Relating to the battle of the most effective web site builders, Squarespace and WooCommerce are sometimes two prime contenders. Each are praised for his or her flexibility and design freedom. Within the case of Squarespace, that is because of its stunning templates and picture enhancing capabilities. Whereas, for WordPress, it is due to its open-source nature and the sheer array of themes and plugins out there.
However there’s one other facet these two compete for consideration: eCommerce.
Squarespace is an all-inclusive answer with eCommerce performance and a few built-in advertising and marketing options. However, WordPress integrates with its world-famous eCommerce plugin, WooCommerce.
That stated, on this article, we’ll have a look at how the web promoting capabilities of those two net giants evaluate and which could be the higher answer for you.
Let’s get began…
About Squarespace
In 2003, Squarespace began off as probably the most well-liked web site builders. Quick ahead to at the moment, and it is turned its almost 20 years of expertise right into a refined SaaS that knocks many opponents out of the market.
Squarespace has all the time been favored, particularly amongst creatives. It is the right web site builder for these trying to showcase superb visuals, with full-width photographs, computerized picture optimization, and a strong picture editor. It additionally boasts a variety of fantastically and professionally designed web site templates.
However design isn’t all Squarespace is worried with. It additionally means that you can create a web-based retailer with out some other plugins. You’ll be able to promote merchandise companies and even create member’s areas.
In contrast to WooCommerce, Squarespace features as a SaaS, that means your web site is securely hosted for you, and also you pay a month-to-month price to maintain it alive.
About WooCommerce
WooCommerce has many issues in frequent with WordPress itself. It is based mostly on WordPress’s CMS and equally an open-source framework. As such, it is fully free to put in and may be edited any method you want, as long as you will have the coding information.
WooCommerce enjoys full WordPress flexibility, with 1000’s of themes and plugins to select from. Its performance may be endlessly expanded, and design freedom uncapped.
Nevertheless, this comes with some downsides. As an example, you are chargeable for discovering hosting that fits your wants, putting in plugins that work, and sustaining your personal web site efficiency and velocity. As well as, premium plugins can change into expensive if WooCommerce’s base performance isn’t all you want.
That stated, WooCommerce packs a punch with regards to in-built options, together with retailer administration options. As an example, stock, order administration, product pages, fee strategies, buying carts, and far more.
Squarespace vs WooCommerce: Templates and Design
First issues first, let’s check out what Squarespace and WooCommerce have to supply by way of templates and design options:
Squarespace
Squarespace affords 110 fantastically designed templates, together with ones explicitly designed for gorgeous on-line shops. Every design is ready and authorised by an expert and examined for its efficiency.
On prime of that, Squarespace comes with an intuitive visible editor that grants in depth management over your net design. For instance, you may apply themes to particular person structure sections quite than sticking with one theme in your entire website. Squarespace additionally comes with a strong picture editor that optimizes photographs and allows you to tweak them in your browser. As well as, you may publish stunning picture galleries and full-width footage in your web site.
WooCommerce
In distinction, WooCommerce depends on WordPress for its design capabilities. Whereas WordPress is making strides on this division, it is nonetheless not as intuitive a full-site editor as Squarespace. Because of this, you should set up plugins, depend on third-party web page builders, or write your personal code to entry many superior design options.
That stated, in case you boast the coding smarts, WooCommerce is absolutely customizable, and the sky is the restrict. On prime of that, there are literally thousands of themes to select from. As such, WooCommerce wins any comparability the place amount is the main target.
Squarespace vs WooCommerce: Ecommerce Options
Each Squarespace and WooCommerce include highly effective eCommerce options. Nevertheless, there is not any denying that WooCommerce takes the lead the place superior options are involved.
WooCommerce affords streamlined product administration with interactive stock lists. As well as, you may promote bodily and digital merchandise and embody varied product variants.
Squarespace matches that supply and offers terrific design choices for product pages. Nevertheless, Squarespace has an SKU restrict of 100, whereas WooCommerce is limitless.
WooCommerce additionally doesn’t impose any transaction charges, nor does it restrict your eCommerce options. Nevertheless, with Squarespace, you must shell out more cash to unlock superior options like extra merchandising instruments, cart abandonment restoration, superior reductions and delivery, and extra.
POS with Squarespace can be solely out there within the US utilizing Sq., and so they don’t combine with dropshipping suppliers. However, WooCommerce is extra versatile and comes with a broader vary of integrations and fee gateways.
Squarespace vs WooCommerce: Advertising and marketing
As Squarespace is an all-inclusive platform, it comes with a variety of selling options built-in. For instance, you may construct a weblog, ship out emails, provide free delivery coupons and customized affords and create promoting popups. As well as, you may design and customise a number of automated emails, together with thanks notes, notifications, newsletters, and extra.
