Squarespace Templates: The Secret to Building the Author Website of Your Dreams
For today's authors, a solid online presence is indispensable. A well-executed author platform (social media, newsletter, and website) can make the difference between your work gaining a broader readership and disappearing into the internet void.
Yes, you still need an author website!
An author website provides an ideal platform for showcasing your work and connecting with readers, allowing you to establish your brand and take control of your online reputation. Think of it as a home base for promoting your books, sharing updates, and engaging with fans on a personal level. And with the ability to directly communicate with your readers and grow your email lists, you can't afford not to have a website. Plus, let's remember the networking potential! By building relationships with industry pros and like-minded writers, your website can open up new and exciting opportunities you never thought possible.
Here's an article about why you need an author website and the secrets to building a fabulous one.
Need some inspiration for your author website?
Check out these posts:
Squarespace is the easiest way for authors to build a professional author website.
Squarespace is an excellent choice for authors, as it's an all-in-one platform that helps create an eye-catching and feature-loaded online presence. With various templates designed to display written works, authors can effortlessly find designs that vibe with their unique style and genre. In addition, thanks to the platform's intuitive drag-and-drop editor and customization options, authors can craft a bespoke website without much tech expertise.
Additionally, Squarespace offers essential built-in features like blogging, e-commerce integration for selling books, newsletter sign-ups, and social media sharing options. These features empower authors to share their work and connect with readers, grow their audience, and enhance their online visibility.
And let's remember Squarespace's mobile responsiveness, which ensures an author's website looks and works like a charm across devices, offering a silky-smooth browsing experience for on-the-go readers.
Click here to read how Squarespace compares with Wix for an author website.
Squarespace templates are pre-designed websites.
The easiest, quickest, and cheapest way to build a fantastic author website is to use a Squarespace template.
Squarespace templates are pre-designed websites. These templates act as a starting point for users to build and customize their websites without creating everything from scratch. They come in various designs and styles, catering to different industries, professions, and purposes, such as portfolios, online stores, blogs, and more.
You can pick from two types of Squarespace templates for your author website.
Squarespace Templates can be templates designed by Squarespace or designers on Squarespace.
Squarespace offers its own templates.
Squarespace boasts a selection of professionally crafted templates that are already included in the price of Squarespace. These in-house templates are thoughtfully designed to accommodate the diverse needs of various industries and styles, including those of authors. Conceived with an emphasis on user experience, Squarespace's templates enable authors to effortlessly establish visually captivating and functional websites without delving into the complexities of web design.
Designer templates can take your author website to the next level.
You can also purchase a Squarespace template from a designer. Designer-crafted Squarespace templates offer a unique and stylish option compared to the templates made by Squarespace. Crafted by independent designers and developers with a deep understanding of the platform, these third-party templates provide extra design choices and features beyond what's available in Squarespace's own collection. Moreover, these designers often create templates tailored to specific industries, ensuring a more personalized and targeted design for various professions, including authors.
While Squarespace's in-house templates are usually polished and dependable, third-party templates can cater to specific tastes or needs that might not be found in the default options. These templates might also include extra features, unique layouts, or custom integrations specialized for specific industries.
I love Squarespace templates so much that this website is built from this GoLiveHQ Squarespace template.
You’ll have a lot of design flexibility with each Squarespace template.
You can edit and change Squarespace templates without needing to be a tech whiz. You can easily switch up the layout, colors, fonts, images, and more to give your website a unique look and feel that suits your brand and personal style. This level of customization is super empowering because you can make sure that your author website embodies the essence of your writing. Plus, with Squarespace's intuitive drag-and-drop editor and other easy-to-use features, you can edit your site in no time!
However, more sophisticated customizations might be more expensive, time-consuming, and require coding knowledge.
A few of my favorite Squarespace template shops are:
GoLiveHQ - GoLiveHQ is a Squarespace template shop that creates visually stunning and mobile-responsive templates for creative entrepreneurs and small business owners. Their templates feature bold typography, high-quality images, and easy-to-use navigation and are designed to showcase products and services in a modern style.
