While there are plenty of positives to influencer marketing, it’s important to understand how it works before you decide whether it’s worth pursuing. This includes the different types of influencers you can choose from, benefits of an influencer marketing strategy, and tips on how to select the right influencer to represent your business. 

What is influencer marketing?

Influencer marketing as we know it today was born on social media. This marketing strategy taps into a person or public figure’s social channels to help sell a product or service to their audience. 

Influencers may be everyday people or professionals in their field. They’re often perceived as experts in their own niche interests, whether that’s apparel, accessories, food, art, music, or culture. 

Before social media platforms, many businesses used brand ambassadors—who were often public figures, celebrities, or athletes—to help sell their products. Brand ambassadors still exist today in large-scale marketing campaigns, but many businesses have instead turned to influencer marketing campaigns. These campaigns can be smaller scale and content is often created by the influencers themselves, which limits spend and can be seen as more genuine. 

Types of influencers 

It’s important to understand the different audiences you have access to based on the size of an influencer’s following. Influencers don’t always have an incredibly large following. Many have relatively small audiences, but represent a relevant or highly engaged niche for your business.

Targeting a specific influencer type may yield better conversion and ROI for your business. 

There are four primary influencer audience sizes.

1. Mega-influencers: These influencers usually have over 1 million followers. They’re often very well-known people or public figures. 

2. Macro-influencers: This includes influencers with a following between 100,000 to 1 million. 

3. Micro-influencers: These people have a large enough following to be well-known in some circles, around 10,000 to 100,000 followers. 

4. Nano-influencers: The smallest influencer set is those with under 10,000 followers, often representing more niche groups or interests. 

Benefits of influencer marketing

Influencer marketing taps into a form of word-of-mouth marketing by having an influencer speak about your business or products. Influencer marketing helps generate positive associations between your brand and a new or larger audience, since an influencer’s followers are more likely to trust them. 

Building brand awareness with new audiences

A primary reason to reach out to influencers for a marketing partnership is for brand awareness. It brings in a wider audience than the following you’ve already established on your own social channels or through organic website traffic.

It can also help you reach crossover audiences that might not be in your immediate niche. Some people may never have found your business had you not partnered with an influencer they like. 

Establishing trust and credibility 

Once an influencer has built their following, no matter the size, there’s a level of trust and credibility they need to maintain with that audience. Following a stranger on the internet usually requires some compatibility on subject matter, taste, or point of view. Partnering with an influencer whose opinion resonates with their audience, by extension, makes you more trustworthy to their followers too.

Better return on investment (ROI)

Budgeting for an influencer partnership has its own set of considerations. But, for the most part, influencers are jacks-of-all-trades and often prefer to script, produce, and film their own content. This is done in large part to maintain a consistent creative vision and voice. 

You also don’t necessarily need to pay an influencer to get them to mention your product. Some smaller influencers and content creators will accept free products to review. You’re out the cost of the product and delivery if it doesn’t work out, but it’s less expensive than a paid partnership.

What this means for your business is you don’t always have to use a significant portion of your budget to produce, film, and market with influencers. That could lead to a healthier ROI and lower financial risk. 

Customer and product research

Social media and the influencers on those platforms can provide businesses with a lot of data about their customers. Depending on what kind of partnership you have with an influencer, you can work with them to get insights into where your customers are coming from and how they’re engaging with your business, where they buy the products from, or which products resonate with them. 

Relationship building 

The great thing about influencer marketing is that you can cast a wide net for the influencers you work with to support your business. You can build a campaign with several different influencers and build relationships with each to help support and foster your business’ journey. If you continue to work with an influencer over time, it could open up other opportunities, like custom projects or other marketing campaigns.

How to choose and engage influencers for marketing

With an abundance of influencers to choose from, it can be overwhelming trying to decide who would be best as your marketing partner. Remember: You don’t need to work with the biggest influencers, just one that has an engaged audience. And you may need to try a few before you find the right ones to work with.

Keep these few tips top of mind while finding influencers for your marketing efforts.

• Search every platform. There are so many places for you to find the right influencer. In addition to major social platforms, check Reddit threads, Substack notes, X or Bluesky posts, or comment sections for additional ideas. Followers will often link or share their favorites.

• Think about long-term potential and mutual growth. Do you want an influencer only for a short-term deal? Consider how you can grow alongside the influencers who showcase your products to their followers.

• Consider how serious they are. You want to have an influencer who is as serious about their work as you are about your business. People who follow deadlines, take feedback, and take their role seriously are much more likely to take your business seriously, too.

How to measure the success of influencer marketing

If this is your first time with influencer marketing, you may not get it right on your first few tries. The following data points are useful in measuring the success of any influencer marketing efforts.

• Reach: This is the number of people who saw the content. For example, how many people watched a video would indicate reach.

• Impressions: This is the number of times content was shown or viewed at a given time. If a video ad shows up in someone’s social media feed but they don’t actually stop to watch it, that’s an impression. 

• Engagement: Audience engagement is measured by likes, comments, shares, and saves of a post or video. 

• Brand mentions: This covers how often your brand is being talked about across the internet. Brand mentions goes beyond direct tagging, and includes links or references to your brand in forums or blogs, for example. 

• Revenue: Use analytics or affiliate tracking tools to see how much revenue your business has brought in during a set campaign period. Tracking revenue will help you determine your ROI for using an influencer.

Clearly define your goals for each of these metrics before engaging any influencer for a marketing campaign. If you’re not meeting your goals with a specific influencer campaign, consider whether a change in the content, product featured, or the influencer is needed. 

Common influencer marketing mistakes to avoid

To optimize your influencer marketing tactics, it’s important to focus on connecting with the right audience. There are a few common missteps that can get in the way of this. 

Choosing the wrong influencer

Pick an influencer who represents both your brand and the audience you’re trying to reach. For example, a gardening influencer may not be the right choice for promoting evening wear. There are opportunities for crossover, but you’ll largely want to engage with influencers who have a connection to your industry, audience, or your business. Do your research to ensure you’re not reaching out to the wrong people.

Prioritizing audience size over engagement

An influencer with hundreds of thousands of followers may only get a few hundred likes or comments on a post. Follower size does not always equal a good engagement rate. Do some research on the influencers you’re interested in to understand the type of content that resonates with their audience and whether it suits your brand and goals.

Incomplete briefs

You’ll need to let your influencer(s) of choice know the exact parameters of your campaign or marketing opportunity. Those often come in briefs, which detail the goal of the campaign, products or services being sold, how it will be measured for success, product benefits and how it’s different from competitors, and how many posts are required. Without all of the necessary information, your influencer may end up doing something out of sync with your brand or the intended goal. With the right details, you can develop a mutually beneficial partnership that helps both of you achieve your goals.

Getting the financial picture of your business into focus doesn’t need to be difficult or feel overwhelming. Below, we’ll guide you through what to factor into your budget, including tools and must-have components, a step-by-step guide on how to create one, and tips to stay on track. 

What is a small business budget? 

A small business budget is a detailed plan that helps you track and understand your business’ finances, including how and where you spend your money. 

It’s both a document of what’s going on with your business now and a future prediction of your business’ financial health. Regularly updating your budget with relevant information can help you understand when and how you’ll meet your long-term goals.

Some must-have components of a business budget include: 

• Revenue estimates: How much revenue you predict to make.

• Fixed costs: This may include money allocated rent (e.g. a physical store), yearly or monthly website maintenance, or materials for the products you sell.

• Variable costs: If you have employees, their wages would fall under variable costs.

• Cash flow: All of the money coming and out of your business.

• Profit: How much you intend to have leftover after calculating revenue minus expenses.

Why is a budget important?

Budgeting gives you clarity on every dollar coming into the business and going out via expenses. By consistently looking at your budget, you’ll be able to make better informed financial decisions. For example, you may notice profit dips during specific times of the year. You can adjust by reallocating how many employees are scheduled to work or how much inventory you stock at that time to stay on financial track.

Common budgeting methods and tools

There are a few different methods for budgeting to consider for your business. Which one you choose largely depends on which feels more comfortable for you and what information you need to see day-to-day. 

1. Flexible budgeting

A flexible budget adjusts to your business’ sales volumes or activities. For example, you may have to pay wages to part-time staff, and allocate part of your budget to that. However, your business may get more sales during certain seasons, so you’ll need to hire more staff to handle the volume in busy periods and decrease in slower ones. That would mean keeping your staffing budget flexible monthly or seasonally.

A flexible budget is the most adaptable of the budgeting methods, and will enable you to remain more open if your revenue isn’t consistent or there are other changes to your day-to-day operation.

2. Value proposition budgeting

A value proposition budget focuses on tracking and investing in expenses that drive value for the business. If you want to give every expense a strategic purpose and maximize the value you provide to your customers, try value proposition budgeting. 

The goal for a value proposition budget is to maintain clear focus on the value drivers in your budget (e.g., specific materials that set you apart from competitors) and eliminate unnecessary spending. For example, a bakery might put more budget toward quality ingredients and staff than branded packaging, since the first two have a bigger impact on customer value.

3. Activity-based budgeting

An activity-based budget breaks down all of your business’ activities to predict costs and support your goals. Your activities depend on your business and what you sell but, generally, they may include processing returns, selling products, and creating products.

This method takes every business activity into consideration to understand where the money goes and what efficiencies can be found to cut costs. For example, a consultant might see that they’re spending more on marketing activities than last year and consider ways to decrease their spend.

Tools for small business budgets

You’ll need some specific tools and software to manage your budget. Some of the essentials include:

• Accounting software: Helps you track all of your budget details in one place

• Invoicing software: Requesting payments from clients, suppliers, or other vendors

• Payment processing: Processing payments from customers, clients, or partners 

• Analytics tools: Analyzing your budget and the success of marketing or sales activity

6 steps to create a business budget

Below is a general outline of what to include in your small business budget and how it will help your overall financial wellness. Take your specific goals, products or services, and needs into account when creating your version.

1. Set financial goals 

Your short- and long-term business goals will be reflected in your budget. Financial goals vary by business owner and need but, generally, your goals may involve:

• Increasing your profit margin 

• Growing into a brick-and-mortar business 

• Cutting down on specific expenses 

Whatever your goals are, keep them somewhere accessible so that, when you’re creating your budget and analyzing it over time, you’ll be able to see if you’re still on track. 

2. Separate business and personal finances  

You may find it beneficial to create a completely separate business account and tracking system for these expenses. Keeping business and personal finances independent of each other not only makes it easier to track the financial health and growth of your business, but simplifies the administrative parts of your budgeting too. For example, there are certain tax implications, such as deductions, that are applicable only to your business. 

This also helps to ensure you’re not confusing personal budgets or expenses for business savings or costs. 

3. Identify and total all revenue streams

Start by defining where your sales are coming from on a monthly basis. Take into account all of your business’ income sources for the month. 

Your revenue streams may include: 

• Online sales 

• Consignment sales (if you sell your products in another retailer)

• Trade show or market sales

• Project-based fees or consultation

• Subscriptions or memberships

• Sponsorships or partnerships

Once you’ve accounted for every income stream, add them all up to get your monthly revenue. 

Look back six to 12 months to get a fuller picture of trends for each revenue stream. Look for trends around expenses or when sales usually spike or remain stable. You’ll be able to see what revenue sources are consistent and which ones are more variable. 

4. Calculate your fixed costs 

Your next step is to calculate your expenses, which are broken out into two different costs: fixed and variable. Start by identifying your fixed costs. 

Your fixed costs are recurring expenses. These can be anything that needs to be paid out weekly, monthly, or yearly. Some of your fixed costs may include: 

• Rent

• Website hosting or domain name costs

• Insurance

• Materials and supplies for your products

• Part- or full-time staff

Looking back at the historical data here will help, too. Just keep in mind that these costs may change over time for a variety of reasons, like inflation, tariffs, or increases in taxes.  

5. Calculate variable costs 

You will inevitably have expenses that aren’t as predictable as your fixed costs. These are called variable costs—amounts that fluctuate month-to-month—and may include discretionary expenses. Some of your variable costs may include: 

• Special materials for limited-run products

• Fees paid to consultants or freelancers 

• Travel costs

• Shipping and delivery fees

Discretionary expenses can be decreased or eliminated from your budget if needed. They tend to be non-essential to the business. For example, website hosting for your business is essential, but a professional website designer may not be.  

6. Set up an emergency fund

All businesses will have good days and bad days. It’s important to have an emergency fund for the bad days. Consider setting aside up to six months worth of expenses into your contingency fund.

An emergency fund functions as a safety net for your business. In the event that you can’t pay for a specific cost (e.g., wages or materials for your products) because of lowered profits or less sales than you had forecast, you can dip into the fund to make sure you’re paying your expenses on time and in full. 

You can also use this fund for unexpected costs, like tariffs, or limited-time product and marketing opportunities. You can create a separate bucket or account for this in your business banking. In Squarespace Payments, you can also earmark some of your earnings in your account for this purpose and access them in minutes with Instant Payouts.

Make sure to replenish your emergency fund if you ever do need to use it.  

How to stay on track with your budget

Staying on track with a business budget can be difficult. Sometimes there are unexpected costs and issues that you have to deal with to keep your business running. 

But when things are going to plan, there are a few ways you can make sure you’re staying well within your budget. 

• Return to your goals: You’ll likely change your goals over time as you grow. But prioritizing your financial goals will help you monitor your budget consistently.

• Monitor expenses: Track your expenses. If you have employees, are you scheduling more people than you actually need? Can you reduce your materials costs without sacrificing quality on your product? There will always be ways to save money and stay on budget, you just have to know where to find those savings. 

• Observe and adjust: The best way to keep on track with your budget is to consistently look at your costs, expenses, revenue, and profit. Keep an eye out for trends and ask yourself where those trends work with or against your financial goals, then make changes or lean into a practice as needed. 

AI is becoming a must-have, not a nice-to-have

If you’ve been paying attention to news and marketing cycles around AI, you’ve heard about all of the proposed benefits: time savings, access to new skills (e.g., vibe coding), and cost savings. Our survey showed that to be true: 

• 70% of entrepreneurs estimated AI saves them up to 10 hours per week 

• 54% said they’ve used it to learn a new skill or subject

• 44% say it’s helped them cut costs

But AI isn’t just making some tasks faster and cheaper. The real-life impact of those benefits is helping businesses grow and reshaping relationships with work. Those results are what gives business owners using AI a strategic edge. 

Entrepreneurs we surveyed reported that using AI had a positive impact on all of their stated business goals. It was called out as especially helpful for growing audience and market share, and bringing a unique product or service to life. 

One of the biggest themes across responses was AI’s impact on business owners’ confidence. Entrepreneurs credited AI with making them feel more secure in customer communications, SEO, and copywriting, among other tasks. A majority of those surveyed—65%—think AI will help them compete with larger brands or competitors long-term.

Not only do the entrepreneurs we surveyed feel positively about AI’s impact on their business, it’s also paying off for them on a human level. Almost half of those we surveyed—48%—said AI has helped to reduce their stress or burnout.

AI could reshape customer experience

As more business owners incorporate AI into their workflows, it’s also changing how customers interact with businesses. Whether entrepreneurs explicitly share that they’re using AI or not, it’s driving results:

• 42% said customers are more engaged with their content

• 34% said customers are more satisfied with their products, services, or support

• 32% said customers are getting faster responses 

Other entrepreneurs shared that their customers are getting more personalized interaction, which increases satisfaction. Less than a fifth of respondents reported that AI had any negative impact on customer perceptions of their business.

The flipside of this is that customers could become accustomed to faster responses and higher-quality content or interactions. That’s not a negative thing, but it could change customer experience expectations for small businesses across the board. That change could leave business owners with a weaker experience at a disadvantage as their competitors adopt AI tooling or new tactics to meet rising expectations.

There are still gaps on both sides

Adoption and development of AI tools has increased rapidly, but it’s still a relatively new set of tools and technology for many people. That can leave something to be desired in output quality and product education, but both companies and entrepreneurs have an opportunity to fill that space. 

The trust gap

As the positives of AI grow, some common concerns persist around trusting AI tools with sensitive data and the quality of AI-generated results. Of the people we surveyed: 

• 50% identified generic output as a top concern

• 44% said they’re worried about data privacy with AI

• 39% said AI-generated content can require heavy editing

• 34% said they didn’t feel comfortable trusting it with important decisions

These are common concerns, even within tech spaces. Technology experts generally warn against entering any confidential or personal identifying information into an AI tool. 

