Which platform should I choose — Squarespace, WordPress, or Shopify?

It depends on your business goals. Squarespace is ideal for service-based businesses and creatives who want an elegant, low-maintenance site. WordPress offers the most flexibility and scalability, perfect if you need custom functionality or advanced SEO. Shopify is built for e-commerce and product-based brands. During our discovery phase, we help you choose the platform that fits your needs and technical comfort level.

How much does a website cost?

Most of our custom website projects range between $2,000 and $5,000, depending on the platform, page count, integrations, and content requirements. Squarespace builds are usually quicker and more affordable, while Shopify or WordPress projects can vary more based on complexity. If you’re unsure what fits your budget, we’ll guide you through options in our discovery call.

Do I need to know how to code to update my website?

Not at all. Whether your site is on Squarespace, WordPress, or Shopify, we make sure it’s easy for you to manage. We’ll walk you through how to update your text, images, and products without touching code. For clients who prefer a hands-off approach, we also offer ongoing maintenance and support packages.

Will my website include SEO setup?

Yes — all our websites are built with SEO in mind. That includes page titles, meta descriptions, optimized images, and clean URL structures. We also offer add-on SEO services like keyword research, blog setup, and Google Search Console configuration to help you start ranking faster.

What’s the process like from start to finish?

1. Discovery Call: We learn about your brand, goals, and target audience. 2. Proposal & Booking: You choose your package, sign the agreement, and make the initial payment. 3. Design & Build: We design your site layout and bring it to life with your content and imagery. 4. Feedback & Revisions: You’ll have review rounds to make refinements. 5. Launch & Training: Once approved, we handle launch and give you a walkthrough so you can manage your site confidently.

Can you redesign my existing website?

Absolutely. Whether it’s a WordPress site that feels outdated, a Squarespace site that needs a refresh, or a Shopify store that’s not converting, we can redesign your website while keeping your content and improving your layout, visuals, and SEO structure.

What if I don’t have branding or photos yet?

No worries — we can design your site using temporary placeholders and update it later once your assets are ready. We also offer brand design and photography add-ons or can connect you with trusted brand photographers and copywriters to round out your visuals and messaging.

Do you offer templates?

Not yet! We’re creating customizable website templates for Squarespace, WordPress, and Shopify — designed for small business owners who want a professional, launch-ready website without the full custom cost. Templates will be available soon through our shop.

Do you offer payment plans?

Yes, we typically split payments into two or three parts — one to start, one during design, and one at launch. We also offer extended plans for template purchases or add-ons, making it easy to get started without a large upfront investment.

What makes working with a professional website designer worth it?

A professional designer brings strategy, structure, and user experience expertise that go beyond just visuals. We focus on how your audience uses your website — what they see first, how they navigate, and what makes them convert. The result is a website that not only looks great but actually grows your business.

Shopify vs Squarespace: Which is better for your online store?

WEB DESIGN

Dec 15

Written By Aneet

With the pandemic turning us all into online shopaholics, e-commerce is not just a trend; it's the cool kid on the retail block, and it’s here to stay, If you’re in the retail space, I guess you have already spent countless nights thinking about or searching for “how to start an online store?”,

I often hear people being overwhelmed by the number of options out there. Virtually every DIY website builder platform offers e-commerce, making it super easy to set up a store and start selling online. From everything available, I think Shopify and Squarespace offer the best DIY options out there. (WordPress is not exactly DIY, though it does have a powerful e-commerce plugin)

But before we dive into the specifics, let's explore why choosing the right platform is critical for your business.

Why does choosing the right platform matter?

When building your online presence, your chosen platform can directly impact your business's success and customer experience. It affects everything, from how your store looks and functions to how a customer feels while browsing your store. With a good platform, you can easily streamline operations and create a seamless shopping experience, and with the dwindling attention spans of online users, the customer experience you offer can greatly affect the overall success of your brand.

A customer is likely to leave your site if it takes more than two clicks to find a product?

Now that you have that information, let’s break down the two major platforms for e-commerce, Shopify and Squarespace, to help you understand what can work best for your business!

Shopify vs. Squarespace: Pros and Cons

Shopify and Squarespace, as e-commerce platforms, differ in their fundamental approaches to online business.

