Why we use Squarespace for small business websites
Introduction
Choosing a website platform is often treated as a technical decision. For most small businesses, it’s really a decision about ownership, responsibility, and how much ongoing involvement the website should require.
Squarespace and WordPress are two of the most commonly used platforms for small business websites. Both are capable and widely used, but they suit very different expectations around maintenance, updates, and long-term comfort.
This article explains why we choose Squarespace over WordPress for most small business websites — and when that choice makes sense, and when it doesn’t.
In short:
Squarespace suits small businesses that want simplicity, predictable ownership, and minimal ongoing maintenance.
WordPress suits businesses that need custom functionality and are prepared to manage ongoing technical complexity.
What most small businesses actually need from a website
Most small businesses are not looking for maximum flexibility or endless customisation. They want a website that does a small number of things well and doesn’t become another thing to manage.
In practice, that usually means:
A clear explanation of what the business does
Simple navigation and structure
A professional, credible presentation
Easy updates without technical help
Minimal ongoing maintenance once live
For many owners, a website is not a technical project or ongoing experiment. It’s a support tool that should work quietly in the background.
Many platform comparisons start with what the software can do, rather than what a small business actually needs. Our platform choice starts from the opposite direction: what will still feel comfortable and manageable a year or two after launch.
For most small businesses, clarity and ease matter more than theoretical flexibility.
Ownership and responsibility matter more than flexibility
Platform discussions often focus on flexibility and control. For small businesses, the more important question is how much responsibility comes with that control.
Owning a website usually means being responsible for:
Keeping the platform and extensions up to date
Ensuring updates don’t break the site
Managing compatibility issues over time
Dealing with problems when something stops working
For many business owners, this responsibility quickly turns into ongoing dependence on technical help.
The real distinction between platforms is not how much they can do, but how much ongoing attention they require once the site is live.
A website that demands less attention over time is often the better business decision.
The reality of updates, security, and maintenance
Every website platform requires some level of ongoing care. The difference is how visible and demanding that care is for the business owner.
With some platforms, ongoing maintenance typically involves:
Regular software updates
Monitoring for compatibility issues
Managing third-party add-ons
Fixing issues after updates
Even when updates are routine, they still require attention and confidence. Many small businesses delay updates or rely on outside help simply because it’s not something they want to manage themselves.
Over time, this creates quiet dependency. The website works, but only as long as someone is keeping an eye on it.
A note on SEO
SEO is often raised as a deciding factor between platforms. In practice, both Squarespace and WordPress support solid SEO foundations.
Clean page structure, mobile responsiveness, fast hosting, and sensible content organisation matter far more than the platform itself. For most small business websites, outcomes are driven by clarity and content quality, not by the CMS.
Platform choice should support good SEO habits, not distract from them.
Why Squarespace fits most small business websites
Squarespace is designed to reduce the number of moving parts a small business needs to think about.
For most of our clients, that means:
Hosting, updates, and security are handled automatically
No plugins are required for core functionality
Content can be edited without technical knowledge
The site continues to run reliably with minimal intervention
In simple terms:
Squarespace: managed platform, predictable upkeep, fewer things to manage
WordPress: flexible framework, more control, more responsibility
This doesn’t make Squarespace the best option in every situation. It makes it easier to live with over time.
For businesses that want a website they can update themselves and largely forget about once it’s live, that simplicity matters.
When WordPress is the right choice
WordPress is not a poor platform. In the right context, it can be an excellent one.
It is often a better fit when:
Highly customised functionality is required
Complex integrations or workflows are needed
Membership, portal, or heavily content-driven sites are involved
The business has in-house technical support
Ongoing development is expected
In these situations, the flexibility WordPress offers can outweigh the additional responsibility that comes with it.
The key point is that this level of complexity should be a deliberate choice, not an accidental one.
Lock-in, independence, and long-term comfort
Platform choice is often confused with lock-in. In practice, lock-in is usually about dependence, not ownership.
A business may technically own its website but still rely on ongoing technical help to operate or update it. That dependence becomes a form of lock-in, regardless of platform.
For most small businesses, long-term comfort comes from:
Being able to update content without help
Not worrying about maintenance or security
Knowing the site will continue working without intervention
That sense of independence is a major reason we favour simpler, managed platforms.
How this influences how we build websites
Our platform choice directly shapes how we approach projects.
Using Squarespace allows us to:
Work within a clearly defined scope
Build sites that are easy to hand over
Avoid ongoing technical dependency
Deliver websites owners can manage themselves
This aligns with our fixed-scope approach and our focus on clarity, ownership, and long-term comfort.
Choosing the right platform for your business
There is no single “best” platform, only a platform that fits how a business wants to operate.
It helps to ask:
How often will the site need updating?
Who will be responsible for maintaining it?
How comfortable are you with technical tasks?
Do you want flexibility, or predictability?
For most small businesses, a website that stays reliable and easy to manage over time is more valuable than one that offers unlimited customisation.
That principle underpins why we choose Squarespace for most small business websites we build.
