In today's digital age, having a well-designed and functional website is crucial for businesses and individuals alike. Squarespace has emerged as a popular platform for self-built websites, thanks to its user-friendly interface and customisation options. 

The very reason why Website Designers and Developers like myself, choose Squarespace for our design projects, is because we can use code customisations to creatre fully unique experiences and custom website designs while allowing our clients to manage their websites on Squarespace's easy-to-use interface. 

However, even with its simplicity, there are common mistakes that can make a Squarespace website look unprofessional and hinder its effectiveness. As a website designer with years of experience working exclusively on Squarespace, I've come across these five mistakes that are dead giveaways of self-built websites.

In this blog post, I will discuss these mistakes and provide practical solutions to help you create a more polished and professional Squarespace website.

1. Neglecting the Favicon: The first mistake I often notice is the absence of a favicon. A favicon is the small browser icon that appears next to the website title in the browser tab. Squarespace uses a default square favicon, which can easily reveal that the website is self-built. To change this, you can create a favicon using Canva or use a sub-mark of your logo. Choose a color that stands out and represents your brand effectively. Once created, upload the favicon in the Design settings of your Squarespace website to give it a more professional and unique touch.

2. Using Large Blocks of Text: Having large blocks of text on your website is a common mistake that can discourage visitors from reading important information. People tend to scan websites rather than read them thoroughly. To make your content more digestible, consider breaking up the text into smaller paragraphs or using columns. You can also incorporate images alongside text to create visually appealing sections. Timelines are a great way to showcase a story or history, providing bite-sized information that is easier for visitors to absorb.

3. Neglecting Form Block Storage: A crucial mistake is not setting up a storage solution for your form blocks. If you omit adding your email address to the storage settings of a form block, it won't be visible on your live website. To ensure your forms function properly, go to the storage settings of your form block and add your email address. Additionally, you have the option to connect to various platforms like Google Drive, Zapier, and MailChimp. Enabling Google reCAPTCHA is also recommended to prevent spam submissions.

4. Overlooking Broken Links and SEO: Broken links and poorly optimized SEO elements can negatively impact your website's user experience and search engine rankings. Whenever you add a new page to your Squarespace website, ensure that the URL slug (the part of the web address that identifies a specific page) is concise, descriptive, and devoid of generic terms like "new page" or "page one." Furthermore, take advantage of Squarespace's SEO settings by adding SEO titles and descriptions to improve your website's visibility in search results. You can also choose to hide specific pages from search engines if necessary.

5. Excessive Tabs in Navigation: Having too many tabs in your website's navigation can clutter the interface and confuse visitors. Simplify your navigation menu by removing unnecessary tabs. For example, the home page tab is redundant since users can easily navigate back to the home page by clicking on the logo. Similarly, you can replace dedicated tabs like "bookings" with a prominent call-to-action button. Streamline your navigation to make it intuitive and user-friendly.

Conclusion: Building a Squarespace website offers convenience and flexibility, but it's important to avoid common mistakes that can compromise its professionalism and functionality.