In distinction, WooCommerce builds on WordPress and boasts a strong CMS and running a blog engine. However with regards to extra versatile electronic mail advertising and marketing, popups and varieties, you will possible have to outsource to third-party apps. WooCommerce (by itself) would not provide far more than easy transactional auto-responders. These extensions may include extra options than Squarespace affords. Nevertheless, relying on which plugins you go for, they could additionally come at an extra month-to-month price.
Squarespace additionally contains in-built search engine optimisation options. For instance, you may fill out product specs and add meta tags and descriptions. Squarespace’s easy search engine optimisation guidelines makes this straightforward for rookies. Once more, in distinction, WooCommerce doesn’t include search engine optimisation instruments by default however may be supplemented with well-liked WP search engine optimisation extensions like Yoast search engine optimisation.
Squarespace vs. WooCommerce: Pricing
Now we have reached the part we have all been ready for: pricing. So, right here’s how a lot Squarespace and WooCommerce will set you again:
Squarespace’s Pricing
Squarespace affords a number of premium plans; you will have the selection of paying both month-to-month or yearly. Should you go for the latter, you will take pleasure in financial savings of 25%. Sadly, there is not a free plan, however in our opinion, the breadth of options included makes it a good provide.
The most affordable plan begins at $12 monthly and means that you can create an internet site. Then, at $18 monthly, the Marketing strategy unlocks extra entry for contributors, electronic mail advertising and marketing, and premium integrations. It additionally comes with higher web site analytics and advertising and marketing instruments like popups and banners. This plan additionally unlocks fundamental eCommerce and means that you can promote limitless merchandise or settle for donations. Nevertheless, you will should pay a 3% transaction price on all gross sales.
With the Fundamental Commerce plan for $26 monthly, you eradicate these transaction charges. On prime of that, you unlock buyer accounts, eCommerce analytics, and extra merchandising instruments.
Lastly, the Superior Commerce plan for $40 monthly allows you to promote subscriptions and comes with superior delivery, reductions, and commerce APIs. It additionally unlocks deserted cart restoration.
Additional studying 📚
Squarespace Overview (June 2022) – 11 Execs and Cons of Utilizing Squarespace
Squarespace Pricing Plans (June 2022) – Which Squarespace Pricing Plan Ought to I Choose?
Squarespace Print on Demand – Every little thing You Have to Know
WooCommerce’s Pricing
WooCommerce is, as we already stated, fully free to put in together with your WordPress account. That stated, in case you’re utilizing WordPress.com quite than WordPress.org, you’ll have to subscribe to not less than the Marketing strategy to put in plugins like WooCommerce.
In distinction, with WordPress.org, you will want to search out your personal internet hosting that may reliably host a safe on-line retailer. This alone could simply set you again $25 monthly. On prime of that, you will have to buy a customized net area and probably plugins for search engine optimisation and different advertising and marketing functionalities. Many customers additionally select to purchase a premium theme for his or her retailer, a few of which price as much as $200.
To know the entire price of WooCommerce, you, subsequently, have to pre-plan what options you want and add up how a lot you’ll spend on plugins, themes, and internet hosting.
Additional studying 📚
“WooCommerce Opinions” Add-on: Drastically Develop Your Variety of On-line Opinions
Finest WooCommerce Themes for the Excellent On-line Retailer Design (June 2022)
WooCommerce Pricing (June 2022): The Actual Value of a WooCommerce On-line Retailer
Squarespace vs WooCommerce: Funds
Each Squarespace and WooCommerce provide a variety of how for corporations to obtain funds from prospects. So, what are you able to anticipate from every answer?
As a plugin in your WordPress website, WooCommerce is a particularly versatile ecommerce instrument. You’ll be able to entry on-line and offline fee choices, together with financial institution switch, checks, and even money on supply. For US retailers, you’ll additionally have the ability to settle for funds by way of varied main debit playing cards and bank cards, and Apple Pay.
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For small companies in a wide range of places world wide, the WooCommerce WordPress plugin can combine with a number of regional fee suppliers. There are greater than 100 selections, and add-ons are growing on a regular basis. This makes it very simple to design the form of ecommerce retailer that makes probably the most sense for you.
Squarespace takes a equally versatile strategy to fee choices. You’ll be able to combine a variety of main fee options on every of the Squarespace pricing plans, together with Stripe, PayPal, and Apple Pay. Squarespace additionally affords entry to user-friendly buy-now-pay-later choices.
Relying in your ecommerce plan, Squarespace will even assist with methods to customise your checkout move and calculate issues like VAT or tax funds.
Squarespace vs WooCommerce: POS Options
So, what about on-line promoting?
