How to Build a Successful Squarespace Web Design Business
If you're thinking about starting a web design business or improving the one you’ve already got, this is for you. Building a sustainable and profitable design business doesn’t happen overnight, but with the right approach, you can set yourself up for success. Christy Price, a certified Squarespace expert with 20+ years of experience in web design, shared invaluable insights on how she transitioned her business, streamlined her services, and created multiple income streams. Let’s break it down step-by-step.
Why Christy Switched from WordPress to Squarespace
One of the first big decisions as a designer is choosing your platform. For Christy, WordPress was a go-to early in her career, but it came with drawbacks. She spent a lot of time fixing backend issues caused by neglected plugins or hacking attempts. On top of that, WordPress often overwhelmed her clients, making them hesitant to manage basic updates like editing text or updating copyright info.
Enter Squarespace. Christy made the switch in 2018, and it was a game-changer for her client base. Squarespace’s simple interface allowed clients to handle small updates themselves, freeing her from frustrating micro-tasks while giving them direct control over their websites. For Christy’s niche—small businesses and solopreneurs focused on service-based or informational sites—Squarespace fit perfectly. It eased their workflows, saved time, and gave both designer and client more freedom.
Key Takeaway:
Pick a platform that works for your clients, not just one you’re familiar with. If you’re constantly frustrated by maintenance work or clients struggling to use what you build, it might be time for a change.
Niching Down: Why Expertise Beats Being a Generalist
One of Christy’s top pieces of advice for building a successful design business is to “choose your lane.” For her, that meant focusing on Squarespace design for small businesses. She emphasized that being highly skilled in one platform not only increases efficiency but also improves the client experience.
When you fully commit to mastering a tool or niche, it shows. Clients value expertise. In Christy’s case, she became quick and confident using Squarespace, which allowed her to finish projects faster without compromising quality. In fact, clients often compliment her speed, which builds trust and credibility.
That said, niching down doesn’t always mean narrowing by type of client. Christy refined her audience not just by the kinds of businesses she worked with, but by sticking to projects that aligned with her process—focused decision-makers, clear timelines, and projects that wouldn’t drag on endlessly due to indecision.
Key Takeaway:
Specialization isn’t about shutting out opportunities; it’s about delivering excellent results efficiently while setting boundaries that keep your workload manageable.
Building Better Systems for Client Projects
Every successful design business needs systems. Here’s how Christy manages her clients and keeps projects from spiraling out of control:
Defined Timelines: Projects are either two weeks (for smaller builds) or six weeks (for comprehensive ones). This creates structure and helps avoid overwhelming back and forth. Timelines also let clients know what to expect and when you’ll deliver.
Limited Decision-Makers: Christy learned early on to avoid projects involving large groups of stakeholders, like nonprofit boards. Too many cooks in the kitchen lengthen timelines and complicate edits. Limiting decision-makers ensures efficient progress.
Collaborative Review Calls: Her process includes one or two live calls during which she walks through the site, makes real-time changes, and improves client satisfaction. These calls establish trust in her expertise and help onboard clients to manage their site post-launch.
Boundaries and Buffers: If a client requests changes outside the agreed timeline or scope, those changes are clearly defined as additional work. Christy also builds buffer time into her schedule—a must for dealing with life’s unpredictability or unexpected project curveballs.
Key Takeaway:
Create workflows that balance flexibility with boundaries. Systems save your sanity and help clients feel taken care of.
Creating Scalable Services
While custom website builds are core to most design businesses, offering productized services can boost revenue without overwhelming your schedule. Christy has productized parts of her business to serve clients who don’t need (or can’t afford) a custom build.
Examples:
VIP Days (Designer for a Day): A focused, high-value offering where she knocks out tasks like a website refresh or design tweaks. VIP days bring in quick revenue and allow clients to test her services without a big commitment.
Template-Based Website Builds: This highly productized service lets clients pick one of her pre-made Squarespace templates. They provide tailored content based on her prompts, then Christy customizes the template to fit their business. These two-day builds are efficient, profitable, and still deliver strategic, professional results.
Hourly Screen-Share Sessions: For clients with a small issue or question, these sessions are a low-commitment way to get expert help. They’re also often a stepping stone to more significant projects.
Key Takeaway:
Productizing services helps diversify your offerings. It’s an excellent way to serve budget-conscious clients while optimizing your time.
Adding Digital Products to Your Offerings
Another smart way Christy scaled her web design business was by creating digital products targeted at both designers and DIY clients. She started by identifying common client pain points and repeated questions. For example, her popular Squarespace Starter Template for Designers was built after receiving frequent requests for examples of client onboarding resources and project setups.
Instead of keeping her process behind closed doors, Christy walked her audience through it in a free video. Despite the transparency, many people bought the template anyway because it saved them time. This proved an important point: selling digital products isn’t just about the information you provide—it’s about the convenience and results you offer.
Another standout product of hers is The Web Designer’s Playbook, an all-in-one course launching soon. It’ll cover everything from client management systems to onboarding, pricing, and overcoming common struggles new designers face.
Tips for Creating Digital Products:
Look for recurring client questions—what do people keep asking you about?
Build products that complement your services. A client who buys your template might later purchase a custom build.
Create products that save time or solve actionable problems.
Steady Long-Term Growth with Affiliate Marketing
Blogging and affiliate marketing played a pivotal role in diversifying Christy’s income. By creating helpful blog content, she brought traffic to her site and built credibility with her audience. In her posts, she shares tools, plugins, and resources she genuinely uses, weaving affiliate links naturally into her content.
Affiliate marketing didn’t yield overnight success, but with consistent effort, her blog became a significant income source—earning her over $1,500/month within nine months. Combined with email marketing and her digital products, affiliate sales became a steady revenue stream.
Key Takeaway:
Monetize your expertise through multiple channels: services, digital products, and affiliate partnerships.
Staying Patient and Consistent
Starting any business can feel like shouting into the void, especially in the beginning. Christy’s advice? Keep going. Repetition builds momentum. Whether it’s blogging, email marketing, or YouTube, consistency helps you grow your audience, improve your craft, and ultimately attract paying clients.
She also reminds new designers to give themselves enough time to succeed. Don’t worry if your inbox isn’t flooded with inquiries right away—it takes time to gain traction.
Key Takeaway:
Focus on steady growth over quick wins. Successful design businesses are built on patience and persistence.
Final Thoughts
Building a thriving web design business is about finding what works for you and your clients. Whether that’s sticking to a particular platform, offering productized services, or diversifying with digital products and affiliate partnerships, every step you take should align with your long-term goals.
Remember, the key isn’t doing everything at once—it’s doing the right things consistently over time. Stay focused, learn from every project, and you’ll build something you’re proud of.
Resources to Explore:
Squarespace Starter Template: Save time on your next project.
Christy’s Blog: Tips and tools for web designers.
Web Designer’s Playbook: Join the waitlist for her upcoming course.
What’s one thing you’re excited to implement in your design business? Share in the comments!