Experts also point out that AI can hallucinate, or make up information when it doesn’t have a clear answer. This has been true in our own testing, with AI sometimes hallucinating errors in URLs and numbers. 

But there are things that both companies and entrepreneurs can do to improve AI-generated results. For companies with the resourcing and expertise to curate their AI tools, there’s an opportunity to differentiate themselves by creating more intentional outputs for their users. For example, Squarespace offers this with its AI website builder, training it behind the scenes to ensure the layouts, images, and copy generated are of equal quality to what you’d get from a predesigned Squarespace template.

For entrepreneurs, it’s important to stay up to date on AI’s developing strengths and weaknesses and adjust your processes accordingly. Beyond data safety and fact checking, even the best AI isn’t going to perfectly replicate the human factors that make your business stand out and keep customers coming back. Anything that goes in front of customers should get a human review for brand relevance and uniqueness. 

The knowledge gap

Common AI tools most people are familiar with are powered by large language models (LLMs), which generate content by predicting the most likely next piece of information until they form a complete sentence, image, or response. It’s not surprising then, that copywriting is the main AI use we found among those we surveyed:

• 69% of entrepreneurs use AI to write content

• 62% use it for coming up with content ideas

• 55% use it to create website copy

• 54% use it to brainstorm new products, services, or strategies

Across the top five copy-related use cases, 90% of those surveyed said they use AI for copy generation. But a much smaller percentage use AI for more advanced functions: Only 27% use it for financial management and 25% for demand forecasting or inventory management.

That more than half of the people we surveyed use AI to brainstorm new strategies or ideas suggests that there’s a desire to apply AI to more deep thinking. But the actual usage among respondents doesn’t reflect broad application of that yet. It’s possible that this is in part because performing more complex tasks with AI, and getting quality output for them, requires more experience with prompt engineering. 

The concerns about generic content and content that requires heavy editing also hint at that experience gap. In chatbots, you can provide more detailed and specific prompt instructions or create custom versions with knowledge bases trained on your brand and voice. But there’s no built-in guide for learning that information, how to get started, or how to apply it to a small business.

Entrepreneurs who reported positive experiences with AI appeared to view the technology as more of a sounding board and business associate than a simple generation tool. Many reported that AI helped them achieve results they wouldn’t have with their own level of experience, or that it introduced ideas they wouldn’t have thought of otherwise. 

For entrepreneurs who want to explore additional use cases, like analyzing data sets for customer insights or inventory forecasting, there’s an opportunity to seek out more education, webinars, or workshops on AI tools.

An underacknowledged factor is also that small business owners are juggling dozens of tasks and responsibilities at any given time. That makes it harder to pick up new tools or dedicate time to developing prompting skillsets. 

For organizations targeting entrepreneurs and business owners, this is a clear opportunity to offer more support. Educational content can help business owners get up to speed, and there’s a distinct advantage to offering intelligent tools that perform these more complex tasks—at a high quality—for businesses, so they don’t need to set aside time to self-train.

Looking to the future: What’s in store for entrepreneurs? 

No matter how AI technology evolves—whether it becomes as powerful as tech leaders imagine or one of many tools to leverage for success—our survey clearly shows that it’s changing how people work and what customers expect out of businesses.

This year’s survey found that entrepreneurs’ top goals remain unchanged from our 2024 report. But about half feel confident that AI will impact how some of them go about achieving those goals in the next five years. 

• 57% believe it’ll change the skills they need to succeed

• 50% trust AI for certain tasks more than an employee

• 46% think AI could make or break their business 

What does all of this actually mean for entrepreneurs? The bigger picture isn’t a headline-grabbing story about replacing employees and upending small business as we know it. It’s one where automation and smart tooling meets original ideas, to build better products and happier business owners and customers.

The majority of those who responded still place a high value in an MBA or equivalent degree, a signal that AI isn’t replacing fundamental business principles and professional networking.

And while much of the mainstream conversation revolves around AI taking jobs away, 53% of those we surveyed also think it’ll make starting a business more accessible. That could create new pathways for aspiring entrepreneurs to launch side businesses, pivot from corporate careers, and pick up new skills.

An action plan for entrepreneurs

It’s worth exploring where AI can make your work easier or more impactful, and a great way to do that is hands-on education and experimentation. Here are six things you can do right now to future-proof yourself and your business as AI evolves.

1. Understand how AI works. If you want to apply AI effectively, make sure you have a clear sense of what types of AI are out there, how they work, and their best applications.

2. Stay informed. New products and changes are announced daily. Find a newsletter, small business group, or company you trust to keep you in the loop.

3. Know how your customers are using AI. Even if you’re an AI skeptic, your customers and clients might not be. Understand how AI search, chatbots, and browsers could impact how people discover and buy from you and optimize your site for AI crawlers.

4. Be clear about your brand. Among a rush of generic AI content, unique voices, designs, and ideas will rise to the top. You and your brand are what build trust and keep people coming back—don’t let it get lost in the rush to apply new technologies.

5. Look at your current toolkit. You don’t have to do it alone. Find out if platforms you already use offer high-quality AI tools. Well-designed features can save you time perfecting prompts and jumping between platforms.

6. Test and evaluate. Not every AI tool is right for every task, and not every task needs AI applied to it. Experiment with the many tools out there to learn the ropes and decide whether they’re right for you.

How Squarespace can support you

The teams behind Squarespace care deeply about making it easier for entrepreneurs to make their ideas real and succeed. That’s the ethos behind Design Intelligence, our approach to applying AI to the Squarespace platform. We don’t launch AI features just to say we have them. We use our resources and expert knowledge to apply AI thoughtfully, so you get the best possible outputs and see real results long-term.

If you want to do more with AI, explore these functionalities and more on Squarespace to find out what possibilities they can open up for your business:

• AI SEO tool: Scan your website for missing SEO copy and automatically generate optimized text to fill the gaps to optimize your site for AI search (AIO) and search visibility.

• AI website builder: Build a website using an interactive AI experience informed by our decades of design expertise, with step-by-step previews and curated choices to retain your creative control.

• Design guidance: Get layout recommendations and more guided by the same powerful AI found in the AI website builder.

• Copy generation and Brand Identity: Use the built-in AI writer across the platform to draft and edit copy, and personalize its output by describing your brand voice in your Brand Identity settings.

• AI Product Composer: Upload a photo or description of a product or service to automatically get a suggested price, description, and SEO copy.

AI might change how you get the work done or how customers find out about you, but the fundamentals of a successful, meaningful business are the same. Technology can make you more visible, but your passion, unique ideas, and great design are what build connections and fuel real growth.

Squarespace is committed to building tools—AI-powered and otherwise—and education that supports every part of the entrepreneurial journey. You can learn more in our AIO and AI content hubs or watch a webinar featuring members of our Product team.

But successful cross-selling isn’t just about recommending products and hoping for the best. It requires a shopper-first approach that adds real value. When done right, it helps your customers get more from their purchase and builds loyalty by showing that you understand their needs.

In this guide, we’ll explain what cross-selling is, why it matters for your online business, and share 10 practical strategies you can start using today to get the most out of it.

What is cross-selling?

Cross-selling is when a business promotes a related or complementary product alongside the one a customer is already buying. For example, someone buying an art print might be offered a frame or another piece in a similar style at checkout.

How does it differ from upselling?

While both cross-selling and upselling aim to increase revenue, they do so in different ways.

Upselling involves encouraging a customer to purchase a more expensive version of the product they’re considering. Using the same example: Instead of suggesting accessories, upselling might nudge someone interested in that art print toward a larger size, higher-spec print style, or a bundle of prints.

See our tips for upselling effectively

What are the benefits of cross-selling?

The primary goal of cross-selling is to increase your profits by maximizing the value of each buying transaction in your shop.

Bringing in new customers can be expensive. In fact, different studies claim it costs between 5 and 25 times more than selling to an existing customer. Meanwhile, if you’ve already done the hard part by attracting someone to your site and convincing them to make a purchase, it costs very little extra to recommend a relevant add-on. 

These secondary products are typically lower in price, so they can feel like quick-and-easy additions that don't require too much thought. However, the revenue this generates can add up: Hubspot reports cross-selling makes up 21% of a business’ revenue, on average. And with no additional advertising costs, the profit margins on cross-sell items tend to be much higher, which is great for your business.

Plus, you need to both keep and add customers if you want to grow. Cross-selling can improve customer satisfaction, especially when it doesn’t feel like a cash grab. When you recommend items that genuinely benefit them, customers will be happier with their purchase. These are the people who are more likely to return and buy from you again and again.

Cross-selling examples

We’ve already touched on cross-selling in a retail context, but it works well for plenty of business models. If you run an online business, these examples can help spark ideas for your own cross-sell strategy.

• Service-based business: As an add-on to their services or an ebook, a social media consultant might sell clients customizable content templates designed to generate more engagement.

• Event-based business: A business that sells in-person workshops or retreats might offer pre-packaged supplies or extra experiences as optional add-ons.

• Digital product and content creators: An online course creator might offer a hyper-focused mini-course as an add-on to a flagship program, or group coaching sessions for enrolled students.

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to cross-selling. The key is to anticipate what your customers might still need, then offer something designed to meet that specific need.

10 cross-selling strategies for small business owners

There are several factors that can influence the success of a cross-sell. Below are 10 practical, time-tested strategies to try, from timing to copywriting techniques, to encourage sales. 

Every audience is different. Apply multiple at once or just one or two, then observe and adjust to find what works for your customers.

1. Choose data-backed product pairings

Your sales history is one of your most valuable assets when it comes to cross-selling because it can show you common buying trends. Look at which products customers naturally buy together so you can recommend proven, high-converting product pairings.

Dig into your transaction data to answer key questions like:

• Which products are frequently bought together?

• What are customers typically willing to spend on top of their main purchase?

• Are there patterns based on product category or order size?

• Are certain product pairings more common at certain times of year?

The better you understand your customers' buying habits, the easier it is to suggest cross-sells that feel intuitive and personalized.

2. Perfect your cross-sell timing

Timing plays an important role in cross-selling. You ideally want to reach a customer when the cross-sell feels like a natural addition and they’re still open to spending more. Typically, online businesses have three opportunities to cross-sell:

1. On the product page: This is your first opportunity to introduce a complementary item. Sections like “Customers also bought” plant the idea early, framing the cross-sell as a natural way to enhance the core product.

2. During checkout: Once a customer is committed to buying, they’re more open to low-cost, low-effort add-ons. A subtle prompt or popup on the checkout page can make for a successful impulse cross-sell without disrupting the purchase.

3. In follow-up emails: After the sale, a new window of opportunity opens. You can recommend add-ons immediately, or wait until the customer has had a chance to use their purchase. See when customers tend to make a follow-up purchase, and use that to time a product recommendation email.

Test all three approaches to see which timing works best for you. Different products may also be more successful at different times as well. 

3. Create a sense of urgency

Classic sales tactics like limited-time offers, discounts, or low-stock alerts work well in cross-selling. Urgency can encourage quick decisions from shoppers who might otherwise skip an extra item.

To nudge customers toward an add-on, especially during checkout, try offering a time-sensitive incentive. For example, “Add this item to your basket now to save 10%” or “Only a few left” can create a time-based incentive without feeling overly pushy.

You can also apply this urgency in your follow-up emails by offering a discount if they make a new purchase within a certain timeframe. 

4. Recommend one highly relevant product

Most small businesses see the best results by keeping cross-sell offers simple and focused. Cross-selling often relies on impulse decisions, so the goal is to reduce friction, not create it by introducing a bunch of additional choices. Recommending just one carefully chosen product makes the choice easy: a quick yes or no.

Too many options can lead to analysis paralysis, where customers feel overwhelmed and either skip the cross-sell or rethink their entire purchase. In some cases, providing too many options can even make them abandon their cart, as they realize they have more to consider than they thought. 

Instead, keep it simple, keep it targeted, and make the value of your recommendation clear. That will not only help your customer focus, but gives you more space to promote the product.

5. Leverage social proof

If you’ve ever seen a pop-up that says, “92% of customers also bought this item”, you’ve seen social proof in action. Social proof describes the natural tendency to trust recommendations from regular people—especially those we know—over official marketing from a brand. It taps into our instinct to trust the crowd. It sends the message that if others found this valuable, you probably will, too.

It isn’t only hard stats that work as social proof, either. A glowing review, a customer quote, or a five-star rating next to a recommended product can add just as much credibility. By showing how much other people love the product pairing, you can convince shoppers that the cross-sell is a genuine benefit and not just a sales tactic.

6. Segment your customers

Another way you can use your customer data is to segment your audience based on behavior, then tailor your marketing materials to match what different types of customers are most likely to respond to.

For example, you might group customers by:

• Buyers vs. non-buyers: Focus your cross-sell emails only on those who’ve already purchased the core product. For non-buyers, the priority is still closing that first sale.

• Average order value: Bigger spenders may need less convincing and be more open to higher-priced add-ons.

• Browsing behavior: Customers who’ve viewed specific products or categories may be more receptive to related recommendations.

Hyper-focused customer segments help you craft highly personalized messaging that’s proven to drive more sales. For example, on Squarespace, Email Campaigns includes email automations, which can trigger emails to users based on how they interact with your website and get a cross-sell in front of them at just the right moment.

7. Highlight the benefits

Sometimes, customers won’t immediately see why two products go well together. That’s why your cross-sell should be framed as a way to get better results out of their purchase, not just a way to increase their spending.

Clearly explain how the add-on enhances the main product. This works especially well when the pairing improves their results, ease of use, or just overall enjoyment. For example:

• “Capture more detail with this wide-angle lens for your DSLR camera.”

• “Pairing your moisturizer with SPF will protect your skin and maintain results for longer.”

• “These trimming guards give you better control and precision for your beard style.”

When you highlight why you’re recommending a product, the cross-sell makes sense to your customer, and allows them to see the value you’re proposing to them.

8. Use alternative sales channels

Cross-selling doesn’t have to be limited to your website. Some of the best opportunities come from other customer touchpoints. We’ve covered email, but don’t neglect other channels, like social media.

You can show how products work together through social media posts or videos. A makeup brand might demonstrate a full routine using multiple products from the same line, helping customers see how they complement each other to create a finished look.

By showing how and why products pair well, you can make followers excited and eager to add the extra items to their cart.

For some businesses, you can also consider SMS or push notifications. While they can feel more intrusive than email, they also maximize visibility. Triggering a timely, valuable offer directly to a customer’s device all but guarantees it gets noticed. Just make sure this feels in line with how you communicate with customers and that you use this tactic sparingly.

9. Curate product bundles

Typically, cross-selling involves recommending add-ons after a customer has chosen a core product. An alternative approach is to bundle complementary products in advance. 

By presenting a pre-built package, you’re still encouraging the customer to buy multiple items, but in a way that feels curated and convenient rather than transactional. The shopper also only needs to add one product listing to their cart.

For example, a coffee brand might group beans, a grinder, and mugs into a “Home Brew Starter Kit” instead of pitching each item individually.

Bundles both increase order values and frame the extras as part of a complete solution. You can also discount the bundle slightly, making customers feel like they’re getting better value.

10. Use the tools you already have

Some of these cross-selling strategies might sound complex. However, many of the tactics we’ve covered can be automated with tools you’re probably already using.

Many modern ecommerce platforms, like Squarespace, include built-in product recommendation features and analytics dashboards. Similar to Squarespace Email Campaigns, your email marketing software probably allows you to segment your audience and trigger automated follow-ups, like a reminder email sent one month after a purchase. You may have access to a built-in AI writer to help you brainstorm copy for your cross-sell messages too.

Make the most of the features you’re already paying for. Once set up, many cross-selling tools can run quietly in the background, delivering results with minimal manual work.

Learn more about converting shoppers with automated emails

Cross-selling best practices

The most important thing to remember is that cross-selling is most effective when it feels genuinely helpful. Great cross-sells build trust and make customers feel you understand their needs. Focus on improving the customer experience first and foremost, and the revenue will naturally follow.

When planning out your cross-selling strategy:

• Start by putting yourself in the customer’s shoes. What might they need to get the most from the product they’re buying? What optional extras have others found useful? 

• Don’t be pushy.  A subtle, relevant suggestion is better than aggressive pop-ups or endless, unrelated recommendations. Pushing customers toward random products irritates them and breaks trust. 

