My Squarespace Web Design Process & Timeline
Both newbie web designers and clients often ask me the same question…How long does it take to design a website in Squarespace?
If you’re starting out as a web designer, it’s important to estimate how long a project will take you. Otherwise, you might sell yourself short and undercharge for the design. Having a solid project timeline also keeps your client informed, so they don’t have to wonder when their new website is going to be done.
When starting a new website, I always create a solid timeline to keep both me and my client on track. I can break down my web design timeline into three parts:
Booking & pre-design communication
Designing the website (1-2 weeks)
Making revisions to the website (1 week)
As you can see, it typically takes me two-three weeks to fully design and finish a Squarespace website for a client. But this is because I only design one website at a time. It would definitely take longer if I were juggling multiple projects.
Most of my clients only need a simple five-page website. However, sometimes my clients need a website that is more complex, which adds to the time. For example, I might need to design additional pages, create a portfolio, or set up an online store and add products. Depending on the scope of the project, it might take a lot longer than two weeks!
Part 1: The Booking Process
It may only take two weeks to actually design a website in Squarespace…but that’s not counting the whole booking process.
Your clients can’t just click “add to cart,” then sit back and wait as you fulfill their order.
No, you have to communicate with your client and make sure you both are on the same page! Otherwise, both you and your client will be disappointed and frustrated by the end of the project.
For my Squarespace web design business, I use a 5-step booking process:
STEP 1: The client fills out an inquiry form and books a free consultation call with me. During the call, we go over the project scope and timeline. I also give my client a questionnaire to collect the information I need to start working on their Squarespace website.
STEP 2: I email the client a finished proposal and the exact price quote for their website.
STEP 3: Once they have agreed to the proposal, I email my client the contract and an invoice for 20% of the total payment. This 20% is non-refundable, to protect my business in case my client cancels.
I use Honeybook, an online booking software, to manage my contracts and invoices. With Honeybook, all of my contracts and invoices stay organized in one place, and I can easily collect both signatures and payments online. Click here to try Honeybook and get 50% off your first year.
STEP 4: Next, I create a Google folder and share it with the client, for them to upload pictures, testimonials, or other content they want added to their new website. I also put my welcome package in the Google folder, as a reference for my client.
STEP 5: Finally, I send a follow-up email to my client one week before our set design date.
Part 2: The Web Design Process
As I mentioned earlier, I only work with one client and one website at a time. So my clients usually have to wait several weeks after booking their web design before I actually start designing.
The wait period is something I have to consider when clients ask me how long it takes to design a website for them. The actual design may only take two weeks, but that doesn’t mean I can deliver the website two weeks after the client books my services! Sometimes it may be a month or two before the website is finished.
To make sure we’re on the same page, my client and I agree on a “design date,” to start on their website.
STEP 1: On the set design date (which is usually a Monday), I start the new Squarespace web design. I also require my client to pay another 30% of the total cost on the design date.
STEP 2: The first thing I do when designing a new website is to create a mood board and color palette for the website. I don’t really provide branding, but if my clients don’t already have a brand kit, I will choose colors and fonts for the website. If my client wants to use a custom font on their website, I purchase my custom fonts from Creative Market.
STEP 3: I spend Tuesday-Friday designing the first draft for the Squarespace website.
STEP 4: On Friday, I give my client access to the website and send a request for edits. I’ve found that it works best to simply provide my client with an empty document, where they can list all of the edits they want to make. They can list as many edits as they want over the weekend, until the following Monday.
Part 3: The Editing Process
This is where the work really starts…
Designing a website is all fun and exciting until you get into the edits and tedious back-end work. But it has to be done!
The revision process might actually be the most important part of a web design, because this is where you work closely with your client to create the website they are dreaming of. But this can also be very time-consuming. When you think about how long it takes you to design a Squarespace website, make sure you are including the time needed for edits and revisions.
STEP 1: On Monday I start working through the list of edits, making all of the requested changes. Usually I will go back and forth with my client over the next few days, making several rounds of edits until Wednesday.
STEP 2: By Wednesday, the new Squarespace website is pretty much finished, but only on desktop. I go back through the website and make sure it is formatted for mobile view as well.
STEP 3: On Thursday I go back through the pages and write the meta descriptions, edit the page titles, and do everything else for website SEO. I also make a list of long-term SEO tasks for my client.
STEP 4: On Friday I check all the links, make sure the site is responsive on all screen sizes, and finish any final edits. If the client already has a domain, I often go ahead and connect the domain, as well as social accounts. My client and I have one last video call so I can transfer ownership and launch the site. I also make sure my client has paid the remaining 50% for the web design.
After the website is complete, I make sure to take screenshots for my portfolio and save any new code snippets I wrote. I also follow-up with my clients and ask for a testimonial. You should always keep adding to your portfolio and your testimonials with each new website you finish!
How Much to Charge for a Squarespace Web Design
Instead of charging by hours (which is really hard to estimate!) I prefer to charge by weeks. If you only work with one client at a time like I do, I suggest using this method.
Depending on your experience level, you can charge anywhere from $1000-$5000 for a Squarespace web design. A survey by Paige Brunton found that web designers with up to 2 years of experience usually charge $1000-$2000 for a website. Designers with more experience usually charge more, averaging $2500-$5000 per project.
A good way to boost your price is to offer custom CSS as a part of your package. Armed with my Encyclopedia of Code, you can customize your client’s site with copy & paste code snippets, without having to take any CSS courses.
How long it takes you design a website does impact your price. But ultimately, charge for the value you are providing, not just for the time. Everyone works at a different pace, so time is not always a good indicator of how much you should charge per website project.
