Websites…demystified
When I create websites for my clients, we work in a collaborative way so they’re learning about what websites are, how they work, and how to update them. These blog posts answer many of the questions my clients have as we work together. I hope you find this information helpful too.
Do you REALLY need a website?
Everyone tells you that you must have a website, but do you? Learn some of the ways you can promote your business without a website, either temporarily or permanently.
How to choose and connect a website scheduling program
Integrating automatic appointment scheduling with your website frees you from tedious back-and-forth conversations to set up appointments. I’ve tried and tested a number of scheduling programs and have two that I recommend to my website clients.
How to archive a page in Squarespace
Whether you want to archive a page for posterity or for your future use, here are the instructions for properly archiving the page without causing 404 Page Not Found errors on your Squarespace website.
Changing the built-in Squarespace domain to something you’ll remember
Squarespace assigns every new website a built-in domain, a Site ID, that ends with “squarespace.com.” I recommend changing the random ID Squarespace assigns to be something you’ll remember.
How to show a background image behind your site header
To stretch and expand the background image to the top of your website, change the site header color style to Adaptive. The site header then becomes transparent so the background image shows behind the navigation text.
How to connect your blog or website page to a link preview image
The clickable image that shows up on social media posts is called a link preview image. In Squarespace and other website editors, you can designate a specific image to show up when you share a website page on Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter/X.
What’s the aspect ratio of an image and why should you care?
The aspect ratio of an image is its width relative to its height. Understanding aspect ratio helps you design your pages with images that look attractive and well-matched. Aspect ratio choices can also help with planning and choosing images you’d like to use on your website.
How to check your website without logging out of Squarespace
Being able to preview your website live without logging out of Squarespace is a convenience for testing and proofreading before you launch.
Best practices for creating a Social Sharing image
You can add a Social Sharing image to Squarespace to be shown as a link preview for your website when you share a URL on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. The size of 1200x628 pixels works best for those platforms. You can also set custom images for specific website pages or blog posts to draw extra attention to them.
How to add a gift certificate with a PayPal Buy Now button
If you only sell a few gift certificates per year, adding a page with a PayPal Buy Now button for purchasing can be a low-cost way to add gift certificate sales to your website.
Return customers to your website after a PayPal button transaction
Have you ever wished that you could take customers back to your website automatically after they make a payment through a PayPal button on your site? It turns out it’s not only possible, but it only takes a little extra planning and web design time.
Adding a PayPal "Buy Now" button to your website is easier than you think
Use the Button Tool with a free PayPal business account to generate code that creates a custom Buy Now button for your website.
What to include in your Squarespace footer
A footer is the last section of information at the bottom of a website page. Use this valuable area to show contact information, add links to website pages, and ask visitors to take action on their way to becoming loyal customers.
Get Facebook Follows from your website
Use the Facebook Like Button Configurator to generate code to add a Facebook Follow button on your website.
Improving SEO for your Squarespace website images
Images play a role in improving your website's search rankings. Using file names and image properties strategically on your Squarespace website to include possible search words is a good practice for improving the search rankings of your website.
Finding your website’s perfect type
One of the first decisions you'll make with a new website is the choice of typefaces, especially those used as display accents throughout your site, such as the Site Title and Headings. Your website probably includes typefaces that suit the design template you chose, but if you would prefer another typeface, there are many to choose from.
Spacers: Your Squarespace website's invisible super power
Spacers are invisible design elements that add blank space to any part of a website page. I call them a website super power because they are incredibly useful for adding space around elements on a page.