• Treat cross-selling as an evolving strategy, not a set-and-forget approach. Track key metrics like average order value, cross-sell conversion rate, and post-purchase engagement. Test what works, refine what doesn’t, and keep tweaking your approach based on your results.

A well-executed cross-sell strategy doesn’t just increase revenue. It improves the customer journey, boosts word-of-mouth, and builds real long-term value for your business. Done right, it’s a win for you and your customers.

This guide will help you understand the key differences between revenue and profit, with helpful tips for monitoring and managing them, including what to do if either are in danger. 

What is revenue? 

The correct synonym for revenue is sales. Revenue is the total amount of money a business gets from sales of its goods or services before expenses are subtracted. A business’ revenue will appear on an income statement, generally near the top of the document. 

For example, if you run a graphic design business selling digital portraits for download, and you sell $10,000 worth of illustrations in one month, that $10,000 is your revenue. 

Revenue is also part of a business’ cash flow, the money moving in and out of the business every month, which tells the story of its growth and potential market demand. How much revenue your business has is dependent on a number of factors. 

• Competition: Other businesses like yours all vying for the same or similar customer base.

• Pricing strategy: How you price your products or services can increase or decrease sales. This includes if you make price changes in the future because of external reasons (e.g., a change in the price of materials you use). 

• Demand: General interest in your products or services, which can be seasonal, price-related, or subject to other factors like trends. Less demand means less revenue. 

Types of revenue

There are a few different revenue classifications. Two of the most important to understanding your business’ health are gross and net revenues. 

Gross vs. net revenue

Gross revenue is the amount of money a business gets from its sales. This figure is before any deductions like discounts or sales. For example, if your business sells handmade candles, and you sell 100 at a $35 price point, your gross revenue would be $3,500 

Net revenue is the amount of money your business earns after discounts and returns. Net revenue is also sometimes known as net sales. 

Say your handmade candle business sold $5,000 in goods for a month but a number of items were discounted 20%, with six returns by customers. Your net revenue would subtract those deductions from the $5,000 gross revenue, including any restocking fees or return shipping costs. 

More revenue types

There are a handful of other revenue types you want to keep top of mind for your business. Each of these give you a different picture of your business and its overall financial health.

• Operating revenue: The amount of money earned by a business’ main operations, like the sales of goods or services.

• Non-operating revenue: Money earned from the business’ activities that aren’t related to the main operation. This may include rental income from leasing space to another business or investment income. 

• Average revenue per unit: The average amount of money per customer or product sale. 

• Monthly recurring revenue: The amount of money earned each month from repeat business. This is meant to be predictable and generally comes from subscriptions or monthly discounts that bring customers back each month. 

• Annual recurring revenue: Predictable revenue measured by year. This could include annual subscriptions.  

What is profit?

While revenue tells the story of your sales, profit tells the story of how much money your business has after deductions. Once everything like operating costs and expenses, such as product materials, are included, you have a better understanding of your business’ profit. This is also shown as your profit margin.

Like revenue, several factors can impact your profits.

• Competition: Other businesses selling similar products to yours—potentially at lower price points—can impact your profit. 

• Products: If you have high-margin products that cost much less to produce than you charge for them, your business may have better profits. 

• Economy: When broader economic conditions aren’t great, people tend to buy less, which will impact your profit.

• Third-party costs: Similar to the economy, supplier pricing, tariffs, shipping costs, and other fees can change unexpectedly and affect your profit.

Types of profit

There are a few different profit classifications and ways for you to analyze profit, but the two that tell the most important story about the financial health and wellness of your business are gross and net profit. 

Gross profit 

Gross profit is the amount of money that’s leftover after subtracting the cost of goods sold (COGS) from your revenue. Your COGS will include the materials and labor used to make your products for sale. To calculate COGS, you start with the cost of producing your current inventory and any new inventory you’ve added, then subtract the cost of your remaining inventory at the end of the month or year. 

Let’s stick with the handmade candles example. It will cost you to acquire the wax needed to make candles. The cost will depend on the type of wax, along with other materials such as wicks, containers, or dyes. Additionally, if you have employees, that’s part of COGS and needed to evaluate your gross profit. 

Say it costs you $10 to produce a $35 candle and you start the month with 800 candles. You create 200 more candles and end the month with 500 candles. Your COGS would be ($8,000 + $2,000) - $5,000 = $5,000.

To calculate gross profit:
Revenue - COGS = gross profit

Using the example above, your revenue from selling 500 candles would be $17,500. So your gross profit would be: $17,500 - $5,000 = $12,500.

Net profit

Net profit is the amount of money left over after every cost is deducted and is the strongest indicator of a business’ financial health. This subtracts any expenses including operating and non-operating expenses like leases or taxes, from your gross profits. 

With the handmade candle business example, whatever the gross profit number is after deducting the COGS, that amount is then reduced because of other expenses, such as leasing a studio to make and ship out products. 

To calculate net profit:
Gross profit - expenses = net profit

In the candle example, say your expenses are $4,000 per month. Using the gross profit number above, you’d be left with $8,500 as your net profit.

Differences between revenue and profit

While we can see the similarities, there are major differences between revenue and profit. One influences the other, but doesn’t yield the same monetary amount.

The key differences between revenue and profit to remember: 

• Revenue is money earned from operations, while profit is money that’s left over after deductions.

• Revenue helps a business set general expectations for cash flow, while profit is how much money you actually have to spend.

• Revenue indicates a business’ potential to scale or grow, while profit determines a business’ overall sustainability.

How to manage your revenue and profit 

Understanding the difference between revenue and profit is the first step in managing both. One doesn’t exist without the other, and both drive your business toward whatever success you envision. To effectively manage your revenue and profit, below are a few tips and tricks to consider. 

• Optimize revenue streams. One way to protect your revenue is to optimize your revenue streams. This may look like offering better pricing, expanding product lines, putting work into attracting new customers—anything that adds more sales to your business.

• Think about reducing expenses. Are there ways for you to reduce expenses without the product suffering? Negotiate with suppliers or find discounts on materials, or find other ways to reduce costs where you can.

• Invest in high-margin products. For newer entrepreneurs, it may make sense to start out by focusing on products or services that yield more profit than others.

• Regularly review your finances. The most important way to avoid any financial issues is to regularly review where your business spends money. Either with a professional or on your own, carve out time each month to review your small business’ finances. This can help you find where you need to cut back or potential opportunities to expand. 

To put this in perspective, around 80% of Squarespace customers don’t update their SEO settings within the first 90 days of publishing their websites. By taking the time to take care of some SEO basics, you’ll be doing more than many of your peers, giving you an edge.

I’m Henry Purchase, founder of SEOSpace, the SEO extension for Squarespace websites. I’ve helped more than 30,000 Squarespace customers improve their SEO. This guide highlights five common SEO mistakes I see website owners make, with practical solutions to fix them.

5 common SEO mistakes and how to fix them

Here are five of the most widespread SEO mistakes made by website owners, alongside fixes you can apply right away.

1. Failing to research and use the right keywords

2. Focusing on content quantity over quality

3. Ignoring backlinks

4. Not improving user experience

5. Ignoring continuous improvements

1. Failing to research and use the right keywords

Keywords are the terms users enter into search engines like Google when looking for information on the internet. If you fail to identify the words and phrases your target audience is searching for, you risk your website becoming hidden from those who need it the most.

Using only industry jargon can hide your content from customers. Instead, align your website content with the terms your audience is mostly likely to use.

Fix 1: Research what keywords your audience is searching for

Start by finding out which keywords your ideal visitor uses when they search online. Tools like SEOSpace can help you identify keywords and phrases related to your services and products, based on your target audience’s searches and terms your competitors are ranking for. This helps ensure you’re using the right keywords and not simply guessing what your visitors need.

If you’re not ready to use a tool, put yourself in your audience’s shoes or ask a friend for their input. What might a stranger search to find what’s on your website? What’s a pain point or question that might lead someone to you?

Read our guide to keyword research

Fix 2: Place keywords strategically within your content

Once you’ve identified the right keywords, you need to add them to your content. This doesn’t mean randomly inserting the keywords on a page without providing context or helpful information. Instead, use them where they naturally fit as you type in your web page headings, SEO titles, SEO descriptions, and page copy.

Don’t repeat the same keyword on every page. Give each page its own focus keyword to help search engines and AI crawlers understand how it’s unique. For each main keyword, you can also create other pages with related, more specific keywords. This makes your content easier to target and more useful to search engines and AI tools.

For example, if your main keyword is “best bakery in New York,” supporting keywords can include “best pastry in New York,” “tips for baking perfect pastries,” and so on.

Lastly, each image on your website should have helpful alt text, which improves accessibility for people using screen readers or who can’t load your images. Alt text is also a good place to add keywords when relevant. For instance, instead of naming an image “IMG001,” try describing it with a key term, like “eco-friendly-bamboo-sheets.”

2. Focusing on content quantity over quality

With AI technology making content creation more accessible than ever, it’s easy to fall into the trap of believing that more is better. However, the internet is evolving, and search engines and AI chatbots are prioritizing Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (EEAT) over quantity.

To avoid this common SEO mistake, the emphasis needs to be on creating content that’s not only abundant, but also meaningful, informative, and unique. This means focusing on content that genuinely helps and engages your readers. Interesting, well-researched articles and web pages will not only build trust with your audience but also improve your site’s SEO performance, as search and AI tools recognize and reward valuable, people-first content.

Fix: Pay attention to content quality

To improve your content quality, spend time thinking about your content and how you can improve what you have.

Start by considering:

• What do your site visitors need when coming to your website? Ask them for feedback.

• Are there unique insights or experiences that your readers might not find elsewhere?

• Are there personal anecdotes or real-world examples you can add?

AI can help with some of this content research. Once you have your customers’ priorities, consider querying an AI chatbot with prompts like:

• What questions would someone have when looking for [your user-specific needs]?

• What information would someone be looking for when researching [your user-specific needs]?

• Recommend content for a user looking for [your user-specific needs].

Then, plan your content. For any topic or page, always provide detailed coverage of the page topic, so that the page is as helpful to the visitor as possible. For example, if you wanted to rank for “therapist in NYC”, you’d need to ensure you have all the information on that page that someone looking for a therapist would need, such as the treatment options, pricing, accreditations, FAQs, your location, and whether you have online options.

Other ways to create more engaging content include offering a behind-the-scenes look at your business processes, or sharing case studies that highlight your expertise. You can also upload visual content, like practical imagery and interactive walkthroughs. A great way to do this without slowing down your site’s loading speed is to upload the video to a video hosting site and then embed it into your site.

Using these methods improves engagement, which signals to search engines that your content is helpful and can improve your search ranking.

Ultimately, the aim should be to serve your audience above all else. Rather than being enticed by the idea of churning out content, focus on creating pieces that are deeply valuable and helpful to those who visit your site.

3. Ignoring backlinks

Backlinks are links pointing to your web pages from other people’s websites. They act as a vote of confidence from trustworthy websites.

When high-quality sites link to your content, search and AI crawlers interpret this as a sign that your content is valuable and trustworthy. This can improve your domain authority (a metric that predicts how well a website will rank on a search engine results page) and, by extension, your search rankings. However, note that only links from authoritative websites are valuable; spammy and low-quality websites can harm your website’s search performance.

Fix 1: Gain quality backlinks

The most straightforward way to earn quality backlinks is to create engaging and informative content. How-to guides, insightful research interpretations, and unique personal insights are some types of content that other websites can reference to support a point. By creating these types of content, earning high-quality links comes naturally while you focus on doing business.

Another way to earn quality backlinks is by reaching out to local businesses, collaborators, or bloggers in your niche. Consider partnering with industry influencers, thought leaders, and other businesses that complement your business to exchange links in a mutually beneficial way. It’s important to do this only when you both have something meaningful to collaborate on, as adding links to irrelevant pages can harm your ranking.

Fix 2: Monitor and prune low-quality links

You should also regularly monitor your backlink profile to ensure your website isn’t being referenced by a spammy site. Many SEO tools provide a backlink health feature that you can use to check the quality of your backlink profiles. For example, SEOSpace has a backlink analysis feature that can help you assess how many backlinks point to your site, their quality, and their potential spam risks.

Once you have identified toxic, spammy links, you can “disavow” them by using the Google disavow tool from Search Console. This tells Google to ignore them and not associate those links with your site, so they don’t negatively impact your site’s search ranking or visibility.

4. Not improving user experience

User interaction and engagement are key indicators of a website’s user experience (UX) and relevance. Search engines use these engagements to build metrics like bounce rate, dwell time, and click-through rate (CTR), which ultimately impact your search ranking. To avoid neglecting these metrics, ensure that visitors have a seamless experience while on your website.

Fix 1: Improve your page structure

The first step to improving user experience is working on your web page structure. You need clear and logical navigation to prevent frustration and encourage users to explore further. If you’re using Squarespace, for example, Fluid Engine makes it easy to adjust layout blocks for better flow. The Layout Switcher can also suggest alternative layouts for your page sections, with aesthetics and intuitive browsing in mind.

The language you use on your page should also be easy to understand. Avoid industry jargon unless necessary and use simpler terms to keep all visitors, regardless of expertise, on the same page.

More importantly, your design should prioritize usability and simplicity over aesthetics. A minimalist approach often facilitates easier navigation, ensuring that users don’t feel overwhelmed. While a visually appealing design might catch the eye, it’s the ease of use that will keep visitors returning.

Fix 2: Pay attention to your web page load speed

There’s no denying that speed is king on the web. Pages that take forever to load will lose users over time. According to Google, 53% of mobile users abandon sites that take longer than three seconds to load.

Speed not only influences bounce rates, but also ranks high on Google’s list of SEO factors. You can improve your page load speed by using optimized code, reducing image sizes, and reducing redirects.

Fix 3: Make your website more accessible

Lastly, don’t overlook web accessibility. About 16% of the world’s population has some form of disability, and fewer than 4% of top websites globally are fully accessible. You want as many people as possible to use your website to increase engagement, and you need an accessible website to achieve that.

Responsive design that adapts to different devices and touch targets can make your website more accessible. This kind of inclusivity can potentially improve your search ranking, as search engines recognize and reward websites that provide a better UX for all users.

5. Ignoring continuous improvement

Search engines and AI results change often, so keeping up with SEO best practices helps protect your rankings. Search platforms are constantly refining their algorithms, which means what worked yesterday might not yield the same results tomorrow. Without continuously enhancing your SEO strategies, you risk being left behind.

Fix 1: Embrace new trends and tools

AI is transforming the way people find information online, and SEO isn’t left out of that shift. You need to integrate AI-driven tools and keep up to date with the latest SEO trends to ensure your content aligns with current user interests and SEO strategies.

Research SEO platforms and forums to remain abreast of the latest SEO trends as they evolve.

Fix 2: Track your performance and adapt

Continuous improvement isn’t just about adopting new trends; it’s also about active monitoring. Use analytics tools to regularly track your website’s performance to reveal areas needing enhancement. Check in at least once per month.

For example, if you notice a decline in website traffic or search ranking, you know it’s time to reevaluate your SEO strategy. Research the issue and implement necessary changes to ensure your site remains competitive. It’s possible the way people search for topics like that have changed, for example.

Effective SEO is a continuous commitment, not a one-time task. By dedicating time to SEO regularly, you can build a winning SEO strategy and stay ahead of the competition.

As a consultant, your expertise is your greatest asset. Admin tasks can take time away from your clients and your growth. Here's how you can simplify those tasks and focus more on what matters most.

Key Takeaways

• - Spend more time growing your business by cutting down on admin tasks.
• - Look professional from day one with branded invoices, proposals, and contracts.
• - Get paid easily and securely through streamlined client payment options.

Create professional invoices for your consulting business

Let's start with Invoices, which is included with every Squarespace website plan. Squarespace makes it easy to customize and send professional, branded invoices, whether you bill by the hour, charge a flat rate for a project, or work on a retainer. To get started, simply head over to Invoicing.

From here, creating an invoice is quick and intuitive. Enter client details, add line items, and easily apply discounts or taxes as needed. And you can personalize each invoice with your branding and a custom message for your clients.

Read our guide to invoicing on Squarespace

Setting up recurring invoices for consistent cash flow

Work with the same client regularly? Set up a recurring invoice. Automatically send invoices to clients at regular intervals, weekly, monthly, quarterly, or whatever suits your business, so you never miss a billing cycle again. Your clients get predictable, professional invoices, and you get paid on time, every time.

