Custom Squarespace build or Managed-For-You: which is right for me?
Go for a custom Squarespace build if you want full control and ownership of your website, a one-time fee, and features like e-commerce, blogging or newsletters. If you don’t need your website built on Squarespace, and you’d simply like a site that’s completely looked after for you without being as feature heavy, the Managed-For-You Website is likely the better fit. We’ll settle it on the first call.
I already have a website. Is this the right page?
If the site you’ve got needs a rethink rather than a restart, no: that’s the website redesign service, where I rebuild what you have and carry your content across and redirect your old links. If you’d rather start fresh, you’re in the right place. Either way, we settle it on the first call.
What do I need before we start?
A rough idea of what the site has to do, any branding you already have, and whatever content exists. If the words or the logo don’t exist yet, branding and copywriting are optional add-ons, so nothing has to be ready on day one.
Do I own the website?
Yes. A custom Squarespace build is a one-time fee and the site is yours: your Squarespace account, your domain, your content. There’s no monthly fee to me unless you choose the Managed-For-You plan.
Can I update it myself afterwards?
Yes, that’s the point of building in Squarespace. You get handover training, with short videos for the things you’ll do most often, and I’m a message away if you get stuck.
How long does a custom build take?
Usually 3 to 6 weeks. It depends on the number of pages, whether there’s a shop or bookings to set up, and how quickly content and feedback come back.
How much does a Squarespace website designer cost in the UK?
Freelancers quote anywhere from a few hundred pounds for a template with your logo on it, and UK agencies typically £5,000 to £15,000 for a small business site. My custom Squarespace builds start from £3,000 for up to four pages, £5,000 with custom code and up to eight pages, and £8,500 with no limit on either. The figure is fixed in writing after our first call, before any work starts.
Why hire a Squarespace Platinum Partner rather than a general web designer?
Partner status is earned on the volume and quality of sites built on the platform, and I’ve built more than 250. That means I know what Squarespace can and can’t do before we start, I build the custom-code features a general designer would tell you it can’t do, and nothing gets promised that the platform won’t deliver.
Do you work with clients across the UK?
Yes. I’m based in Liverpool and build for clients across the UK, the US and Europe. Everything happens over calls and shared screens, and if you’re near Liverpool we can meet in person.
Squarespace or custom code: how do we choose?
On the first call. If Squarespace fits your business (most do), I’ll build there as a Squarespace Platinum Partner. If you need something faster, fully bespoke, or beyond what Squarespace can do, I build custom on the Managed-For-You plan, and manage the hosting, domain and security so you don’t have to think about it. Sites you run yourself are always built in Squarespace.
