What Most Non-Tech Small Business Owners Misunderstand About Squarespace Design
In the early stages of a startup, "design" is often treated as the final coat of paint on a house—a cosmetic luxury to be applied once the "real work" of engineering is done. However, as we move through 2026, the gap between "looking good" and "working well" has closed.
With AI tools now able to generate high-fidelity prototypes in seconds, the value of design has shifted even more away from aesthetic execution towards strategic problem-solving.
In 2026, having a "pretty" site is the baseline. To stand out, you have to move past these five common misunderstandings.
1. The "Template" Trap
Many biz owners believe that picking a beautiful Squarespace template is 90% of the work.
The Reality: A template is just a skeleton. What actually converts visitors is the Information Architecture.
The Owner’s Trap: Filling a template with "fluff" just to make it look full. With the speed of most viewers on line these days, if your site structure doesn't lead a lead from "Who is this person?" to "How do I book them?" within two clicks, or 3 seconds, the template has failed you.
2. Design is Content-First, Not Visual-First
Owners often try to hire a designer (or start DIY-ing) before they’ve written a single word of copy.
The Reality: In Squarespace, the copy drives the layout. If you try to shoehorn your bio into a layout designed for a photographer’s portfolio, it will feel disjointed.
The Strategy: Design exists to support your message. Write your "Service" descriptions first; only then will you know if you need a list, a carousel, or a long-form scrolling section.
3. The "One-and-Done" Fallacy
Many biz owners budget for a website as a one-time capital expense, like buying a piece of furniture.
The Reality: A website is a living organism. In 2026, user expectations and browser technologies shift quarterly.
The Strategy: Design should be iterative. You don't "finish" a website; you launch a version, monitor your analytics, conversion data, your sales, and refine it based on how real humans actually use it.
4. Personal Taste vs. User Experience (UX)
Small business owners often design for themselves ("I love this shade of pale yellow!") rather than for their ideal client.
The Peer Advice: You might love a minimalist "hidden" menu, but if your 50-year-old ideal client can’t find the "Book Now" button because it’s tucked away, your personal aesthetic is costing you money. Squarespace’s Fluid Engine makes it easy to move things around, but just because you can put a button anywhere doesn't mean you should. Good design strategy should always lean towards making it as easy as possible for your audience to locate important info and direct how to take the next best steps to connect with your offer.
The Reality: High-end service providers need to prioritize frictionless booking.
5. Ignoring the "Mobile-First" Lifestyle
Entrepreneurs usually build their sites on a 15-inch laptop. However, your clients are likely finding you through an Instagram link or a LinkedIn post on their phone.
The Reality: Squarespace’s mobile "auto-stacking" isn't always perfect.
The Fix: A "designed" site means you’ve gone into the mobile view and ensured the text is readable and the buttons are "thumb-friendly." If a user has to zoom in to read your pricing, they’re going to leave.
Side note: Even though most of your audience are on their phones, please for the love of all things holy, do not design your website on your phone! Tablet and phones can do a lot for us, but they cannot provide the interface for building your website or running your business. Small business owners still need to invest in a laptop or a desktop computer.
The Bottom Line
Good web design isn't (always) about winning awards; bottom line, it’s about your bottom line, and reducing the distance between a stranger and a deposit. If your Squarespace site doesn't clearly articulate what you do, who you do it for, and how they can pay you, no amount of "pretty" will fix your bottom line.
At Goodwin Creative we LOVE pretty however! Our main objective is to build beautiful online spaces with strategic, intentional design.
Want to learn more? Book in for call to discuss your projects.