Use proposals and estimates to win consulting clients

Before you can get paid, you've got to get hired. Squarespace helps you make a strong first impression with detailed proposals and estimates that match your branding. Clients can view and accept documents online, and you can track the status directly in Squarespace.

Protect your consulting business with contracts and intake forms

You can also create and send contracts, clearly outlining terms to protect both you and your clients and ensure everyone is on the same page from day one. 

Collect all the details you need to qualify leads and simplify client intake with customizable contact forms on your website. Spend time with leads that are better fit for your business, ensure a smooth onboarding experience for your clients, and reduce the time you spend on back and forth.

Secure payment solutions 

Squarespace Payments lets your client pay invoices securely and conveniently, and helps you keep more of what you earn. You can easily accept ACH direct payments with a low 1% fee capped at just $10 per payment on the Advanced website plan. You can provide a seamless client payment experience and save on payment processing, especially for larger consulting projects.

Why an all-in-one platform helps when starting a consulting business

Squarespace provides everything you need on one platform. Professional invoicing with automatic recurring billing, branded proposals, estimates, and contract management, easy to create custom contact forms, secure and low-cost payments, including ACH direct debit. 

And if you're starting out, you can easily register a new custom domain directly through Squarespace to legitimize your business. Running a consulting business can be complicated, but with Squarespace, you have all the tools you need to simplify your workflow, elevate your client experience, and focus more on growing your business.

And remember, you've got this.

That’s why finding a trustworthy platform that brings these tools together in one place can be transformational for your business. Below, we’ve broken down the integrated Squarespace Financial Solutions that can support businesses of any type or size.

What finance tools do businesses need?

The exact set of tools you need will depend on the type and size of business you run. Someone selling ceramics on the side has different needs than a full-time consultant. 

Generally, you’ll choose from a range of financial tools based on what will help you stay organized, profitable, and prepared for growth. 

• Invoicing and billing systems to manage payments

• Secure payment collection with multiple payment methods

• Banking integrations for streamlined cash flow

• Financing options to maintain growth

• Analytics to measure success

• Inventory management to maintain product stock

• Accounting software for budgeting and tracking expenses and revenue

• Tax management solutions to assist with compliance

That ceramic artist might need a way to take payments and some accounting software, but the consultant might need almost all of the tools above. 

You may find some overlap in the recommendations below, but it’s all about how you fit each tool to your specific business type and stage. The goal is to have clarity, control, and confidence in your finances.

The best finance tools for your business type

Different types of businesses face unique financial management needs. If you’re an ecommerce brand, you probably need to balance inventory costs, transaction fees, and multi-channel sales tracking. If you’re a service provider, you need tools for invoicing, time tracking, and recurring payments. Experience-based businesses, like retreats or workshops, need support for deposits and variable pricing. 

No matter the model, having the right financial tools in place is essential for keeping your business efficient, structured, and successful.

Ecommerce businesses

Whether you sell physical products, like candles or jewelry, or digital products, like videos or downloadable templates, you’ll need tools to track inventory, production costs, and accept payments. 

Squarespace has a range of financial tools designed to simplify and streamline your operations:

• Integrated payments: Accept and track payments with Squarespace Payments, our native payment solution. It integrates directly with your store so you can easily accept payments from customers. You can also take multiple payment methods to make checkout fast and convenient for your customers, including Apple Pay, Google Pay, Klarna, Afterpay, and more.  

• Access payments instantly: Squarespace Payments also offers Instant Payouts for quick access to your earnings to address immediate business needs, secure last-minute inventory or supplies, or manage operational costs, with little to no interruption to your business. Instant Payouts is available 24/7, including weekends and holidays.*    

• Inventory and order management: Track stock levels and purchases to stay on top of production needs, manage orders, and set up low-stock alerts to encourage sales.

• Sales tax automation: Use Automated Taxes to automatically calculate sales tax during checkout and help you stay compliant in your location and your customers’.

• Business financing: Access funding to grow your business through the Squarespace Capital program, which cuts down the complexity of the traditional financing process. You can use those funds to add staff, grow inventory, launch a new product line, or anything else you need to scale.**

• Accounting extensions: Connect with accounting tools like QuickBooks, Xero, or Amaka to keep track of your finances and make budget plans.

Each of these tools can help you run your business more smoothly and create a positive customer experience, both of which can ultimately help you drive more sales.

Service providers

Service providers, from event planners and massage therapists to accountants, consultants, and more, have their own specific financial tool requirements. In addition to traditional tools like accounting extensions and business financing, you’ll need features that help to simplify working with clients or creating custom projects.

Here are some key ways Financial Solutions can help service professionals:

• Send invoices and estimates: Create and send branded, professional invoices and project estimates with Squarespace Invoicing and client management tools. Pre-schedule invoices at project kickoff to take busywork off your plate.

• Collect payments: Squarespace Payments integrates directly with Invoicing so you can easily collect payments from customers. Accept payments with your preferred methods, including credit card, PayPal, and ACH Direct Debit, or set up a Square POS reader for in-person payments. 

• Access payments instantly: Squarespace Payments also offers Instant Payouts for quick access to your earnings. Use these to manage cash flow or address immediate business needs with fewer interruptions to your business. Instant Payouts is available 24/7, including weekends and holidays.*

• Recurring invoices: Set up recurring invoicing for ongoing contracts, so you don’t have to create and send a new invoice every month.

• Business financing: Access funding to grow your business through the Squarespace Capital program, which cuts down the complexity of the traditional financing process. You can use those funds to add staff, launch a new product line, or anything else you need to scale.**

With these financial tools, you can protect your bottom line, create a more professional, positive client experience, and focus your energy on delivering great work.

Experience-based businesses

For experience-based businesses like camps, retreats, and in-person workshops, you’ll need standard budgeting tools and the flexibility to adapt to different event types and pricing levels.

Squarespace has financial tools to streamline the financial management of booking, payments, and business needs:

• Event registration: Sell spots directly through your website with set capacities.

• Secure payments: Accept deposits or full payments with our native payment solution, Squarespace Payments. Track your income and offer multiple ways to pay, including digital wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay and buy now, pay later like Klarna and Afterpay, so participants can choose their preferred method. 

• Tiered pricing: Set up different package levels, early-bird discounts, or group rates.

• Instant Payouts: Use Instant Payouts in Squarespace Payments to access payments on the same day, so you can quickly make deposits and bookings with your event vendors or quickly address other business needs. Instant Payouts is available 24/7, including weekends and holidays.*

Features like these make it easier to manage financial logistics while offering your attendees flexibility and keeping the emphasis on creating memorable experiences.

The best finance tools by business size

Small and solo business owners often need streamlined financial tools that simplify invoicing, payments, and budgeting so they can focus on running their business without getting bogged down in admin work. 

Larger or expanding businesses, on the other hand, require more robust solutions to manage complex cash flow, multi-channel sales, payroll, and forecasting, ensuring their operations stay efficient and scalable as they expand.

Small and solo businesses

For solo entrepreneurs or small business owners, time is one of your greatest resources, so the goal is to find financial tools that streamline your work while protecting your professionalism. 

On Squarespace, you’ll find tools designed to handle your admin work, so you can spend more time with customers or on the projects you enjoy.

• Branded invoicing: Schedule or set recurring professional invoices with secure payment links, track payments, and send reminders with less of the manual work.

• Payment solutions: A tool that supports multiple payment methods, like Squarespace Payments, can build trust with customers and encourage them to make a purchase.

• Expense tracking extensions: Accounting extensions can simplify day-to-day financial management, help you forecast future expenses, and prepare for tax season.

Large or growing businesses

As your business grows, you’ll need financial tools that help you keep the basics running smoothly and pursue new opportunities and scale. 

You’ll need features to streamline operations, manage complex transactions, and access funding, all while scaling efficiently.

• Analytics: Website analytics will help you to monitor revenue, sales trends, and customer behavior. 

• Integrated payments: Ensure smooth, secure store transactions, even at high volume.

• Third-party extensions: Connect to accounting and ERP integrations for streamlined financial oversight and reporting.

• Squarespace Capital: Finance your expansion, new product lines, or marketing campaigns with funding up to $250K and repayments based on your revenue.**

Squarespace Financial Solutions brings together everything you need to manage money with ease, from payments and invoicing to analytics and funding. Whether you’re just starting out or scaling up, these tools will help you stay organized, make smarter decisions, and keep your business moving forward.

Holiday marketing is a great opportunity to apply AI to help you make strategic choices and create campaigns faster, so you can spend time on customer interactions and enjoy the season. Here’s how you can use AI tools on Squarespace to maximize your success this year.

How AI can help you this holiday season

According to Squarespace’s survey, marketing is one of the most common ways to use AI among entrepreneurs. But using AI isn’t just about working faster. With the right prompts and ideas, you can also use a chatbot or built-in tools to challenge your thinking or apply expertise to subjects where you don’t have a background.

You can use AI this holiday season to:

• Update your SEO and AI optimization (AIO)

• Brainstorm campaign and promotion ideas

• Evaluate your existing ideas

• Create ad and marketing copy

• Compile competitor research

• Add new products to your store

• Evaluate data to identify sales opportunities

Read our 5 tips for holiday marketing success

1. Add seasonal products

Adding or updating products in your store can be time-consuming. You need to gather product photos, research pricing, then come up with an interesting product description. On Squarespace, you can simplify the process in a couple of ways.

• Use the AI Product Composer. With this tool, you can upload a photo or description of a product or service and get a complete listing in a few moments. It’ll suggest a price, product description, and SEO copy to ensure it gets found. 

• Create copy for products. Access the AI writer on Squarespace by clicking the three dots in your text editing bar. You can enter any prompt you want to draft a new description for a product, online courses, or videos, or ask it to edit existing text.

2. Get your products discovered

It’s important to kick off SEO, AIO, and campaign planning well ahead of the holidays. It takes time to see results from SEO, which also inform AI search results. Meanwhile, planning your campaigns in advance gives you time to be more strategic and pre-schedule some of your outreach, so you’re more likely to be successful.

• Optimize your SEO with AI. Update your website copy, page titles, and descriptions to ensure they’re accurate and search-friendly. You can use Squarespace’s AI SEO tool to scan your website for missing text and generate curated copy for search.

• Don’t ignore AIO. AI search is becoming a popular way to discover new products and businesses. Use the AI SEO tool and our expert tips to prepare your website for AI discovery.

• Get campaign ideas from AI. Give an AI chatbot a description of your business, your website URL, and your holiday goals and ask it to act as a marketing strategist and generate a holiday campaign for you. Or feed it your current strategy and ask it to critique it, add, and point out gaps.

3. Draft your campaign copy

When you’re ready to start preparing your campaign, lean on AI to break any writer’s block. It’s important to remember that AI can get you started, but it doesn’t replace you and why your customers come to you. Use drafts as a starting point and make sure they sound natural and unique before finalizing them.

• Write email copy. Squarespace Email Campaigns has predesigned templates for Black Friday/Cyber Monday weekend, among other key sales moments. Once you pull in your products, you can use the AI writer to help you fill out or optimize your email content.

• Create social media captions. Extend the reach of your campaigns by sharing sales and product highlights on social. You can ask AI to help you draft caption ideas and plan your posting schedule.

• Customize AI’s tone of voice. On Squarespace, you can use the Brand Identity tool to identify a specific voice and tone for your business. That ensures any copy you generate on the platform sounds more like you and cuts down on your editing time.

4. Close more sales

Every marketing strategy is ultimately about trying to get the right thing in front of the right audience at just the right time. You can find more success by looking closely at your existing customer data and relying on expert tools.

• Use AI for data analysis. Upload your sales history into an AI chatbot, then ask it to think like a business strategist and identify sales trends, top opportunities for promotions, and recommended sales tactics.

• Create discounts. Offer discounts for different customer segments, like first-time buyers or brand loyalists, tailored to help you drive sales.

No matter how you use AI for your business, remember that it can be a great thought partner and starting point. But you’re what makes your business unique. Vet every suggestion for its accuracy, quality, and whether it feels true to how you interact with your clients and customers. Not every tactic will work for every business, so make sure to test and adjust as you go along or take learnings with you for next holiday season.

Find more guides and advice in our 2025 Black Friday/Cyber Monday hub

We reviewed some of the most commonly cited platforms for blogging in 2025. Below, you'll find the starting paid plan price, a brief description of the platform, and key features for each. 

Top blog website builders

Some of these options are full-featured website builders that have content management systems (CMS) to support blogging, while others are standalone CMS or blogging platforms. Website builders that support blogs give you the best balance of brand ownership and built-in tooling. You can control your blog design, get a custom domain, and start an email newsletter, and may have the option to expand into paywalled content or other revenue streams. A standalone CMS requires more setup to attach to a website, and third-party platforms don’t offer as much brand flexibility.

Compare more brands and website builders

1. Squarespace

Paid pricing starts at: $16 per month

Squarespace combines elegant design with powerful publishing tools, making it a great choice for bloggers who want to pair high-quality content with a visually polished site. You can choose from beautifully designed templates optimized for blogging, or use the Blueprint AI website builder to generate a custom blog website tailored to your goals.

Squarespace supports all of the essentials: categories and tags, RSS feeds, post scheduling, and robust SEO tools. You can also gate content behind paywalls, connect with email subscribers, and sell products or services, all within the Squarespace platform. There are also built-in AI tools that help streamline content creation, from drafting blog outlines and posts to generating SEO titles and meta descriptions.

Key blogging features

• Template library or AI-generated custom blog layouts

• Brand Identity tool to apply brand voice to AI copy

• Built-in SEO, post scheduling, and tags

• Member areas and paywalls

• Google AdSense integration 

• Email campaigns and newsletters

• Clean, mobile-friendly templates

Note: Plans and pricing for each platform can vary by location. For Squarespace, see our pricing page for the most up-to-date details in your location. 

2. Blogger

Pricing starts at: Free, with Blogger-branded domain

Blogger is Google’s longtime blogging platform. While it hasn’t seen major updates in recent years, it’s a straightforward, free tool for personal blogging. It integrates with Google AdSense and allows you to map a custom domain.

Design and customization are more limited than on a website builder, and you’ll need to pay for a domain to use a custom URL. But for hobbyist bloggers who just want a place to write and publish their content or someone looking to test blogging out, it’s an option to consider.

Key blogging features

• Free blogging with Google account

• Basic design customization

• Supports custom domains 

3. Ghost(Pro)

Paid pricing starts at: $15 per month after promotional period

Ghost is an open-source blogging platform focused on speed, simplicity, and monetization options. It offers writing and publishing tools, a modern aesthetic, and support for paid memberships, newsletters, and analytics.

Ghost lets you build a fully branded website. You can self-host the Ghost CMS on your own website at a slightly lower price or use Ghost(Pro) for a standard hosted website experience. It’s a straightforward platform for blogging needs, but some all-in-one platforms might offer more functionality, like built-in ecommerce.

Key blogging features

• Memberships, subscriptions, and paywalls

• Built-in email newsletters

• Website included in hosted plans

4. Medium 

Pricing starts at: Free, $4-5 per month to monetize

Medium is a content platform and community. You don’t build a traditional website on Medium. Instead, you publish under your profile or publication name within Medium’s platform. Its minimalist design puts the focus on writing, but you won’t have the flexibility to create a fully branded web presence on Medium.

If you want to earn money from your blogs, you can join the Medium Partner Program to earn money based on engagement with your content. Medium is a straightforward platform for writers, but might be less suited to bloggers who want ownership over their platform to grow their brand or a business.

Key blogging features

• Built-in editor and minimalist design

• Medium Partner Program monetization

• Highlighting, comments, and story stats

5. Webflow

Paid pricing starts at: $14 per month, or limited free plan

Webflow is an advanced website builder aimed at users with design experience or a desire for pixel-level control. It supports blogging through its CMS, so you can design custom blog layouts.

Webflow has strong design tools, but can have a steeper learning curve than some other website builders. It’s worth considering for bloggers who want full control over site structure and design, or for those building a content-rich publication that needs advanced layout and animation capabilities.

Key blogging features

• Custom CMS for blog content

• Additional control over design and layout

• Dynamic content filtering and categories

See our full Webflow vs. Squarespace comparison

6. Wix

Paid pricing starts at: $17 per month, or limited free plan

Wix offers a drag-and-drop website editor that makes building a blog more beginner-friendly. You can start from scratch or use its AI website generator to create a blog layout. It comes with built-in blogging features like categories, tags, archives, and a mobile-friendly editor.

