How Much Do Squarespace Designers Charge in 2023?
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I have two primary audiences for this article:
fellow Squarespace Designers (especially new ones)
and those of you planning to hire a designer to create your new site
To the latter group: you’ll be able to find freelancers to design a Squarespace site for you for very cheap, sometimes as little as $500.
Turn and run, don’t walk, away from these false feelings of having ‘found a deal.’ You haven’t found a deal, you’ve just found a complete waste of money (unless you have a big amount ready to invest in advertising, because I can assure you your new site will not be getting noticed organically on Google via a $500 website from a random freelancer).
If you don’t have the money to invest in a good designer and SEO specialist, just wait. Budget another few months until you’re ready. Otherwise, the money you do have saved for a website will be a mere expense, whereas if you can save a couple thousand more to invest in a designer who can not only design a website that is beautiful and user-friendly but that also performs well on Google, your dollars will turn into a real investment and your website will be an asset rather than a liability.
I really cannot stress this enough.
Don’t start your brand off on the wrong foot. Plan long-term. Don’t blow money, invest money that will work for you and grow your business for the long haul.
How much should you expect to spend for a professional Squarespace designer?
The true cost of a cheap website
Just last week, a client reached out to me to schedule a Squarespace SEO Service for their Ecommerce website.
The website was launched over four years ago and was getting… wait for it… less than 300 visits a month! Yikes.
The bottom line is this: you might find someone to design a website for you for that seems inexpensive, but use caution. I’m not saying it’s impossible to find a Squarespace web designer and SEO expert for under $2,000… but I would really want to see proof of results first thing.
Here is what I see a lot: people buy an “inexpensive” website from a Squarespace designer, and that website gets completely buried in the vast abyss of the Internet. google doesn’t rank it. target audience doesn’t find it. it’s a mere expense, no investment. a waste of money.
So what’s the point?
Don’t be cheap, be smart, think long-term. And please do not hire a “Squarespace designer”— no matter how lovely their designs are— unless they have proof that the websites they build perform well.
So what should you charge as a Squarespace web designer?
If you aren’t an SEO Specialist, I can’t see charging over $2,500 for a standard 7-8 page website.
This assumes the client has all content ready to go and isn’t relying on you to act as content developer and web designer.
$2,500 is about the average for a good Squarespace web designer who designs custom websites (doesn’t just paste content into a template) and who has a solid portfolio and client reviews to show.
*Of course, remember: that $2,500 isn’t just pocketed. Running our own businesses, we all know that 25% will have to be set aside for taxes, and then you have to fund your own health insurance, your own “401k” and all that. Not to mention, purchase and maintain your own equipment.
To learn every single aspect of running a successful Squarespace Design Business, I welcome you to enroll in my new course:
What should you charge as a Squarespace designer and SEO expert?
Now we’re getting to the crux of the biscuit! (Frank Zappa reference)
I encourage all Squarespace designers to really get in there and learn SEO.
Don’t just claim “built-in SEO” but really provide results for your clients, and highlight those results on your website because if you can design a lovely site that ranks on Google Page 1 a few months after launching, you are providing some SERIOUS value.
This is when your web design + SEO packages should be $2,500 minimum. All the way up to $10,000 or more.
My web design + SEO package at the time of writing this post is at $3,600. But many of the websites I produce go into the 5-figure price range after clients detail what they need from the site and I work out a custom quote for the project.
As a squarespace Designer with seo expertise, you bring tremendous value to the table.
If you skill up with your SEO, as a web designer this is such a powerful combination for your business and for the clients who are fortunate enough to work with you.
And a note to any of you reading this looking for a Squarespace designer: Be sure they have proven SEO expertise, otherwise your website will get designed, yes, but unless you have a good amount of money set aside for ads, it won’t ever get seen by your target audience. So what’s the point? Find a Squarespace designer AND SEO Specialist.
My Squarespace SEO Expert Course teaches everything you need to know to get Squarespace websites to rank on Google Page 1. And remember, you can write off on your taxes as a business expense! Learn more —>
MY NEW COURSE: HOW TO START A SQUARESPACE DESIGN BUSINESS
I know how uncomfortable and disorienting starting out can be. You’re full of questions about whether you can make this work or not.
A mentor is so helpful during this time, and that’s exactly what I hope this course will be— a business mentor to help you succeed.
If you have questions, as a designer or as someone shopping for or considering a Squarespace designer, feel free to reach out to me directly at tiffany@tiffany-davidson.com.
I’m happy to help you not waste your money, but instead grow your business.
Thanks for stopping by!
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Tiffany
welcome!
Hey there! I’m Tiffany ~ a Squarespace Web Designer & SEO Expert. I design beautiful & professional websites that rank well on Google, & I teach courses on becoming a Squarespace SEO Expert, Monetizing Squarespace, and Starting Your Own Squarespace Design Business!
Feel free to contact me at: tiffany@tiffany-davidson.com
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