BigCatCreative - BigCatCreative is a design studio that creates custom Squarespace websites and templates for businesses and individuals. Their templates feature bold, modern designs focusing on user experience and functionality. They also offer various design services, such as custom branding, graphic design, and website maintenance.
23&9 Creative - 23&9 Creative is a design agency that creates Squarespace templates and websites for entrepreneurs, creatives, and small businesses. Their templates feature unique designs, focusing on fun, colorful, feminine aesthetics.
7 Reasons you should use a designer Squarespace Template to build your author website quickly, easily, and cost-effectively.
We'll explore why designer-curated Squarespace templates are the ultimate hack to constructing an exceptional author website.
Sophisticated Design:
Designer Squarespace templates are the brainchild of expert web designers who have mastered the art of good design. As a result, your website will exude polish and professionalism even if design isn’t your forte. With an extensive array of templates available, you can find one that captures your distinct style and your work's tone.
2. Effortless Customization:
One of the most appealing aspects of Squarespace templates is their ease of customization. A few simple clicks allow you to alter the layout, colors, fonts, and more, making the template uniquely yours. This level of customization empowers you to create an author website that embodies your brand and the essence of your writing.
Squarespace templates also help reduce decision fatigue, as you can keep the well-designed default options if you prefer to avoid diving into extensive customization.
3. Essential Built-in Features:
Squarespace templates come equipped with built-in features indispensable for any author's website. These include blogging functionality, integration with email marketing services, social media sharing options, and more. Harnessing these features enables you to craft a website that showcases your work, facilitates connections with readers, and expands your audience.
4. Mobile Responsiveness:
In the current digital climate, having a mobile-friendly author website is crucial. At the end of 2021, mobile devices generated 54.4% of global website traffic, and Internet users spent half their online time on mobile devices. Over 70% of people are more likely to return to a website if it’s optimized for mobile. Nearly 60% of internet users won’t recommend a business to a friend or colleague if the design renders poorly on mobile. Most Squarespace templates are designed with mobile responsiveness in mind, ensuring your site looks and operates seamlessly on any device. This guarantees that readers can access and navigate your website effortlessly, regardless of their location or device.
5. Time-saving:
Building a website from scratch can be a real time-sucker, especially for authors who rock at writing but aren't so savvy with design. Squarespace templates come to the rescue with ready-made, professional designs that give you a solid starting point for your website. Instead of staring at a blank screen and wrestling with all the nitty-gritty details of coding and design, authors can quickly pick a fitting template and dive right into customizing it. This smooth process removes the stress of choosing colors, fonts, and layouts. As a result, it frees up more time for authors to focus on their writing passion and spend less time worrying about the nuts and bolts of website building.
6. Cost-effectiveness:
Creating a custom website can get pretty pricey, especially if you need to bring a professional web designer or developer on board. Squarespace templates swoop in with a budget-friendly alternative, offering professionally designed layouts at a fraction of the cost.
Typically ranging from $150 to $300, these templates cater to various budgets while delivering a high-quality, eye-catching website. Plus, Squarespace bundles essential features like hosting, domain registration, and security into the platform, so you won't have to stress about extra expenses or juggling multiple services. This all-in-one package makes Squarespace a wallet-friendly choice for authors who want a robust online presence without maxing out their credit cards.
7. Continuous Support and Updates:
Opting for a Squarespace template means relying on ongoing support and updates from Squarespace. Squarespace is committed to refining and updating its templates to ensure they remain at the forefront of modern web standards. Moreover, with the dedicated Squarespace support team at your disposal, you'll always be able to handle the most common technical issues independently. You may only need a professional designer for more complex technical problems.
You’ll still need some technical skills and familiarity to use a Squarespace template for your author website.
Although Squarespace templates simplify the website creation process, it's worth mentioning that a certain degree of technical prowess and platform familiarity remains necessary for a smooth experience. In addition, maneuvering through the various customization options, handling site settings, and incorporating third-party tools might require some comfort with the platform.
