Expert Tips When Hiring
a Squarespace Web Designer
Your business is gaining momentum — social media is active, referrals are coming in, and now it's time to build a professional online presence that works as hard as you do.
Before hiring a Squarespace web designer, a little preparation goes a long way. The clearer your brief, the faster and smoother your build — and the better your final website will perform.
As a Perth-based Squarespace specialist with 500+ websites built since 2013, here's exactly what Hot Lizard Designs recommends having ready before your project kicks off:
Purchase Your Domain Name
It’s no coincidence that Squarespace featured this aspect in the 2026 Superbowl adverts! Before you do anything, your first step should be purchasing your domain name to match your business name. Consistency is key and ideally you will have the same name across your social media channels as well as your website domain name.
We recommend purchasing your domain(s) through a large third party provider such as GoDaddy so you remain in control at all times. This means that you get to keep your domain name even if you choose to move to a different website platform - it’s just a matter of linking to your new site.
Consider a Business Email Address
A professional email address like hello@yourbusiness.com instantly builds credibility with potential clients — it's a small detail that makes a big difference.
Most businesses choose Google Workspace (Gmail) as it connects seamlessly to Google Analytics and Google Search Console, both of which can be linked to your Squarespace website to track performance and support your SEO efforts.
Plan Your Website Structure
Your Squarespace designer will help shape the final structure, but it helps to arrive with a rough idea of what pages you need. Home and Contact are a given — but what else?
Think about whether you want a Team page, individual Service pages, a portfolio, or a blog. Do your values or story deserve their own page? The more clearly you can articulate this upfront, the faster your build will be.
For inspiration, check out our blog post — Essential Tips for a Successful Business Website — which walks through the key pages most small business websites need.
Website Copy
Possibly the trickiest part of the whole process — it's always hard to write about yourself.
If budget allows, a professional copywriter can make a real difference. But if you'd rather DIY it, try this: grab your phone, hit record, and describe what you do as if you're talking to a brand new customer. Play it back, transcribe it, and tidy it up. It's surprisingly effective and completely sidesteps writer's block.
Remember — Squarespace makes it easy to edit and update your copy at any time, so nothing is set in stone. And if you'd like help crafting your website copy, just let us know — it's something we can assist with.
Images
Great images can communicate your brand personality within seconds — before a visitor has read a single word.
Where possible, provide high resolution files in .jpg or .png format, including your logo and any profile photos. Your designer can advise on whether your existing imagery is suitable for web use.
Stock image libraries have improved enormously — there are excellent free and paid options available, and we're happy to help source royalty-free images that suit your brand.
For more on why imagery matters so much, read our blog post - Is a Picture Really Worth a Thousand Words?
Selling Services or Digital Products Online?
Squarespace handles services, digital downloads, subscriptions, and member areas beautifully.
Before your build begins, it helps to have clarity on a few things: What are you selling and how many offerings will you launch with? Are customers paying a one-off fee or a recurring subscription? Do you have descriptions, pricing, and any supporting images ready to go?
The more detail you can provide upfront, the smoother your e-commerce setup will be.
Connect Your Social Media
Squarespace integrates neatly with your social media accounts — from simple footer links through to displaying your Instagram feed directly on your site.
Blog posts can also be automatically pushed to certain social platforms the moment you publish, saving you time and keeping your online presence active. Have your social media handles and login details handy when your project kicks off.
Mailing Lists
Email marketing remains one of the most effective ways to stay in touch with your audience — a direct line to people who've already shown interest in what you do.
If growing a mailing list is part of your strategy, let your designer know early. Squarespace has its own email campaigns tool built in, or we can integrate your existing provider.
Booking Systems
If your business takes appointments, consultations, or reservations, an online booking system is worth serious consideration.
Acuity Scheduling integrates directly with Squarespace and handles everything from free discovery calls to paid bookings and class schedules. If you have a preferred third-party system already, we can work with that too.
Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy
This one is a legal requirement, not a nice-to-have — and you'd be surprised how many websites are still operating without them.
Australian law requires any website collecting visitor information — including basic contact form submissions — to display a Privacy Policy. Selling online? Terms and Conditions are strongly recommended too. Marketing internationally? You'll also need GDPR compliance and a cookie consent banner.
Getting Quotes From Web Designers
Getting quotes for your website is much like hiring any service provider — and it pays to compare carefully.
When reviewing proposals, ask yourself: are you being quoted for the same scope of work across each designer? Does their portfolio reflect the quality and style you're looking for? And did they actually listen to your brief and address your specific needs?
A detailed, transparent quote is a good indicator of how a designer will communicate throughout the entire project.
Design Skill Meets Business Understanding
Not every business owner is a designer — and not every designer understands business. The best website partnerships happen when both sides of that equation are covered.
When reviewing a designer's portfolio, look beyond aesthetics. Do the sites make a strong first impression? Are the images high quality, on-brand, and communicating a clear message within seconds? A great designer knows that images do as much heavy lifting as words.
It's also worth reflecting on your own current website. As your business has grown and evolved, has your website kept pace? If your imagery, messaging, or branding no longer reflects where your business is today — or if you feel stuck and unable to make updates yourself — it might be time for a change.
If that resonates, we'd love to chat about how a move to Squarespace could give you a website that finally works the way you need it to.
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“New website looks great and was an easy process to get it started and completed. Very good price for lots of pages. I would recommend Hot Lizard Designs to other organisations looking to overhaul their messy website for something fresh and easily managed.”
Brent Bell, CEO
HepatitisWA, Perth