Squarespace affords an integration with the Sq. service for funds. This implies you may join your backend to the Sq. system for stock administration and level of sale promoting. Sq. has a variety of {hardware} choices to select from if you should promote in an offline retailer, and the software program routinely syncs together with your Squarespace website.
Happily, WordPress customers aren’t not noted. Should you use WordPress and WooCommerce collectively, you may also entry varied integrations for offline transactions, together with entry to Sq.. You’ll have to ensure you add the appropriate integrations to your content material administration system when getting began with WooCommerce to entry each on-line and offline promoting, after all.
There are numerous user-friendly tutorials out there on-line that will help you with connecting your ecommerce platform to your offline promoting choices.
Squarespace vs WooCommerce: search engine optimisation
Everytime you’re constructing a web-based retailer, probably the most necessary issues you may search for, is the flexibility to “optimize” the web expertise. Except for ease-of-use and drag-and-drop builder performance, Squarespace and WooCommerce each include entry to instruments that will help you enhance your place within the on-line rankings.
Squarespace search engine optimisation
Squarespace comes with a wide range of built-in search engine optimisation instruments, together with entry to customizable descriptions and meta titles, so that you’re extra more likely to seize the eye of Google. There’s additionally entry to customized URLs, which implies you may make the URL extra readable to the search engine bots.
One other approach to increase your rankings with Squarespace search engine optimisation is through Picture alt textual content, which describes what’s displaying in a picture. Whereas alt textual content may not appear essential at first, it’s really an necessary instrument for making your web site extra accessible. Anybody utilizing a display reader instrument will have the ability to be taught what your photographs present. Alt textual content additionally helps with letting the major search engines know what the contents of your web page appears like.
Squarespace additionally options:
- Web page redirects: This lets you routinely ship prospects to the appropriate web page when an previous model of a web page is eliminated.
- Automated sitemaps: An inventory of pages in your website meant to assist engines like google work out the connections between your content material.
- Cover a web page: The choice to cover varied pages from Google and regulate your search engine presence accordingly.
- Management social picture: You’ll be able to resolve which photographs are seen alongside your content material when shared on social media.
WooCommerce search engine optimisation
To enhance your rankings with varied web site customization choices, WooCommerce relies upon primarily on the options of WordPress. While you use WooCommerce, you may nonetheless regulate your ecommerce website utilizing the options from WordPress, which makes issues extraordinarily versatile.
Should you’ve obtained a whole lot of coding information, you may learn to customise free themes or construct your personal web sites utilizing CSS and HTML to embed search engine optimisation components into the back-end. You’ll even have entry to a variety of free plugins alongside your WordPress web site.
The plugins and add-ons can assist you to make modifications to your search engine optimisation technique. As an example, the Yoast search engine optimisation plugin for WordPress is likely one of the hottest available on the market, and it’s excellent for guiding you thru every kind of helpful search engine optimisation practices, together with including meta descriptions and key phrases to your content material.
Whereas Squarespace comes with all the instruments you want for search engine optimisation built-in, WooCommerce depends in your capability to entry a variety of add-ons and additional plugins to get the most effective outcomes.
Squarespace vs WooCommerce: Safety
While you’re selecting the best web site builder for your online business, from Shopify or Wix, to WordPress or Squarespace, you’ll want to consider carefully about safety. It’s not sufficient to easily depend on WooCommerce since you’ll have entry to reasonably priced WordPress internet hosting or use Squarespace for a free area identify.
Safety ensures you may proceed to draw the eye of your target market for the appropriate causes, shield your web site, and maintain transactions above board.
Squarespace Safety
Like with most issues on Squarespace, you may anticipate your Squarespace website to sort out safety in your behalf. The answer will verify for malware, shield towards DDoS assaults, and ship a variety of extra strategies to maintain you protected.
Squarespace additionally offers entry to an SSL certificates. This implies all the web site site visitors transferring by way of your web site is encrypted through SSL, so each your guests and also you keep protected. SSL certificates forestall hackers from impersonating your web site and stealing buyer particulars.
Squarespace additionally means that you can use safe cookies to assist your website run extra effectively and safely, and it helps GDPR regulation. You’ll be able to verify how your buyer information is saved, and entry built-in enhancing instruments to handle the privateness insurance policies in your website.
With WordPress and WooCommerce, you’ll should deal with safety by yourself. This implies ensuring all the things from the WordPress themes you obtain to the backups you save are protected. There’s an opportunity your internet hosting service will offer you some further safety, like computerized backups, updates, and SSL certificates. Nevertheless, you’ll have to do your analysis to make sure you’re getting the appropriate help.