For those who find the process daunting or prefer a more hands-off approach, enlisting the services of a Squarespace-savvy designer to customize your Squarespace template can be a worthwhile investment. Collaborating with a designer ensures your website is tailored to your distinct vision and preferences while capitalizing on their expertise in platform navigation. In doing so, you can craft a professionally curated website that effectively highlights your work without delving into the nitty-gritty of website construction yourself.
8 factors to think about when buying a Squarespace template for your author website:
When buying a Squarespace template, weigh several factors to make a well-informed template choice that meets your unique needs.
1. Define your objectives: Before diving into the vast array of Squarespace templates, take a moment to pinpoint your goals for your author website. For example, your author website should, at minimum, showcase your work, give your readers a few personal details, provide a platform for readers to connect with you by signing up for your newsletter, or even sell your books directly. Understanding your objectives and desired aesthetic will help you narrow your choices and select a template with the features to support your vision effectively.
2. Evaluate the template's features and flexibility: While browsing the available templates, assess their built-in features, such as blogging functionality, e-commerce integration, newsletter sign-up forms, and social media sharing options. At a minimum, the Squarespace template should have a way to connect a newsletter, your social media platforms, and a blog. Then, pick a template with the technical features you need.
3. Think about your brand style: Think about your brand style and aesthetic. What do you want your readers to feel when they walk into your website? For example, if you’re a romance author, you might want a bolder website that reflects your book than if you write about minimalism.
4. Check for mobile responsiveness: In today's digital landscape, your author website must be mobile-friendly. At the end of 2021, mobile devices generated 54.4% of global website traffic, and Internet users spent half their online time on mobile devices. Over 70% of people are more likely to return to a website if it’s optimized for mobile. Nearly 60% of internet users won’t recommend a brand to a friend or colleague if the design renders poorly on mobile. Check that the Squarespace template you choose is designed with mobile responsiveness in mind so your site looks great and functions smoothly on any device. Readers are more likely to return to your website if they can easily access and navigate it, regardless of their device.
5. Make sure the Squarespace template you’re buying is the latest version of Squarespace. In 2021, Squarespace upgraded its templates to 7.1. However, some templates are still built on the older version of Squarespace - Squarespace 7.0. Squarespace will only be making future updates to Squarespace 7.1, so when you’re considering purchasing a Squarespace template, buy a Squarespace 7.1 template.
6. Assess the designer's support: When choosing a designer Squarespace template, it's essential to consider the designer's level of support. Investigate the designer's reputation, responsiveness to inquiries, customization and maintenance work availability, and whether they offer ongoing updates and assistance to address technical issues or platform changes. Check out the FAQs on the designer’s page, and feel free to email the designer with any questions before purchasing a template. A robust support system can make all the difference when customizing, maintaining, and troubleshooting your website, ensuring a smooth and hassle-free experience.
7. Determine your level of involvement: Before committing to a Squarespace template, consider whether you're comfortable editing and installing the template yourself or if you'd prefer to enlist a designer's help. You can handle the customization process independently if you're confident in your technical abilities and have experience navigating the Squarespace platform. However, if you'd rather have a more hands-off approach or need additional assistance in tailoring the template to your specific needs, it's worthwhile to explore the possibility of hiring the designer for their expertise. This way, you can achieve a professionally tailored website that effectively showcases your work without the need to delve into the technical aspects of website building yourself.
8. Consider the cost: Custom websites usually cost $3,000-$10,000. Squarespace templates provide a cost-effective alternative to custom website design at a few hundred dollars per template. Still, evaluate template pricing and choose a template that aligns with your budget. Remember that the cost of the template itself is separate from Squarespace's subscription plans, which include hosting, domain registration, and other essential features. Squarespace subscriptions usually cost about $25/month or about $270/annually.
By carefully considering these factors, you'll be well-equipped to make an informed decision and select the ideal Squarespace template for your author website.
You’ll have a polished and professional online presence that successfully showcases your work and connects with your readers.
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