Wix offers media tools that can be beneficial for photo-heavy blogs, and the platform includes marketing features like email campaigns and social sharing. If you want to charge for any of your content directly through Wix, you’ll need a higher-tier plan. 

Key blogging features

• Drag-and-drop design editor

• Built-in post scheduler, tags, and categories

• AI layout generator and media tools

See our full Wix vs. Squarespace comparison

7. WordPress

Paid pricing starts at: $4 per month, or limited free plan

WordPress.com is the hosted version of WordPress and is a widely used blogging platform. The WordPress website builder includes access to themes and plugins, offering flexibility for different types of blogs.

The free plan supports basic blogging, while higher, paid tiers unlock design customization, plugins for SEO and other functionality, and monetization tools. However, it may have a steeper learning curve than other platforms.

Key blogging features

• Blog themes and plugins

• Built-in post scheduling and tagging

• Reader and subscription tools

See our full WordPress.com vs. Squarespace comparison

How to choose the best blog website builder

There’s no single best blogging platform. The right choice depends on your goals, aesthetic preferences, and budget. Here are a few factors to consider:

• Design and customization: Do you want the option to apply a unique, personalized design or are you happy with a minimalist layout?

• Ease of use: Are you looking for something simple, or are you willing to learn a more complex platform?

• Monetization tools: Will you sell products, host ads, offer memberships, or publish behind a paywall?

• Audience: Do you want to build your own audience or tap into an existing community?

• Support and scalability: Are you starting a personal blog, or do you want room to grow into a content business?

If you want a professional-looking blog that can evolve with your goals, Squarespace offers a strong balance of design, content tools, and growth-ready features. But each platform above has its own strengths, depending on where you want your blog to go. Explore each option and see what fits best with your writing process.

Invoicing

Now available on the Squarespace app for Android

Create and send professional invoices from anywhere with the Squarespace app for Android.

• With invoicing now in the Squarespace app for Android, you can manage payments, clients, and site updates all in one place.

• Create and send professional invoices that match your brand.

• Use scheduled and recurring invoices to cut down on busywork and get paid faster.

International selling

Selling internationally can have a real impact on your business growth by broadening your customer reach and increasing sales. 

• Squarespace has features to help you sell to international customers– like carrier-calculated shipping, automated taxes, and localization extensions like Weglot. 

• Squarespace Payments helps you accept payments from anyone, and supports payment options that appeal to international customers like Apple Pay, Google Pay, Klarna, and more. 

Read out guide to international ecommerce

Learn more about these new products and more on the Squarespace Forum.

Below, meet four real founders who brought their vision to life on Squarespace. Their stories show what’s possible when the right tools meet the right mindset, and offer practical takeaways for your own entrepreneurial journey.

Joe Laresca, NOISE

NOISE is a bold, boundary pushing creative agency and venture studio built at the intersection of culture, technology, and entrepreneurship. Founded by Joe Laresca, the business operates like a cultural amplifier, blending marketing, artist management, and production under one roof. Joe launched NOISE right out of college, showing a boldness that extends into the agency’s ethos.

From launching wellness brands during the COVID-19 pandemic to managing musicians and partnering with iconic figures across real estate, media, and entertainment, NOISE thrives on unpredictability and impact. It’s a modern hype machine with an old school heart, driven by relationships, word of mouth, and a vision to shape culture for generations to come.

Squarespace: How has your online presence contributed to your business success?

Joe Laresca: Brand is everything. Not many people know this, but our agency business has been 100% referral. I always find it crazy how people underestimate the power of building genuine relationships and a long-lasting brand. I think one thing we do better than anyone is showing people we care and building long-term relationships. Showing TLC is in our DNA. We’re a bit old school in our communications approach, but I think it’s better that way. All of this takes time, but it pays off in the long run.

SQSP: After a challenging day, week, or month, what keeps you motivated?

JL: It may sound cheesy and cliche, but the vision of what NOISE can become keeps me motivated. We’re not just trying to build another company with a fancy tagline and KPIs. We want to build a brand that inspires people and lasts for generations.

Monet Bush, Earth and Olive

Earth and Olive is a purpose-driven marketing and design agency for wellness brands looking to thrive in a digital world without sacrificing their values or resources. Founded by Monet Bush, the agency fuses data-driven design with accessibility, ensuring that mission-based businesses have the tools they need to grow sustainably. 

Earth and Olive doesn’t just design websites or craft campaigns, it builds strategic ecosystems where design meets intention, using analytics, automation, and storytelling to help wellness entrepreneurs survive digital shifts and scale with heart. It’s equal parts science and soul, with a business model rooted in empowerment and impact over hype.

Squarespace: How has your online presence contributed to your business success? 

Monet Bush: Our online presence is an extended form of us. We could be selling to someone in Canada while we’re sleeping or getting a subscriber from LA while closing our computer to end the day. The day is never done for an entrepreneur, but it should be. Making systems work for you is how you keep self-care primary. You are one person, but your business automation is your army. Our online presence has worn the hat for business acquisition many times. It will continue to serve if we keep evolving it, even when there is a dedicated business acquisition team member.

SQSP: In every entrepreneurial endeavor, there are unexpected risks and challenges. What was the biggest risk you took?

MB: Starting without seed money was my most significant risk to date. Our services make up our money, and being a business that thrives on remaining accessible, yet still charges our worth, was challenging. It took a trip back to the business model to make sure we make money even while we sleep so we could keep prices accessible. Residual income is the addition to our plan that changed the game.

Jamie and Daniel Pobjoy, MillBuilt

MillBuilt is a sustainable, modular homebuilding company founded by brothers Jamie and Daniel Pobjoy, who traded traditional construction for a cleaner, smarter way to build. Based in Victoria, Australia, MillBuilt designs and fabricates sustainable homes in a factory setting, where they can minimize waste, control quality, and use materials efficiently. Their homes are intentionally smaller, and built with longevity and livability in mind to strike a balance between environmental responsibility and comfort. 

With a product-first approach that favors simplicity over constant customization, MillBuilt is redefining homebuilding by offering beautifully crafted, low carbon homes that arrive nearly move-in ready, all supported by a polished online presence that connects modern homeowners to a better way of living.

Squarespace: In every entrepreneurial endeavor, there are unexpected risks and challenges. What was the biggest risk you took? 

Daniel Pobjoy: After 15 years in the industry, I feel like I’ve had to go back to the start to pursue a new direction. We’ve gone down a completely different path—instead of building for clients and creating custom homes, we’re basically saying: “Here’s a product. If you like it, then it’s yours. If you don’t, then we’re not the company for you.” 

It’s risky as we are severely narrowing our market. But by limiting our range and flexibility we are able to keep quality higher, construction times faster, the carbon footprint lower, and costs down. The thought pattern behind this was that if you know a house design functions incredibly well, then why does there need to be constant experimentation with customization? We’ve had to really back ourselves and stick by our philosophy as we truly believe it is a better way to build.

SQSP: How has your online presence contributed to your business success?

DP: Our online presence has contributed as it showcases our portfolio of products in a succinct and dynamic way. The contact form is an easy way that potential clients can contact the company (we are onsite a lot) and we can then discuss the designs by referring to the website.

Matt and Ish Broadbent, Ocelot Chocolate

Ocelot Chocolate is an ethical craft chocolate company founded by Matt and Ish Broadbent, a husband and wife team who turned a shared love of food and design into a global brand. Based in Edinburgh, Scotland, Ocelot crafts organic, artisan chocolate in a micro factory, where each bar is wrapped in packaging they design themselves and sealed with compostable film. 

What began as a modest farmers market stall has evolved into a sleek ecommerce operation with global reach, but their hands-on approach hasn’t changed. Every element of Ocelot, from its bold, artistic branding to transparent, thoughtful production is designed to create not just a product, but an experience that connects people to the joy, beauty, and ethics behind what they eat.

Squarespace: How has your online presence contributed to your business success? 

Matt & Ish: Our business would not be what it is without our website and our online presence. A good, clean, effective website is everything, and more now than ever. We try to approach our online presence from our own personal perspective: As end users, what annoys us or stresses us out when we’re shopping online, what pleases us or encourages brand loyalty, what are our own expectations when we visit a website or a social media platform? 

A brand like ours is not only about selling, it's about creating a comfortable, beautiful place that sums up who we are. Then hopefully that imprints on our visitors and they in turn like us, trust us, and ultimately buy from us.

SQSP: How do you see your online presence evolving in the future? 

M & I: The world is shifting its buying habits online, so we need to capitalize on that and be ready. We also make a lot more money when we sell through our own store at retail price, so driving more customers to our site and encouraging through sales is going to be a priority.

Getting our customers more involved with our processes is a must-do for us in the future. Everyone loves to see stuff getting made, real life happening, so we’re aiming for lots more visuals and some thoughtful blogging is always something we aspire to.

Success looks different for every founder, but it always starts with showing up and being willing to take a risk. The entrepreneurs featured here are proof that you don’t need a big team or a perfect plan to start building something real. You just need the passion—and a platform that can help you get things done.

To set your business apart from your competitors, it’s important to have a unique selling proposition to offer to customers. 

A unique selling proposition helps your business and the products you sell or services you provide stand out in a crowded market. This guide will help you understand what a unique selling proposition is and why it’s important for your business, with some examples and a template to start your own. 

What is a unique selling proposition?

A unique selling proposition (USP) is a clear statement of the key benefit your product provides. It’s similar to a brand value proposition or a unique value proposition (UVP) as both try to differentiate from competitors, but each one has a different focus. 

Whereas a UVP will focus on the overall value someone gets from your business, a USP is specific to one key feature or differentiator of your product. Most USPs are one or two short sentences. 

To create a strong USP, you’ll want to understand your customers’ priorities and how your vision uniquely serves them. For example, if you’re a flower business, a USP could be that your flowers are seasonal, fresh, and locally sourced, and no arrangement is the exact same. For the customer, the UVP is that they get unique, long-lasting arrangements for every occasion.

Unlike a slogan or tagline, which is memorable and gestures toward what the brand’s about more broadly, a USP is specific and product-focused. 

Why is a USP important for your business?

A USP clearly states to your customers what your product offers and why they should choose you over a competitor. For you, as the business owner, it’s a great way to understand the value of your offering in the immediate term. For customers, it answers the question of, “Why should I buy this product now?”

It’s important because it can help you more easily communicate to customers about your products. Good USPs can influence how you design and brand your business, how you market your products, and how sales unfold. Your USP will inform all of these areas, building familiarity with your potential customers, encouraging engagement and customer loyalty.

How to create your own USP

Now that you understand what a USP is and why it’s important for your business, here’s how to create your own.

1. Understand what makes your business unique. Focus on what makes your products or services stand out from competitors. 

2. Research and understand your competition. You won’t know what differentiates your product or service until you understand your competition. Conduct thorough competitor research to find key differences. 

3. Identify customer needs and pain points. Understand what your customers need from a product or service. This will help you better clarify why your offering is a unique solution for them. 

4. Test your USP on peers or friends. Gather feedback on your USP and whether you’re hitting all of the key elements before bringing it to market. 

Here’s a USP template you can use to build off of to create your own: 

[Your business name] offers [specific good or service] for [target customer or market] to [value proposition]. [Key differentiator] [alternative business].

So using a fictional business as an example: Sarah’s Flora offers locally sourced flower arrangements to busy folks on the go who want to add beauty to their homes. With flowers from local farmers, no two arrangements are ever the same at Sarah’s Flora—not like third-party floral companies. 

You don’t typically share your full USP with customers, especially if yours names specific competitors. But it will help to shape how you speak to customers about your product or offering.

5 USP examples 

The best way to understand a USP is to see examples of them. The businesses below are all fictional, but we’ve broken down the key elements needed for each to create a compelling USP. 

1. Boom, a t-shirt brand 

Boom is an online t-shirt brand that is reasonably priced but doesn’t cut costs on quality, offering Egyptian cotton basics in a variety of colors and styles. 

• Customer: Style conscious buyers on a budget 

• Solution: Affordable basic t-shirts meant to last 

• Offering: Quality materials in a variety of colors and styles 

• Competitor: Fast fashion brands

USP: Boom offers Egyptian cotton t-shirts to the fashion savvy at an accessible price point. No fast fashion, just soft, quality material that’s built to last. 

2. John Smith Portraits, photographer

John Smith Portraits is a solo photography business offering portraits of clients including professional, family, or event photos, all in-studio. John Smith has packages for his clients with a wide-range of styles, total images, and turnaround times. 

• Customer: Professionals looking for headshots or families looking for portraits

• Solution: Fast turnaround time on portraits 

• Offering: Unique portraits on digital or film, a selection of photography packages to choose from, and affordable tiers 

• Competitor: Other photographers without packages or photography businesses that offer standard headshots

USP: John Smith Portraits offers an affordable selection of packages and unique pictures to professionals and families. Packages are designed to fit a range of needs and price points, with more included than others’ standard digital packages. 

3. Rosy General, online handmade goods webstore 

Rosy General is an online, community-centric goods store that sells local art, collectibles, and handmade products like candles or jewelry to customers who want to support their local artisans. Some of Rosy General’s profits go toward community initiatives and causes. 

• Customer: Buyers interested in local, handmade goods 

• Solution: One-of-a-kind products, nothing mass distributed 

• Offering: Support to local artisans and community causes 

• Competitor: Big box and department stores

USP: Rosy General offers locally sourced and handcrafted goods from jewellery and art to beauty products, for buyers interested in supporting their community. Unlike big-box stores, our one-of-a-kind products give back to the area directly.

4. Bristle & Quill, salon 

Bristle & Quill is a salon featuring stylists who specialize in unique hair coloring and playful techniques. Meant for customers who have disposable income and an adventurous mindset. 

• Customer: Adventurous and experimental customers with disposable income, usually women or anyone who regularly spends on their hair 

• Solution: Unique hair coloring and techniques 

• Offering: Expert stylists well-practiced in advanced coloring and cutting techniques 

• Competitor: Other salons in the area 

USP: Bristle & Quill offers unique hair styling solutions for clients with adventurous ideas. Expert stylists will walk you through the best styles, colors, and cuts to try, unlike other salons in the area that offer simple, straightforward cuts and colors. 

5. Jane Smith Career Coaching, online coach 

Jane Smith is a certified coach focused on career development, including where to get started on a career journey or how to switch to an entirely different one. Jane’s rates differ depending on where you’re at in your journey, including a sliding scale for those starting out with a career coach for the first time. Unlike Jane’s competitors, she offers aftercare steps and service to ensure clients are on the right track in their career path.

• Customer: People looking to switch careers or understand what career path they should take 

• Solution: Affordable career coaching services available digitally to ensure maximum reach 

• Offering: Unique, white-glove service and aftercare steps to make sure clients are making the most of their designed career path 

• Competitor: Career coaches offering one-size-fits-all career consultation and coaching

USP: Jane Smith Career Coaching offers affordable career coaching to anyone, no matter if they are starting out or ready for something new. With a unique approach to maintenance and aftercare after consultation, Jane Smith ensures her clients remain on the path to success, unlike other career coaches with a one-size-fits-all approach. 

Where to use your USP 

Your USP can be repurposed to use in a number of places. Primarily, you can use it internally as a reminder of what your business does and who you’re serving. 

Externally, there are a number of spots where you can easily and concisely include a version of your USP so customers can immediately understand the unique qualities of your products or services. 

You can use your USP in: 

• Marketing: You’ll want to include some version of your USP on landing pages on your website (e.g., About section), social media, or ads.

• Sales: Email marketing, newsletters, or sales call materials are great spots to incorporate your USP.

• Branding: Brand visuals and copy, like taglines, will be informed by your USP. What color feels in sync with local floral bouquets? How would you tell the story of a one-of-a-kind handmade goods business in one sentence? 

Returning to the floral business example, Sarah’s Flora might turn its USP into a tagline or copy that appears across their website and sales materials, like, “Always local, always one-of-a-kind” or “Local arrangements as unique as you are”.

Tips for creating your USP

Condensing your top product features into a couple of sentences will ultimately help you clarify to your customers exactly what you offer and why they should choose you. Try thinking through these tips if you’re still not sure where to start. 

• Focus on specific solutions. The more specific you are about what your product does, the better. Keep solutions top of mind. If you’re selling books online, what is the key differentiator? Maybe you specialize in local authors or out of print titles that are hard to get.

