Would You Enjoy Being a Squarespace Web Designer? (Things to Consider)
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Recently, we talked about how to start a Squarespace design business.
But before you dive right in, I think it’s really important to consider whether or not your personality type is conducive to this kind of online business model.
I’ve had friends show interest in what I do and want to learn themselves. I’ll spend some time divulging information, what it takes to start this up, the different tasks that must be maintained, and other details. I find some people take right to it and are intrigued, while others might dig in for a week or two then follow-up to say it just wasn’t for them.
Perfectly fine! The world takes all kinds. And one thing we can be sure of is that not everyone should start a Squarespace design business :) Each of us contain unique personality types and approaches to life. Some of us are better at focusing on one thing while others can juggle many tasks at once. Some of us are more thoughtful and take a longer time to do things while others are able to move with speed and precision.
We aren’t all the same. Certain things make some thrive and others suffer.
So- I was thinking about the personality that I think performs well as a Squarespace designer. Or at least, some key traits that I see as essential.
Are all Squarespace designers the same? No way. I see some designers who are all over social media promoting their business, while others (raises hand) are more introverted and prefer to stick to their own website for client outreach. Some designers have public greeting videos adorning their websites, while others simply invite you to email them if you’d like to work together.
Some designers focus on modern design, while others specialize in site performance.
This is great because there’s a market for all of us! Some clients will be put off by certain designers while others will be attracted to work with them.
So, be you. Know thyself, as Socrates (and surely many many others if we’re realistic) once said.
But with all that in mind, here are some traits I think are very useful—maaaaybe even necessary— for running your own successful Squarespace design business.
Would you enjoy being a Squarespace Designer? Some Considerations:
being okay with not knowing the answers and spending hours searching
Here’s a little secret:
IN THE “TECH” WORLD, MOST PEOPLE ARE ESSENTIALLY GETTING PAID TO GOOGLE.
This is something my dear friend told me many years ago. He had started working for a big tech company after self-educating to become a web developer (no college degree), and felt like an imposter.
He told me: “I basically get paid six figures to Google answers all day, so I know what to do.”
Now, years later, he’s a seasoned Senior Software Developer for one of the most well-reputed companies in the country and he says this is just how it is, it’s what everyone does.
You learn as you go, but you will always always have to find answers to things you don’t know.
Ability to multi-task, while maintaining precision
Science says that multi-tasking isn’t truly a thing, that instead some people are able to switch rapidly from one task to another, while maintaining precision.
This is really important for running a Squarespace design business.
A Squarespace business isn’t just about designing websites, in fact that’s only about 30-40% of the work.
You have to simultaneously juggle communications and planning of current/past/prospective clients, taxes and other finances, content marketing, customer support, troubleshooting site issues, while figuring out how to achieve certain design and functional goals on a site you’re designing (which might entail learning a bit of code amidst a time crunch).
Self-Motivation
When you work from home—or from a juice bar in Bali, as some designers do—it requires a significant amount of self-discipline and motivation to keep yourself on track.
Being in control of your own schedule can lead to problems for some people- they get easily distracted, they procrastinate, they don’t stick to task and finish projects according to a timeline… and the business can easily spiral down into oblivion if this is the case.
Variation & Unpredictability of pay
Being a solopreneur is “hills and valleys”, as they say.
Some months you kill it, while others you hear crickets chirping and worry yourself sick that your business has floundered for good.
If you manage your income properly, you can use those slow periods for growth.
These days, I stay very booked up, but there are usually a couple of times each year when things get slow for a month or so. I use these times to work on online courses I want to offer, create blog posts for my websites, newsletter outreach, education, and more.
Time Management
Keeping a project on track is difficult enough- it means managing your own time as well as keeping your client up to date and getting feedback as needed.
If you don’t manage your time well, scheduled projects can begin overlapping with one another and this is never a good situation to be in.
Communication skills
I see a lot of complaints from designers that their clients won’t send content over in time, or have dropped off the face of the earth during the middle of the project, etc.
I ran into issues like this during my first year as a Squarespace designer, but I no longer do.
Why? I think it’s 100% because of the way I communicate with clients, both before and during the project.
Clear, polite, but firm communication works well. I also keep my client updated and informed about my goals for the project, such as: today I’m working on ____, tomorrow ____, begin offboarding process on _____, send site live _____.
Make sure your clients understand that their project is one of many you have scheduled, and that you have allotted a certain amount of time for their project and it’s imperative you stay on track.
Right now, I’m working on a new course: How To Start A Squarespace Design Business (so you can work from home or anywhere!). So if you’re interested in this topic, be sure to subscribe to my newsletter to get updated when the course gets sent live!
Let me know if you have any questions in the comments section below.
Thank you for stopping by and I’ll talk to you again soon~
x
Tiffany
Welcome!
Hey there! I’m Tiffany ~ a Squarespace Web Designer & SEO Expert. I design beautiful & professional websites that rank well on Google, and I teach one of the most top-ranked Squarespace SEO courses here!
Feel free to contact me at: tiffany@tiffany-davidson.com
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