Shopify is specifically designed for e-commerce and offers a comprehensive suite of features for businesses of all sizes. It has a lot of customization options and offers easy scalability, with an extensive app ecosystem that allows you to tailor your online stores according to your need.

Squarespace, on the other hand, integrates e-commerce into its broader website-building platform. It is known for its visually appealing templates and user-friendly design tools, making it an attractive option if you prioritize simplicity and aesthetics. If you have a Service business, I would say Squarespace should be your go-to platform, but for e-commerce, you should consider other options

Let’s delve a bit deeper into the technical details:

Shopify

Shopify is known for its extensive array of e-commerce features. It includes tools for inventory management, order processing, payments and even customer engagement ( easy integration with Facebook and Instagram is a major plus!)
The platform has a diverse app ecosystem making it easy to add specialized functionality. There is an app for everything you can think of. From reviews to customized product options, you can easily add or extend functionalities via apps.
It designed to scale with businesses of varying sizes. If your business gets bigger, there is pretty much a guarantee that Shopify can handle it.
The number of products a user can list depends on the selected plan, ranging from 2 to an unlimited quantity.
Shopify offers many SEO tools like customizable meta titles and descriptions, automatically generated clean and SEO-friendly URLs, and a mobile optimized design.
In terms of pricing, Shopify plans start at $39 per month (which is reduced to $29 when paid annually), with an additional transaction fees varying based on the chosen plan. See the detailed pricing details here: Shopify Pricing
Things to Consider:
Depending on the chosen plan, Shopify may impose transaction fees, impacting the overall cost structure, particularly for high-volume sales.
The Shopify website builder can look scary, especially to a first-time user. Though designed to be user-friendly, customization may require a learning curve, especially for users less familiar with technology.
Though installing apps can give you any functionality in an instant, too many apps are known to slow down Shopify stores pretty fast, hampering the store's SEO and user experience.

Squarespace

At its core Squarespace is a website-building platform, providing you all the tools you need to build a beautiful website. Squarespace seamlessly integrates e-commerce features within its overall platform, making it easy to build and maintain your online store.
Known for aesthetically pleasing templates, Squarespace allows you to create visually stunning online stores without requiring extensive design expertise.
If you’re looking to just put together a decent online storefront to get you started, Squarespace’s drag-and-drop functionality makes it easy to set up a working store, even with limited technical ability.
Squarespace allows an unlimited number of products across all plans.
Squarespace also offers almost all the SEO features as Shopify, but the while Shopify’s SEO capabilities can be extended via apps, Squarespace’s SEO is limited to the in-built features.
Squarespace plans with e-commerce integration start at $33 per month (which is reduced to $23 if paid annually), with transaction fees waived on higher priced commerce plans. See the detailed pricing for Squarespace here: Squarespace Pricing

Things to Consider:

While excellent for online stores, Squarespace is more of a general-purpose website builder, and lacks specialized features like abandoned cart recovery, seamless multichannel selling etc., found in dedicated e-commerce platforms.
Squarespace has only a few options for extensions which limits advanced customization, especially when compared to Shopify’s extensive app ecosystem.

Shopify vs Squarespace - Which one to choose?

Choosing between Shopify and Squarespace ultimately depends on your business needs and preferences.

Consider Shopify if:

You are a big or fast-growing business.
You need a lot of e-commerce features and are willing to spend time (or money) to dive into advanced customization options.
You have a large following on Facebook and Instagram and get a lot of sales from these platforms. Shopify’s seamless integration with Facebook and Instagram can be a game changer in this case!

Consider Squarespace if:

You are a service-based business or a smaller retail business and in need of an e-commerce setup as an extension to your website.
If your business depends more on making online bookings than selling products.
If you prefer a beautiful design and prioritize ease of use,

So, Shopify for big plans, and Squarespace for a simpler, but stylish setup!

More of a visual learner? Here is a side by side comparison to get you started!

A side by side comparison of relevant shopify and squarespace features

Need someone to setup your online store

and customize it for your brand?

We offer custom website design packages tailored to meet your needs.

Get in touch

Aneet

I’m Aneet, the Digital Architect and Seattle 40 Under 40 co-founder behind Brand Unpuzzled. I spend my days bridging the gap between engineering logic and soulful design to build sophisticated digital homes for intentional women-owned brands. My mission is to ensure your online presence is as structurally sound as it is beautiful.

https://www.instagram.com/brandunpuzzled/?hl=en