespace for your personal website/blog and have experience working with form data, you’ll likely find it to be a familiar and comfortable platform to work with.
As for tips on themes, Squarespace offers a variety of templates to choose from, and the best one for you would depend on the specific needs of your buying website. It’s essential to pick a theme that suits the overall aesthetic and functionality you want to achieve. Look for themes that prioritize showcasing property listings and provide easy navigation for potential buyers.
Comparing Squarespace with Bluehost/WordPress, both platforms have their advantages and disadvantages. Squarespace is known for its user-friendly interface, drag-and-drop functionality, and all-in-one hosting solution. It’s particularly convenient if you want a website that’s easy to set up and maintain without dealing with the complexities of managing a separate hosting service.
On the other hand, Bluehost/WordPress offers a more powerful and customizable experience, which can be beneficial if you have specific, advanced requirements for your buying website. However, as you’ve mentioned, managing the backend can be more involved and potentially time-consuming compared to Squarespace.
Ultimately, the choice between Squarespace and Bluehost/WordPress depends on your preferences, technical skills, and the complexity of the buying website you want to create. If you value ease of use and a streamlined experience, Squarespace may be the better option, especially considering your prior positive experience with the platform.
@lunsford_will I love the branding and look William! Just a quick couple pointers. Across most high converting landing pages, make sure you’re clear about your headline.
“We’re Here To Help Virginia Land Owners” this is a bit general - be specific and let them know how you’re helping them.
Huge suggestion as well, is to make sure you have a form above the scroll fold line.
You’ve also got a few call to actions on the homepage, with the most important at the bottom. Confusion in that can actually take your visitors to explore and eventually bounce.
These are quite common things that have been split tested across many landing pages. I’m sure these few fixes can bump and ensure you maximize the conversion rate of visitors on your page.
@jessey I really appreciate you taking the time to do that, I know you’re a busy guy! Those suggestions are great, I’m working on implementing them now.
I actually didn’t realize the “get offer” button wasn’t on the homepage for mobile, (I’m guessing you were using your phone) so I’ll change that.
You think a form above the fold line would fix the call to action confusion?