WordPress Safety
With WordPress, safety is your accountability. This contains checking out your personal SSL certificates, finishing up common backups, and periodically updating your WordPress website. There are plugins to assist with some features of operating your website, however finally it’s right down to you.
WordPress isn’t as a lot of a goal for DDoS assaults, however a whole lot of your safety power will rely on the internet hosting supplier you select. Some suppliers, like Bluehost, embody free SSL certificates and computerized WordPress updates that will help you handle your safety.
High Tip: Select dependable plugins. We’ve already talked about how outdated plugins can weaken your website, and even make it crash. However that’s not all – some plugins could even comprise dangerous code, which might go away your website susceptible to hackers.
Squarespace vs WooCommerce: Buyer Help
Squarespace affords 24/7 electronic mail help. It’s also possible to entry dwell chat help from 3 am to eight pm EST, Monday to Friday. On prime of this, Squarespace has an intensive array of self-help sources on-line. There’s additionally an lively consumer discussion board. Lastly, you may also flick thru a variety of webinars, workshops, and movies to get a deeper perception into the platform.
As WooCommerce is open-source, it doesn’t include buyer help. Nevertheless, its self-help documentation and on-line group are immensely lively and thriving. There are tons of of guides on-line and no scarcity of useful friends to information you thru a problem. Relying in your internet hosting supplier, you may also get assist with upkeep and safety. Nevertheless, help will depend on what you pay for.
Squarespace vs WooCommerce: Execs and Cons
We have coated quite a bit right here, so let’s spherical off all the things we have mentioned by weighing up WooCommerce and Squarespace’s execs and cons:
Squarespace Execs and Cons
Execs 👍
- Squarespace’s templates are stunning for each your web site and on-line retailer, eradicating all uncertainty about design.
- You get entry to a sturdy suite of in-built options. This usually removes the chance of putting in dodgy third-party plugins. Squarespace’s options are tried and examined to carry out with Squarespace web sites.
- The visible editor is intuitive and permits for easy inventive freedom.
- You get entry to a strong picture editor.
- Squarespace comes with internet hosting, upkeep, and safety.
- 24/7 electronic mail help is obtainable
Cons 👎
- There are only a few integrations out there, making it a much less versatile possibility.
- The variety of themes on provide would not match the sheer amount out there for WooCommerce.
- Total, Squarespace’s on-line promoting capabilities aren’t as superior as WooCommerce.
- Squarespace isn’t as suited to giant, advanced web sites. It is higher for small to medium-sized companies.
WooCommerce Execs and Cons
Execs 👍
- WooCommerce is immensely scalable and can meet your wants regardless of the dimensions of your online business.
- Hundreds of themes and plugins can be found, making it an extremely versatile platform.
- WooCommerce’s fundamental platform is free to obtain and set up. You management what extra prices you go for.
- There’s an lively group and 1000’s of self-help guides on-line.
- WooCommerce comes with a sturdy set of built-in gross sales options.
- WooCommerce is well-suited to extra advanced tasks.
- You’ll be able to create a staging website for improvement and management the variations of your website.
Cons 👎
- There’s no devoted help until you pay an expert for this
- It’s tough to find out the precise price. As an alternative, you should rigorously plan your necessities.
- WooCommerce comes with a steeper studying curve than Squarespace, usually requiring extra tech-savvy information.
- It’s good to vet plugins and themes for compatibility, efficiency, and high quality
- Relating to net design, WooCommerce and WordPress aren’t as intuitive as Squarespace
Squarespace vs WooCommerce: Our Remaining Verdict
Each Squarespace and WooCommerce are sturdy ecommerce options. Nevertheless, the appropriate alternative for you largely hinges on how a lot of a spotlight eCommerce is for you and the way scalable you want your platform to be.
Squarespace stays the extra simple answer for anybody wanting to focus on creating a gorgeous enterprise web site. To not point out, you will take pleasure in a variety of options with out having to do in depth analysis into their efficiency and compatibility.
Nevertheless, Squarespace can’t match WooCommerce the place eCommerce is worried. With WooCommerce’s many plugins and themes, Squarespace is not as versatile and doesn’t scale as effectively for enterprise websites with 1000’s of merchandise. In distinction, WooCommerce makes it simpler to handle giant shops and add any performance you want. To not point out, you may edit its code supply, so offering you will have the know-how, you are solely restricted by your ability and creativeness.
All in all, we suggest Squarespace for small to medium shops with a restricted product providing – particularly in case you’re working in a inventive area of interest. Whereas we predict WooCommerce is best suited to these with larger ambitions to scale their operations. It is also a great possibility for customers with extra technical know-how.
We hope you discovered this overview useful! We wish to know what you suppose. Squarespace vs WooCommerce – which might be your chosen on-line retailer builder for 2022? Tell us within the feedback field beneath!