• Don’t fabricate. In other words, don’t exaggerate your offerings. Try not to say you’re the best at something. Instead, lean into what makes your product unique, like your eco-friendly materials or unique design style.

• Be customer-focused. Keep your customers' needs top of mind when figuring out your USP. For example, if you run a coaching business, some of your customers may find it hard to get started with a coach because of cost. Highlight that you offer a sliding pay scale to cast a wider net for potential customers. 

Once you have a USP you’re happy with, evaluate it carefully for a few common missteps that can weaken its effectiveness.

• Being overly generic: Avoid benefits that are vague or could apply to any business, like “quality products” or “great customer service”.

• Making claims you can’t support: At the same time, don’t overstate features or promise something you can’t consistently deliver. Missing the mark will lead to unhappy customers.

• Not focusing on benefits: While product and service features are the subject of your USP, make sure you’re highlighting something that clearly benefits your customer, like “100% cotton for durability and comfort”.

• Being too wordy: Your internal USP can be longer, but when you speak to customers, make sure you keep it concise—ideally 10 words or so.

Customer segmentation changes this dynamic by helping you create targeted messaging that resonates with specific groups of customers. Instead of speaking to everyone at once, you can send messages that address highly specific needs .

This guide will walk you through what customer segmentation actually means for small businesses, why it's worth the effort, and how to get started.

What is customer segmentation?

Imagine if the only way to generate sales was an old-fashioned one: calling customers on the phone. If you gave the same pitch to everyone, most people would probably hang up on you. A more effective method would be to understand who each customer is, what they’ve bought from you in the past, and what might motivate them to buy again.

Customer segmentation takes this logic and scales it to hundreds or thousands of customers. By organizing customers into groups based on shared characteristics—like what products they’ve bought or how often they open your emails—you can make your messaging more effective.

You can segment existing customers or your entire audience:

• Audience segmentation organizes everyone who might be interested in your business: website visitors, social media followers, email subscribers, and people who haven't bought anything yet.

• Customer segmentation focuses on people who have already purchased from you, looking at what they bought and how they behave.

Both approaches help your business, and you don't need thousands of people to start. Even with a few dozen customers, you can create groups that make your marketing more meaningful.

Here are some common ways to segment customers:

• Demographics: Age, income, job, family situation, education

• Behavior: How often they buy, what they click, how they found you

• Geography: Location and community types

• Lifestyle: Hobbies, interests, and activities

• Needs: Goals, problems, key pain points

• Values: Beliefs and preferences

Why segmenting your audience matters

When you group your customers thoughtfully, you make your marketing more effective. Here are some practical benefits:

• Your email open rates increase because people click on subject lines that relate to their situation. Instead of "Weekly Newsletter #47," you can send "Quick 15-minute workouts for busy parents" to one group and "Advanced strength training techniques" to another.

• Your conversion rates increase because your customers see content that directly matches their needs and pain points, which makes them more likely to buy from you again and recommend you to others.

• You waste less time and money on marketing that doesn't work. When you know exactly which customer segments bring in the most sales, you can focus your efforts where they have the biggest impact.

For example, a content creator running a personal finance channel could segment their audience into young professionals, families, and retirees and use that to guide their content planning. Each demographic has different needs: young professionals might be interested in videos like "A Beginner’s Guide to Saving," while retirees gravitate toward blogs like "How to Optimize Your Retirement Portfolio." By separating your audience into groups, you can make sure each subscriber only gets content they’re interested in and in the formats they prefer.

A step-by-step guide to customer segmentation

Customer segmentation shouldn’t feel overwhelming. Getting started can be as simple as picking one group—like people who bought something in the last 30 days—and sending them a personalized email.

Whenever you’re ready to create a more in-depth set of customer segments, follow this five-step process below.

1. Choose your goal

Before you start organizing people into groups, decide what you want to accomplish. Pick one goal to start with.

Common goals for small businesses:

• Get more people to buy a second time

• Bring back customers who haven't purchased recently

• Sell more of a specific product or service

• Increase email open and click rates

• Attract more local customers

Once you have a general goal in mind, add specificity: metric for success and time period. For example, you might set a goal to get 25 more people to buy a second time in the next 45 days.

Get inspiration on setting clear goals for your business

2. Gather customer information

Most small business owners have more useful customer information than they realize. Start with data that's already in your email marketing platform, payment system, or customer communications.

Information you likely have:

• Email addresses and signup dates

• Purchase history and timing

• Email open and click rates

• Customer questions and comments

An easy way to gather more information is to add an extra field to your email signup form. You can ask new customers how they heard about you or pose questions like "What's your biggest challenge with [your topic]?"

Learn more about creating signup forms for your email list

3. Create simple groups

Start with two or three groups rather than trying to create dozens of different segments you can't manage effectively.

Check your customer list and notice if people naturally fall into obvious categories. You might notice that some customers buy frequently while others buy once and disappear, or that some people engage with every email while others seem inactive.

You can also return to your goal and the list of ways you could segment customers: demographics, hobbies, behaviors, and so on. Choose groups that naturally appear and can help you reach your goal. 

Use simple names that make sense to you: "Frequent customers," "Local customers," "Online customers." You can change these labels later. For example, frequent and local customers may be easier to target for a return purchase goal.

Most email platforms have a dedicated segmentation feature that allows you to filter and group customers at scale. You can also add tags manually based on what you know about each customer. You can also create social media or other content that’s shared more widely, but with specific segments in mind.

4. Write different messages for each group

Each customer segment will have different priorities or interests you can highlight to convince them to convert. Your messages should reflect those variances. Start with small changes rather than rewriting everything:

• Write different subject lines. "Quick tip for busy entrepreneurs" for one group, "Detailed strategy guide" for another

• Change a sentence or two. “These will be available at in-person events first!” or “These will drop online in just 5 days.”

• Reference something relevant to their situation. "Since you're just getting started..." or "As a returning customer..."

Sometimes, the best message is no message at all. If you’re sharing something that’s only relevant to a portion of your list, give the rest of your audience a break.

5. Pay attention to what works

After sending targeted messages, look closely at your results. See if any patterns emerge that tell you whether your message did or didn’t work.

• Which groups open your emails most often? These are your most engaged customers. Give them extra attention.

• Which groups buy most frequently? These are your most valuable customers. Make sure they feel appreciated.

• Which groups rarely respond? Don't ignore them, but don't spend all your time trying to win them over.

Once per month, experiment with creating different targeted content for your most engaged group. It could be a special offer, early access to something new, or just a thank you note. See how they respond, then try something similar with other groups.

7 ways to use customer segmentation in your business

Here are some simple ways to use customer segmentation that can make a real difference in your business. Start with one or two that seem most relevant to your situation.

1. Send follow-up emails after purchases

Set up an automated email sequence that sends after someone buys from you. This is one of the easiest ways to get immediate results from segmentation.

A basic three-email sequence might look like:

1. Three days after purchase: "How to get the most out of your purchase" with helpful tips or instructions

2. One week later: "People who bought [their product] also love [related product]" with a relevant recommendation

3. One month later: Success story from someone similar to them, request for a review, or new releases

This works because you're providing useful information precisely at the moment that customers are most interested in your business.

See more email marketing examples

2. Automatically group people based on their behavior

Many platforms can automatically tag customers and website visitors based on their actions. This creates self-updating groups without manual work.

For example, Squarespace Email Campaigns has a smart segmentation feature that automatically organizes customers into groups like potential customers, first-time customers, and repeat customers. Use this to help you decide who to send what messages and when. Repeat customers might want to hear big business news, for example, while potential customers might respond best to a sale announcement.

3. Create different welcome messages for new subscribers

Someone who’s just getting started on their journey might need something entirely different than advanced users. For example, a fitness coach might have one series of welcome emails for weight loss and a separate one for strength training.

You can create personalized email automations for each of your most important segments to make sure everyone gets information that’s relevant to them.

Platforms like Squarespace offer the option to add custom fields to your signup forms to understand each subscriber’s primary area of interest. You can also keep track of which page users were visiting when they joined your list.

4. Re-engage customers who used to buy

Find customers who purchased from you months ago but haven't bought recently. These people already know and trust you, but may just need a gentle reminder.

Send them an email like:

"Hi [Name], it’s been a while! Here's what's new since you last shopped with us, plus 15% off your next order."

To improve your chances of bringing back inactive customers, include social proof, like customer reviews, and create urgency with a deadline on any discount you offer.

5. Ask your best customers what they want next

Instead of guessing what people want, let your most loyal customers shape the direction of your business. Send your best customers a short email with one specific question, like "What's the one thing you wish we offered that we don't?" or "What almost stopped you from buying from us?"

Use their answers to create new products, improve your website, or write content that addresses common concerns. Make sure to follow up with anyone who gave you feedback, especially if you applied their response to a change. This will make them feel heard and grow their trust in your brand.  

6. Send location-specific messages

If you serve people in different cities or regions, create location-based groups and send relevant local information.

Some examples might include:

• Free delivery for Chicago customers this week

• We'll be at the Austin farmers market this Saturday

• Special workshop for clients in the Toronto area

• Our favorite restaurants in Portland

• Where you can find our products in Ohio

This can make your business feel more personal and community-focused and makes those customers feel like they’re being given special attention.

7. Let people choose their email frequency

Segmentation isn’t just for you, it can help your audience too. Instead of sending everyone the same emails at the same frequency, let people choose when they sign up to hear from you. 

• Weekly updates for people who want all your content

• Monthly highlights for a summary of your best content

• Important announcements only for product launches and major news

This reduces unsubscribes because people get exactly what they want. You'll also create a natural filter to understand who your most engaged subscribers are.

As you start testing out segmentation, monitor your performance and make sure to adjust segments and content as you go.

Top Figma Sites alternatives

This list covers a few of the most commonly referenced Figma Sites alternatives. We’ll walk through key details about each that might influence your decision, like design flexibility, no-code workflows, AI features, and monthly price for annual subscriptions, so you can find the right platform for your goals.

Note: Plans and pricing for each platform can vary by location. For Squarespace, see our pricing page for the most up-to-date details in your location. 

Compare more brands and website builders

1. Squarespace

Pricing starts at: $16 per month

Squarespace is a design-driven website builder made for creators, entrepreneurs, and brands looking to stand out online. It offers flexible website templates, an AI website builder, and curated tools to build and publish polished websites, with or without code.

Squarespace vs. Figma Sites

Squarespace puts a premium on visual quality and ease of use. You don’t need code to make a beautiful Squarespace website—it includes robust editing tools and AI-powered design guidance—but it also supports custom code injections for more advanced designers. That ability to adapt the platform to all skill levels makes it a good option for web designers who hand sites off to clients.

Figma Sites offers AI-supported code customization, but editing is currently more tied to the Figma product. Squarespace also comes with more built-in business features, like ecommerce, client invoicing and project management, analytics, and built-in email marketing.

See our full Figma Sites vs. Squarespace comparison

Key features

• Curated design templates and visual editor

• AI website builder, content generation, and SEO tools

• Ecommerce with built-in payments, shipping, and invoicing

• Email marketing and appointment booking

• Extensions for added customization

• 24/7 customer support

2. Webflow

Pricing starts at: $14 per month, or limited free plan

Webflow is a no-code website builder that blends visual design tools with a high level of layout control. It includes a content management system (CMS) for publishing and ecommerce features on higher-tier plans.

Webflow vs. Figma Sites 

Both Webflow and Figma Sites are highly visual tools that could appeal to design professionals. While Figma Sites focuses on turning designs into sites automatically, Webflow has a more traditional website building experience. It gives you a visual editor to build page layouts, site interactions, and animations. Figma Sites doesn’t have a standalone AI website builder or native ecommerce features. Webflow offers both, though you’ll need a higher-tier plan for ecommerce access.

Key features

• Visual layout and interaction design tools

• Built-in CMS for dynamic content

• Custom code support

Compare Webflow and Squarespace

3. Framer

Pricing starts at: $5 per month

Like Webflow, Framer is a no-code website builder created with visual designers in mind. Framer offers a Figma to HTML website building flow, but you can also use its traditional website editor to create a site.

Framer vs. Figma Sites

Framer shares Figma’s emphasis on visual workflows, but currently has more website platform tools built into its product. Figma Sites focuses on translating static designs into live websites. On Framer, you can turn a Figma design into a website layout or build directly in the website editor. Framer also offers live website editing with collaborators. 

Neither Framer nor Figma Sites come with built-in ecommerce or email marketing functionality, but Framer offers simple analytics tracking on some plans.

Key features

• Visual editor with animations and responsive design

• Custom code support

• Live collaboration and real-time updates

See our full Framer vs. Squarespace comparison

4. WordPress

Pricing starts at: $4 per month, or limited free plan

WordPress.com offers website building tools on top of its open-source CMS. It offers strong support for content publishing and offers ecommerce and plugin-based customization on higher-tier plans.

WordPress vs. Figma Sites

Figma Sites focuses more heavily on turning Figma designs into live websites, while WordPress.com offers a more straightforward website editing experience. Its block-based editor and website themes allow for visual site creation without touching code, but can be customized if you have more web design experience. 

WordPress also offers options for adding functionality with third-party plugins on certain plans. It may require more manual setup to add and manage those plugins, but there currently aren’t similar plugins available for Figma Sites. 

Key features

• Block-based visual editor

• Library of customizable themes

• Ecommerce via WooCommerce on some plans

Compare Squarespace and WordPress.com

5. Wix

Pricing starts at: $17 per month, or limited free plan

Wix offers a drag-and-drop website builder with access to templates, an AI website builder, and design tools. It has a beginner-friendly editor with custom layout control and ecommerce on higher-level plans.

Wix vs. Figma Sites

Wix offers visual editing and design flexibility in a more standard no-code website builder. You can start a Wix website from a premade template or its AI website builder. With a plugin, you can turn Figma designs into Wix websites. 

Unlike Figma Sites, Wix offers built-in ecommerce (on specific subscription plans) and marketing tools. However, you won’t be able to paste designs from Figma directly into the Wix editor, as you can on Figma Sites.

Key features

• Drag-and-drop visual editor

• AI site builder and text generator

• App market for added features

Compare Wix and Squarespace

Choosing a Figma Sites Alternative

The website building platform you choose depends on your goals, budget, and needs. Consider what matters most to you: price, ease of use, design flexibility, ecommerce features, or growth potential. Every platform has its own strengths.

When evaluating your top options, consider:

• Pricing: Consider monthly costs, promotional pricing, and transaction fees.

• Design control: What level of customization do you want?

• Marketing tools: Do you need built-in email or SEO support?

• Client handoffs: Will clients need to manage their site independently after handoff?

• Scalability: Do you want to do more than build a website? Do you want the option to organize events, sell products, or manage client bookings and payments?

Your choice may also come down to aesthetic preferences and ease of use. We recommend trying out more than one platform to see which feels most intuitive to use and creates the most appealing website design for your taste.

If you’re looking to create beautiful websites and have the option to use your website as a business tool, Squarespace is a great option. The platform leads with strong design and allows for flexible customization with or without custom code. Plus, it has features for selling physical and digital products, booking appointments, marketing, and invoicing.

Ultimately, the right tool depends on how much structure you want up front and how far you want to grow your site. Whether you're building a portfolio, a personal brand, or a full business, there's a visual-first website builder to help you make it happen.

Depending on your goals and preferences, it’s still worth comparing with other website platforms. Whether you’re looking for advanced ecommerce features or flexible design tools, there are several strong alternatives available.

Top e-monsite alternatives

Below, we’ll walk through top e-monsite/emyspot alternatives, highlighting features that might influence your choice, like ecommerce capabilities, AI tools, design flexibility, and starting monthly prices for annual subscriptions.

Note: Plans and pricing for each platform can vary by location. For Squarespace, see our pricing page for the most up-to-date details in your location. 

Compare more brands and website builders

1. Squarespace

Pricing starts at: $16 per month

Squarespace is an all-in-one website platform designed to help individuals and businesses launch beautiful, professional websites. Known for its high-quality website designs and built-in marketing tools, it caters to users who want a seamless experience from website creation to selling online or managing appointments.

Squarespace vs. e-monsite

While both platforms target users looking for an accessible way to build a site, Squarespace places a strong emphasis on polished design and built-in business features. You can start a website with its interactive AI website builder or predesigned templates. The platform includes powerful ecommerce support—including unlimited product listings—AI tools for content generation and SEO, and tools for invoicing, scheduling, and email marketing. 

E-monsite places limits on how many products you can sell or community members in your membership websites based on your subscription plan, which Squarespace doesn’t. Squarespace also offers 24/7 support for all plans, while e-monsite’s support levels are dependent on plan tier.

See our full e-monsite vs. Squarespace comparison

Key features

• Curated, professional website templates

• AI website builder, copywriting, and SEO tools

• Ecommerce tools (unlimited products, shipping, native payments, invoicing)

• Appointment scheduling with Acuity Scheduling

• Email marketing with automation settings

• 24/7 customer support

2. Wix

Pricing starts at: $17 per month, or limited free plan

Wix is a drag-and-drop website builder that combines ease of use with design flexibility. It offers the option to start from a template or an AI site builder and has ecommerce tools on higher-level plans.

Wix vs. e-monsite

Wix offers flexibility through its website editor, access to app integrations, and business tools. On higher-tier plans, Wix provides more ecommerce capabilities and marketing features. On both platforms, you’ll need to choose a higher-level plan to access ecommerce features.

Key features

• AI website design and copywriting

• App marketplace for additional functionality

• Ecommerce features on some plans

Compare Squarespace and Wix

3. Weebly

Pricing starts at: $10 per month, or limited free plan

Weebly, part of the Square ecosystem, offers a simple website builder and ecommerce on all of its plans. Because it’s part of Square, Weebly integrates closely with Square POS systems.

Weebly vs. e-monsite

Both Weebly and e-monsite are designed to be beginner-friendly. Weebly offers an advantage if you’re already using Square POS to sell in person thanks to its native integration with the POS system. Weebly also offers unlimited product listings on all of its plans, which e-monsite doesn’t currently offer. E-monsite also includes separate member areas in its paid plans, while Weebly offers community forums.

Key features

• Drag-and-drop website editor

• Ecommerce tools included on all plans

• Integrated with Square for payments

Compare Squarespace and Weebly

4. WordPress.com

Pricing starts at: $4 per month, or limited free plan

WordPress.com is the hosted version of WordPress, offering content management and site-building tools out of the box. It includes strong blogging tools as well as the option to add features through a large third-party plugin library.

WordPress vs. e-monsite

WordPress.com offers significant customization potential, particularly for users on higher-tier plans with access to plugins and custom themes. You’ll need a more advanced WordPress plan to sell products, which e-monsite offers—with some limitations—on all of its plans. WordPress may have a steeper learning curve, but it may offer more feature customization.

Key features

• Website theme library

• Built-in blogging and CMS features

• Plugin support (on higher-tier plans)

Compare Squarespace and WordPress.com

5. Jimdo

Pricing starts at: $11 per month, or limited free plan

Jimdo is a beginner-friendly website builder with built-in AI tools. Its AI website builder can sync with your social media accounts to help populate your website.

Jimdo vs. e-monsite

Jimdo and e-monsite both offer a straightforward setup process. If you want to sell products, e-monsite allows you to list a limited number on its lowest-priced plans, whereas you’ll need a higher-tier subscription on Jimdo to list products. However, you need an ecommerce plan on e-monsite for full ecommerce support. Both platforms offer a limited-access free subscription.

Key features

• AI-powered site builder

• Online store (on higher-tier plans)

• Free tier available

Compare Squarespace and Jimdo

6. Webnode

Pricing starts at: $4.50 per month, or limited free plan

Webnode is a website builder that offers quick setup with website templates or its AI website builder. It offers multilingual support and ecommerce features on its highest-tier plans.

Webnode vs. e-monsite

Both Webnode and e-monsite offer similar features but access to those features vary across each platform’s plans. You can list a limited number of products and start a small member area on e-monsite’s lowest-priced plans, while you’ll need a higher-tier plan to access ecommerce and member areas on Webnode. 

However, both platforms require a higher-tier plan for multilingual support and full ecommerce feature access.

Key features

• AI-assisted setup

• Ecommerce and multilingual website support (on some plans)

• Blogging tools

7. Hostinger Website Builder

Pricing starts at: $3.99 per month

Hostinger’s website builder includes the option to start with a template or AI website builder and a drag-and-drop editing interface. On a higher-tier plan, you can access AI-powered tools and ecommerce features. 

Hostinger vs. e-monsite

Hostinger advertises a wide set of tools for AI content generation, which aren’t listed in e-monsite’s plan features. Hostinger offers an AI website builder and ecommerce and marketing integrations, though you’ll need Hostinger’s higher-tier plan to access its full feature set. 

Key features

• AI website and copywriting tools

• Drag-and-drop website editor

• Built-in ecommerce on higher-tier plan

Compare Squarespace and Hostinger

How to choose an e-monsite Alternative

Your ideal website builder will depend on your goals—whether you're starting a blog, building a portfolio, launching a store, or growing a service business. If you want to grow your online presence with built-in tools for ecommerce, scheduling, and marketing, a platform like Squarespace provides an all-in-one solution without needing additional plugins or third-party apps.

When evaluating platforms, consider:

• Pricing: Consider free trials, monthly costs, promotional pricing, and transaction fees.

• Ease of use: Do you need a platform that works out of the box?

• Design control: How much customization do you want?

• Marketing tools: Do you need built-in email or SEO support?

• Community support: Are you building a membership site?

• Scalability: Do you want to do more than build a website? Do you want the option to organize events or book work with clients?

It may also come down to personal preference. We recommend trialing a few different platforms to get a sense of what feels easier for you to use or which platform creates the most appealing design for your site.

Before you switch, consider the features you value most and how easy the transition process will be. Some platforms offer tools to migrate content or import domains, which can streamline the process and get you online faster.

Top Jimdo alternatives

This list includes some commonly referenced Jimdo alternatives. Below, we’ve gathered basic details for each on factors that might influence your choice, like ecommerce capabilities, AI tools, design flexibility, and starting monthly prices for annual subscriptions. Whether you're a small business owner, freelancer, or creative professional, this list can help you find the right fit.

Note: Plans and pricing for each platform can vary by location. For Squarespace, see our pricing page for the most up-to-date details in your location. 

Compare more brands and website builders

1. Squarespace

Pricing starts at: $16 per month

Squarespace is an all-in-one platform that makes it easy to build a beautiful website, sell online, and grow your business. Its professionally designed templates, built-in marketing tools, and intuitive editing interface are ideal for anyone who wants a user-friendly platform to stand out online.

Squarespace vs. Jimdo

Both Squarespace and Jimdo offer AI-powered or template-based website creation and ecommerce features. Squarespace goes further with robust design tools, including AI-powered design guidance and content generation and flexible features across all plans. 

It also offers advanced marketing integrations, like built-in email campaigns with automated messages based on website activity and an AI SEO tool. You also get access to client invoicing, appointment booking, and low fees with native payments from Squarespace Payments. To access similar ecommerce features on Jimdo, you’ll need a higher-tier subscription.

See our full Jimdo vs. Squarespace comparison

Key features

• Extensive template library

• AI website builder and copy generator

• Built-in SEO and email marketing tools

• Online stores, shipping, and invoices

• Scheduling and client management

• Custom domain and 24/7 support

2. Wix

Pricing starts at: $17 per month, or limited free plan

Wix is a popular website builder with a drag-and-drop editing interface and AI website tools. Similar to Squarespace, it offers a template library, an AI website generator, and access to an app marketplace for added functionality.

Wix vs. Jimdo

Wix provides many design features, with customization and dynamic content options. Depending on how much freedom you want to personalize your design, you may prefer Wix’s toolset, if you’re comfortable with learning a new editing interface. Like on Jimdo, you’ll need a higher-tier subscription to get ecommerce features on Wix.

Key features

• AI website builder and drag-and-drop editor

• App marketplace for added tools

• Ecommerce and booking features

Compare Squarespace and Wix

3. Webflow

Pricing starts at: $14 per month, or limited free plan

Webflow is a no-code website platform aimed at users who want granular control over design and site interactions. It includes advanced animation tools, a CMS, and ecommerce features on higher-tier plans.

Webflow vs. Jimdo

Webflow appeals to designers and developers looking for advanced flexibility in their website designs. You may be able to build a more complex website with Webflow’s built-in tools, but it could be less beginner-friendly if you don’t have previous design experience. Both Jimdo and Webflow require a higher-level plan to use ecommerce features.

Key features

• Visual design tools with advanced styling

• Built-in CMS

• SEO and AI-powered copywriting tools

Compare Squarespace and Webflow

4. Hostinger

Pricing starts at: $3.99 per month ($10.99 after promotional period)

Hostinger combines web hosting and a beginner-friendly AI website builder. On its more advanced plan, you’ll also get access to AI features and ecommerce tools.

Hostinger vs. Jimdo

Hostinger and Jimdo both offer AI website creation and ecommerce access, but Hostinger advertises more built-in AI tools. Jimdo offers syncing with your social media accounts during AI website setup, which Hostinger doesn’t currently include in its AI building flow. Jimdo offers a free plan, with some limitations, while Hostinger currently doesn’t.

Key features

• AI website and logo builder

• Drag-and-drop editor

• Built-in marketing integrations

Compare Hostinger and Squarespace

5. Weebly

Pricing starts at: $10 per month, or limited free plan

Weebly is a website builder owned by Square, with a focus on small businesses that sell online and in-person. It includes ecommerce tools on all plans and integrates closely with Square’s POS system.

Weebly vs. Jimdo

Both Weebly and Jimdo offer simple websites and ecommerce tools, but Weebly includes selling features even on its free and entry-level plans, which Jimdo doesn’t. Weebly’s close connection to Square means it can be a convenient choice if you already use a Square reader to sell in person.

Key features

• Drag-and-drop website builder

• Ecommerce on all plan levels

• Square POS and payment tools

Compare Squarespace and Weebly

6. WordPress

Pricing starts at: $4 per month, or limited free plan

WordPress.com is the hosted version of the popular open-source content management system (CMS), WordPress. It offers design themes and plugin support for added customization.

WordPress.com vs. Jimdo

WordPress.com gives users several added functionality options through its plugin library, but may require a bit more technical know-how to maintain and customize. Both Jimdo and WordPress offer limited-access free plans and access to ecommerce tools only on higher-tier plans. Because of its basis as a CMS, WordPress has strong blogging capabilities.

Key features

• Theme library and block editor

• Plugin and ecommerce on higher-level plans

• Blog and content management

Compare Squarespace and WordPress

7. GoDaddy

Pricing starts at: $9.99 per month, or limited free plan

GoDaddy is well-known for domains and website hosting but also offers an user-friendly website builder. It also offers different plan types to access ecommerce or marketing features.

GoDaddy vs. Jimdo

Both GoDaddy and Jimdo offer simple website setup with an AI-driven design option and ecommerce access on higher-level plans. GoDaddy includes additional business and marketing options, including appointment booking and email marketing.

Key features

• Drag-and-drop website editor

• AI site builder

• Ecommerce and bookings

Compare GoDaddy and Squarespace

8. Framer

Pricing starts at: $5 per month

Framer is a design-focused website builder with real-time collaboration tools. It’s appealing for designers and developers who want a high level of design control.

Framer vs. Jimdo

Framer offers advanced control over website layouts, especially for visual design. It supports code injection and design-to-site workflows. However, Framer doesn’t currently have built-in ecommerce features, which you’ll need to add via third-party tools. Jimdo does have built-in ecommerce on its higher-tier plans.

Key features

• AI website generator

• Live design collaboration

• CMS and custom code support

Compare Framer and Squarespace

How to choose the best Jimdo alternative

The right Jimdo alternative depends on your specific needs, whether that’s strong design tools, robust ecommerce and client management features, or ease of use. Every platform has its own mix of tools and tradeoffs. If you're looking for an intuitive website builder with built-in business tools that offers all of the above, Squarespace is a great option.

Consider what matters most for your next stage of growth:

• Design and branding: Do you want more control over the look and feel of your site?

• Selling and scheduling: Will you offer services, sell products, or both?

• Business management: What features do you need to run your business smoothly?

• Marketing tools: Do you need built-in SEO, email marketing, or analytics?

We recommend trialing more than one platform to see which feels most intuitive to use and creates the most appealing website design for your taste. Whichever platform you choose, look for one that balances an intuitive interface with the features you need to grow.

If you want to get the most out of the holiday shopping season, it’s important to start preparing early in the year. Many people start shopping for holiday gifts in October, and gifting extends into February for Valentine’s Day.

Here are five tips to help you get ahead of the busy holiday season and continue your success into 2025.

1. Prep your online store for holiday shoppers

2. Streamline payments and holiday shipping

3. Create a holiday marketing strategy

4. Build a strategy for rewarding customer loyalty

5. Analyze the performance of your holiday sales efforts

1. Prep your online store for holiday shoppers 

If you’re just starting an ecommerce store, you can get set up quickly with a website builder like Squarespace. Choose a website template to customize or build one with AI, then add your products and services or import them from another platform. 

For online businesses that are up and running:

1. Check your inventory. Keep an eye on your stock levels and know your most popular items so you don’t run out and know what to promote in your marketing.

2. Add seasonal products. This can include simple additions like gift wrapping services, greeting cards, or gift cards. Suggest them to shoppers as add-ons or related items.

3. Sync with third party selling channels. Sync your store with Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Google, so you can reach more customers where they’re searching for gifts.

4. Boost your SEO and AIO. Consider where you can optimize your site for search and AI results, like in product descriptions, site descriptions, or blog posts.

5. Review your website. In addition to SEO, make sure your website is easy to navigate and use. Try going through the full shopping and checkout experience to make sure it’s clear and simple.

Seasonal products to consider

Think about adding popular holiday gifts to your store for the season. In addition to gift cards and other common holiday items, consider adding other options that fit your business.

• Set up a subscription option for popular or giftable products, like a Coffee of the Month club.

• Offer giftable access to a membership site where you post exclusive content, like video demos that pair with your cooking content or a members-only newsletter.

• Add gift certificates to your booking tool so people can give the gift of your workshops, retreats, or personal services.

• Add seasonally relevant services, like holiday support groups or crafting workshops.

See the full guide to prepping your site for the holiday season

2. Streamline payments and holiday shipping

The smoother this experience is, the more likely someone is to complete a purchase or book with you. A good customer experience also increases the chances someone will be a return customer or recommend you to someone else.

Once you’ve gotten your products set up, focus on the buying experience:

• Customize your checkout page. Match your design to your branding. A checkout page that looks professional will help new customers trust your business.

• Choose a payment tool that offers flexibility. Connect a payment solution, like Squarespace Payments, that gives shoppers multiple payment options, including familiar brands like Klarna and PayPal. 

• Share your payment terms. For service providers, a clear payment policy sets expectations for you and clients around timelines, payment methods, and fees.

• Set up sales tax calculation. Connect your site to a tool that automatically calculates sales tax based on your customers’ location for accuracy.

Offering multiple payment options and a well-designed payment process both make it more likely for visitors to convert. If they can use a buy now, pay later service or quickly enter shipping details, it removes friction from the buying process.

Confirm your delivery and pickup policy

Clear and accurate fulfillment information is especially important during the holidays, when customers count on you to get gifts to them or their loved ones. Before the holidays start, take a look at a few key details:

• Decide how you’ll fulfill orders. Ensure you know which carriers you’ll use to ship orders and their pricing. Some website plugins can help you compare rates, or you can print UPS and USPS labels from a Squarespace site.

• Consider local pickup or local delivery. If you sell in person or want to hand-deliver orders, you can offer a local pickup or local delivery option at checkout.

• Check your shipping and return policy. Make sure your policy is easy to find and clear about delivery timelines, rates, and guidelines for returning merchandise.

• Confirm any shipping deadlines. Get shipping date cut-offs from your carriers ahead of any major holidays so you can highlight them for customers on your site and in emails.

Service providers can provide clear, detailed information about how to book with them or redeem any services that are being gifted.

Squarespace users can also create fulfillment profiles to set shipping rules for individual items, streamlining your workflow and avoiding customer confusion. For example, you can set a specific item as in-person pickup only, or set flat rate shipping and country availability for other items.

Learn how to optimize holiday selling, shipping, and fulfillment

3. Create a holiday marketing strategy

Use a marketing strategy to officially set your goals for the holiday season and make a plan to reach them. This doesn’t have to be a complex plan, but set at least one measurable goal, and decide who you’ll reach out to, how, and when. If you’re stuck on ideas, look to your past marketing successes for inspiration. Or experiment with one of the options below.

• Email marketing: Promotional emails are one of the most important tools a business owner has. Use your mailing list to promote discounts or popular items. Squarespace Email Campaigns has holiday-themed templates for you to customize, including a set designed to build anticipation for Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales. 

• On- and off-site promotion: Market your products where your target customer is most likely spending their time. That includes website banners, search engines, and social media like Instagram and TikTok.

• Add website features: A simple change, like turning on abandoned cart recovery to bring shoppers back to your website after they exit without buying, or limited availability labels on low-stock items can help to increase your sales.

Make sure to update discounts and promote them during major retail sales holidays. You can quickly get images for promos in the Squarespace iOS app. Designs are made based on your branding and products, so you don’t have to spend time creating images yourself. If you find yourself stuck on copy for your marketing, you can use Squarespace AI to generate first drafts in emails and on your website or help you generate smart discount strategies.

Get more tips for your holiday marketing strategy

4. Build a strategy for rewarding customer loyalty

Making a great impression counts when it comes to building loyalty. During the holidays, you might get more first-time customers, so it’s worth ensuring that you’re set up to create a lasting, positive impression.

There are a few places to give special attention during the busy season. 

• Return policies: A clear return policy or cancellation policy and process is important for building trust, especially when someone’s getting a gift for another person. If you make the return process easy, they’ll feel more comfortable buying from you in the future.

• Mailing lists: Give shoppers the option to join your email list at checkout and elsewhere on your site. This is an opportunity to stay connected and turn a single purchase into a return customer.

• Word-of-mouth praise: Encourage customers to share their purchases on social media and tag you. That sharing is social proof that others should check out your business, which we’re all more likely to trust than advertising. Resharing or liking their posts is also a way to connect with them more personally.

In addition to a post-holiday rise in returns, you may see lower sales in January. If you have leftover inventory to move, promote a discount code to your mailing list and social media followers. This will have the bonus effect of reminding customers of the great experience they had at your store and catching them after major holiday sales are over.

Read more about building year-round customer loyalty

5. Analyze your holiday sales performance

When the holiday rush is over, take some time to review how it went. Return to the goals you set in your marketing strategy and measure whether you met them. There are a few analytics tools that you can use to find out which of your pages get the most views, where your visitors come from geographically, and which pages or products are more popular. 

For the most popular products, ask yourself whether you spent more time working on the product listing or polishing the product images, and whether you promoted them more through email or social media. Keep track of the marketing tactics you used to find out which part of your strategy was the most effective.

For a deeper dive into what worked and what didn’t for your store during the holiday season, visit the purchase funnel panel in the Analytics section of your Squarespace account dashboard. This panel breaks down the journey of a sale into a four-step process.

1. Visited website

2. Viewed product

3. Added to cart or started checkout

4. Purchase complete 

This way, you can see where interest most often turns into sales and where people tend to drop off. This can give you a sense of which products you should continue to invest in and which products you might need to rethink. Carry these learnings into the rest of the year.

Follow our checklist for success before, during, and after the holidays

However, there are many all-in-one website and business options out there. Whether you're launching a business website, blog, or online store, there are IONOS alternatives that might offer design or ecommerce tools that you’d prefer.

Top IONOS alternatives

This list includes some commonly referenced IONOS alternatives. Below you’ll find information on important factors like design flexibility, AI features, hosting, and monthly price for annual subscriptions, so you can find the right platform for your goals.

Note: Plans and pricing for each platform can vary by location. For Squarespace, see our pricing page for the most up-to-date details in your location. 

Compare more brands and website builders

1. Squarespace

Pricing starts at: $16 per month

Squarespace is an all-in-one website platform known for its elegant website designs, intuitive editing tools, and built-in ecommerce, service selling, and marketing capabilities. It’s ideal if you want a polished, professional website without the complexity of managing separate hosting and plugins.

Squarespace vs. IONOS

Squarespace focuses on ease of use and cohesive design, paired with comprehensive business tools on one platform. Squarespace users get access to a curated library of templates as well as guided AI website builder, AI-powered design tools, and features like invoicing, appointment scheduling, and member areas. Squarespace plans include web hosting and you can access ecommerce on most plans, whereas you’ll need a higher-tier plan for ecommerce tools on IONOS.

See our full IONOS vs. Squarespace comparison

Key features

• Premium website templates and visual editor

• AI website builder and copy tools

• Built-in ecommerce and payment tools

• Scheduling and client invoicing

• Email marketing and SEO tools

• 24/7 customer support

2. Wix

Pricing starts at: $17 per month, or limited free plan

Wix is a website builder with predesigned templates, AI tools, drag-and-drop editing, and an app marketplace for extra functionality. Like Squarespace, its website builder offers customization without needing to code.

Wix vs. IONOS

Wix’s platform is focused on its user-friendly tools, while IONOS emphasizes hosting and infrastructure. Both Wix and IONOS offer AI website building and design tools, and both require you to sign up for a higher-tier plan to use ecommerce tools. Compare specific functionality to understand which platform offers the features you need.

Key features

• Drag-and-drop website builder

• AI site generator and SEO tools

• Third-party app integrations

Compare Wix and Squarespace

3. Weebly 

Pricing starts at: $10 per month, or limited free plan

Weebly is a straightforward website builder with ecommerce features included on all of its plans. It’s owned by Square and easily integrates with Square POS systems, which can make it convenient if you already use Square POS for your business.

Weebly vs. IONOS

Weebly’s feature set is focused on helping businesses quickly start selling online, while IONOS provides more traditional hosting and basic web design options. Ecommerce is available on all of Weebly’s plans, including its free tier, whereas you’ll need to upgrade to a higher-tier IONOS subscription for ecommerce tools.

Key features

• Drag-and-drop editor

• Ecommerce and payment tools

• Square POS integration

Compare Squarespace and Weebly

4. Hostinger

Pricing starts at: $3.99 per month

Hostinger is a web hosting provider that also offers a website builder, email services, and domain registration. While it offers some website templates, Hostinger focuses on its AI website building and content generation tools.

Hostinger vs. IONOS

Hostinger and IONOS offer similar services—shared hosting, domains, and website builders. Hostinger may offer additional AI features not currently advertised by IONOS. You’ll need a higher subscription tier to access ecommerce on both platforms, but Hostinger’s ecommerce-included plan costs less after the promotional period ends on IONOS.

Key features

• AI website builder

• Free domain and SSL on select plans

• Ecommerce tools available on higher tier

See our full Hostinger vs. Squarespace comparison

5. Bluehost

Pricing starts at: $4.95 per month ($11.99 after promotional period)

Bluehost is a web hosting provider that is closely integrated with WordPress. It offers managed WordPress hosting as well as its own simple website builder, along with domain registration and email.

Bluehost vs. IONOS

Like IONOS, Bluehost is a traditional hosting company that also offers website building. Because of its close integration with the WordPress content management system (CMS), it could be easier to use if you’re already familiar with WordPress. You’ll need a higher-tier plan to access ecommerce.

Key features

• WordPress hosting

• Free domain and SSL

• Optional drag-and-drop website builder

See our full Bluehost vs. Squarespace comparison

6. Shopify

Pricing starts at: $29 per month

Shopify is a dedicated ecommerce platform that includes website hosting and many tools for product management, shipping, and sales across multiple channels.

Shopify vs. IONOS

Shopify is a worthwhile option if your primary goal is to run an online store. It offers more robust built-in ecommerce features than IONOS, including multichannel sales. Shopify also offers AI tools that IONOS doesn’t currently have, like its Sidekick chatbot assistant.

Key features

• Full-featured ecommerce platform

• POS and inventory tools

• Shipping and tax management

Compare Squarespace and Shopify

7. GoDaddy

Pricing starts at: $9.99 per month, or limited free plan

GoDaddy is well-known for its domains, but also combines domain registration, hosting, and a user-friendly website builder into one platform. It’s an all-in-one option that also offers customization through plugins and AI tools.

GoDaddy vs. IONOS

Both IONOS and GoDaddy offer an all-in-one bundle with the option to add functionality with different plans or plugins. GoDaddy may offer more AI tools through GoDaddy Airo, and both require you to choose a higher subscription tier to use ecommerce tools.

Key features

• Domain and hosting bundles

• AI-powered website builder

• Ecommerce and appointment scheduling on certain plans

Compare GoDaddy and Squarespace

How to choose an IONOS alternative

The right IONOS alternative depends on what you’re prioritizing: design flexibility, ecommerce tools, budget-friendly hosting, or simplicity. If you're looking for an intuitive website builder with built-in business tools that offers all of the above, Squarespace is a great option.

Consider the following as you compare your top choices:

• Ease of use: Do you want something hands-off or fully customizable?

• Ecommerce features: Will your platform help you sell products, services, or subscriptions?

• Price vs. performance: Are you looking for long-term growth or the simplest entry point?

• Support and reliability: Do you need fast setup, scalability, or 24/7 help?

Aesthetics and ease of use are also very personal. It’s best to trial more than one platform to see which feels most intuitive to use and creates the most appealing website design for your preferences.

Whether you’re switching from IONOS or starting fresh, each of these platforms offers a wide range of tools to help bring your website to life.

But it’s not the only option out there if you’re looking for fast setup and ease of use. Whether you’re building a portfolio, launching an online store, or scaling a growing business, there are several alternatives that might suit your needs, especially if you’re prioritizing simplicity or advanced ecommerce functionality.

Top Hostinger alternatives

This list includes some commonly referenced alternatives to Hostinger. Each offers a unique mix of hosting, site building, and business tools. Below you’ll find information on important factors like design flexibility, AI features, and lowest average monthly price for annual subscriptions, so you can find the right platform for your goals.

Note: Plans and pricing for each platform can vary by location. For Squarespace, see our pricing page for the most up-to-date details in your location. 

1. Squarespace

Pricing starts at: $16 per month

Squarespace is an all-in-one platform designed to help anyone create a beautiful, professional website. Every website plan comes with web hosting, plus access to powerful ecommerce, marketing, and scheduling tools. 

Squarespace vs. Hostinger

Hostinger and Squarespace both offer hosting and website building in one package, though you can also use Hostinger solely for hosting services. Squarespace offers significant design strength with a library of templates or a guided AI website builder, AI-powered design recommendations, and intuitive editing system that make site creation approachable. Squarespace also includes advanced functionality like ecommerce, invoicing, and email marketing on all of its plans. 

See our full Hostinger vs. Squarespace comparison

Key features

• AI website builder, copy, and SEO tools

• Customizable design templates

• Built-in ecommerce and client invoicing

• Appointment scheduling through Acuity Scheduling

• Built-in email marketing 

• Hosting included in all website plans

2. Wix

Pricing starts at: $17 per month, or limited free plan

Wix is a website builder with drag-and-drop tools, an AI website builder, and app integrations for customization. It includes beginner-friendly design tools and hosting on its website plans.

Wix vs. Hostinger

Compared to Hostinger, Wix is more focused on website creation than hosting infrastructure. It includes visual editing tools and supports built-in ecommerce on higher-priced plans. It also includes AI tools, which Hostinger also has in its higher-tier website plans. Wix also offers a free plan, which comes with some feature limitations and Wix branding.

Key features

• Visual drag-and-drop builder

• Customizable templates

• AI site generator and SEO tools

Compare Wix and Squarespace

3. Weebly 

Pricing starts at: $10 per month, or limited free plan

Weebly is a simple website builder owned by Square. It integrates closely with Square POS, so it can be convenient for small retailers or service providers who already use Square for their sales.

Weebly vs. Hostinger

Weebly offers ecommerce tools even at its free tier, which you’ll need a higher-tier Hostinger plan to access. Weebly doesn’t currently have an AI website builder or significant AI website tools, which Hostinger does offer on its higher-priced plans. Weebly’s integration with Square POS could be beneficial if you’re already using Square or need a native POS. 

Key features

• Drag-and-drop editing

• Ecommerce tools on all paid plans

• Square POS and payment integration

Compare Squarespace and Weebly

4. Bluehost

Pricing starts at: $4.95 per month ($11.99 after promotional period)

Bluehost is a hosting provider with ties to WordPress. It offers several different hosting plans with optional website-building tools.

Bluehost vs. Hostinger

Both Bluehost and Hostinger offer web hosting with site builder options, and both can integrate with WordPress for website publishing. Bluehost offers WordPress-centric features and onboarding support, so it can be worth considering if you’re already familiar with WordPress websites.

Key features

• WordPress integration

• Free domain for first year and SSL certificate

• Drag-and-drop website builder

See our full Bluehost vs. Squarespace comparison

5. GoDaddy

Pricing starts at: $9.99 per month

GoDaddy is well-known for its website domains and hosting, but it also offers a user-friendly website builder. Higher-tier plans come with ecommerce tools.

GoDaddy vs. Hostinger

GoDaddy offers a similar range of services to Hostinger, but depending on your needs, may offer more of the marketing or website tools you need. Like Hostinger, ecommerce is available on higher-tier plans. GoDaddy’s ecommerce also supports multichannel selling, which isn’t advertised as a Hostinger feature.

Key features

• Website builder with AI-powered setup

• Domain and hosting bundles

• Online store and appointment features

Compare Squarespace and GoDaddy

6. Webflow

Pricing starts at: $14 per month, or limited free plan

Webflow is a no-code website builder designed for users who want extra creative control over their design. It blends visual design tools with a publishing CMS and hosting.

Webflow vs. Hostinger

Both Hostinger and Webflow can get access to website hosting and design tools, as well as AI-supported features. Webflow focuses on its advanced design capabilities, which allow for granular control over your website design. It may have a steeper learning curve for those with less design experience. Like Hostinger, you’ll need to choose a higher-tier plan to access ecommerce.

Key features

• Visual editor with advanced styling tools

• AI design and content features

• Hosting included with site plans

Compare Squarespace and Webflow

7. WordPress

Pricing starts at: $4 per month, or limited free plan

WordPress.com is a version of the open source WordPress CMS that combines hosting, site building, and content management in one package.

WordPress.com vs. Hostinger

Hostinger offers hosting with its own website builder, while WordPress.com includes the WordPress CMS and website builder in its platform. You can also use Hostinger to host a WordPress website, however. Depending on what tools you need and which platform you prefer, WordPress could offer more straightforward setup and maintenance. Both could give you access to the WordPress CMS and plugin support.

Key features

• Managed hosting with WordPress built in

• Themes and block-based editor

• Plugin and code support on business plans

Compare Squarespace and WordPress.com

8. Framer

Pricing starts at: $5 per month

Framer is a website builder focused on interactive, design-forward sites. It includes an AI website builder, CMS, and collaborative design tools.

Framer vs. Hostinger

Framer is geared toward designers and startups looking for customized web designs and real-time collaboration tools. Framer website plans include hosting, but its platform focuses on its advanced design features. Framer doesn’t currently offer built-in ecommerce tools, which you can access on Hostinger’s higher-tier website plan.

Key features

• AI-powered website creation

• Real-time design collaboration

• Built-in CMS and animations

See our full Framer vs. Squarespace comparison

9. SiteGround

Pricing starts at: $2.99 per month

SiteGround is a web hosting provider that offers a website builder and AI content generation tools. It also offers WordPress-optimized hosting and third-party integrations for ecommerce.

SiteGround vs. Hostinger

Both SiteGround and Hostinger are trusted web hosting providers, and both offer website building tools as well as integration with the WordPress CMS. SiteGround includes some tools for agencies and web designers, like the option to ship a site to a client. Hostinger has an AI website builder, whereas SiteGround currently only offers AI generation tools rather than a full website builder.

Key features

• Managed WordPress hosting

• Free daily backups and email

• Collaboration tools for teams

Compare more brands and website builders

How to choose a Hostinger website alternative

The best Hostinger alternative for you depends on what you’re building. A freelancer may want a design-forward platform for their own website that’s quick to set up, represents their portfolio professionally, and helps them manage client projects, for example. Someone who just needs a simple website may want to choose based on which platform creates the most visually appealing sites.

When comparing options, think about:

• Ease of use: Do you want to build with drag-and-drop tools or prefer pixel-level control?

• Ecommerce tools: Are you planning to sell products or book appointments?

• Design flexibility: How customized do you want your site to look?

• Support and scalability: Will you need help or more tools as you grow?

If you want a seamless, design-forward experience with built-in ecommerce, marketing, and client management features, Squarespace is a great choice. It gives you web hosting, a professional website, and the flexibility to manage branding and business tools from one website account.