Why I Switched to Squarespace

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As a hectic photographer, my days are often filled with capturing, enhancing, and consumer communication. I need to know that my internet site is working well and can be considered on any laptop or tool. When I began the website online in 2003, I used a program called Dreamweaver. Although this turned into quite powerful, there had been some downsides. First, it became a lack of mobility. To make an exchange, I needed to be at my computer walking the software program. Simple design adjustments could be very time consuming and required a solid understanding of some of this system’s complexities. Also, a first-rate deal of browser compatibility testing changed into needed. What worked in Firefox did now not always work in Internet Explorer or Safari. Considering what number of different browsers are used, this becomes a frightening venture.

Switched to Squarespace

I started to search for a solution with an internet-based interface. Ideally, this would be as clean as updating a weblog. Just log in from any laptop in the international, upload the photograph, add your photos and textual content, and you’ve accomplished. Of course, I nevertheless wanted the potential to quickly customize the design and be assured that it might make paintings on any computer, browser, and mobile device. Sounds easy proper? Well, it has to be. However, there is numerous net-primarily based answers out there. Each one has execs and cons. Over the path of some months, I carefully researched numerous alternatives earlier than making my remaining selection. I accept as true with the facts I determined will help the ones seeking to construct their personal internet site.

Several photographers, I appreciate use Livebooks, so I started my studies there. All of their websites use Flash era, which the general public either loves or hate. It has a complicated look to it but can be extraordinarily gradual to load. Also, it does no longer paintings very well on mobile telephones. I attempted journeying many of their websites from my iPhone and obtained a common message that stated: “To view the Flash version of this internet site, you need to be using a Javascript enabled browser and a Flash plug-in.” While there may be a link to view the HTML version of the website online, it seems to be a watered-down version of the original layout. With so many people browsing the internet on smart telephones, I find this a major difficulty. After giving Livebooks a “one time rate” of $3199.00 for a custom-designed web page, plus $90 a year for hosting, there’s a hazard that many humans will now not be capable of getting admission to the website online due to the constraints of Flash. Livebooks additionally offers basic predesigned sites for a one time rate of $1199.00 plus an annual $90 web hosting fee. You are charged extra for any “add-on” features.

Next, I checked out NeonSky. They also have Flash websites, but they appear to be a good deal higher on iPhones as cellular visitors are routinely routed to an HTML version of your site. Their package deal is a $350 one time rate and $ forty-five in keeping with a month for website hosting. Although this is priced very competitively, they currently best have major navigation patterns to choose from. You can regulate many aspects of those two patterns, but if you want to feature greater customization like a dash web page or touch form, you have to pay a design cost of $one hundred twenty-five in keeping with an hour.

Clickbooqs runs $499 consistent with yr plus a $99 annual website hosting rate. They also can make a one-time payment of $1699, plus the yearly web hosting rate of $ ninety-nine. Like Livebooks and Neonsky, Clickbooqs is a flash-based web page and requires users to have a javascript enabled browser and a Flash plugin. After analyzing many online patron lawsuits approximately Bludomain, I speedy dominated them out. I also determined that you can not add caption data with Bludomain. This basically makes their services vain for Photojournalists. They appear to be catering more to wedding photographers who want the track on their homepage.

I looked into BigFolio and their plan for a one-time installation price of $450 and a monthly web hosting rate of $20. They have some actually nice, easy templates that allow a few adjustments. Further customization is done using emailing them for a price quote. Unlike any of the options above, Big Folio offers a “small folio” upload-on for folks who are surfing with an iPhone or iPod contact. It is an additional $49 rate to set this up.

Finally, I came across Squarespace thru a colleague who changed into happiness with their offerings. Adding pictures, video, and text may be carried out very quickly from any computer with Internet get right of entry to. There is no setup price and the variety of the monthly plan from $8 a month and up. They aren’t Flash-based websites, so the entirety loads alternatively fast. Mobile visitors can experience your authentic internet site’s design and functionality.

Then got here the sport changing announcement. Squarespace launched an App that offers users full control over their website online or blogs the usage of an iPhone. You can post, edit, see your referring hyperlinks, incoming traffic, and subscribers. You can even insert pictures saved on the smartphone. It additionally capabilities one contact sync functionality with your desktop laptop. You can begin a publish on the street and end it at domestic. This App is free for all Squarespace users.

Squarespace additionally gives a brilliant weblog uploading tool. This enables you to import all content material from your antique blogger or WordPress weblog at once into a new Squarespace weblog. I had 450 posts in blogger, and they transferred over without a hitch. This blessing my web site’s search engine marketing as all the blog content material now falls below my area name, rather than a few third-celebration blog host. No different internet site provider gives this streamlined function.

Switched to Squarespace

The layout and customization of your site are surely limitless. You begin by choosing considered one of many templates and alter it, but what you want. While this does take a bit getting used to, the gadget could be very person-pleasant and calls for no HTML or coding enjoyment. Since switching to Squarespace, the wide variety of new customers I’ve attracted thru the site has accelerated substantially. Best of all, it saves time and allows me to consciousness on photography and commercial enterprise. Whenever I’ve had questions, their customer service turned into very responsive. They are even on Twitter, listening in real-time ought to you want their assistance. Site uptime has been brilliant and not using a major slow down or bottlenecking. For me, Squarespace provides the next technology net answer. This is each low priced and appealing. They are supplying cutting part features that no other internet website hosting employer compares to. With a person-friendly net-based interface, search engine optimization benefits, and actual-time visitors analysis, I agree with Squarespace has quietly placed itself as a leader in internet and blog publishing.

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Harlan J. Whelan
Pop culture fanatic. Tv scholar. Coffeeaholic. Zombie maven. Food advocate. Analyst. Enthusiastic about buying and selling cannibalism in Pensacola, FL. Had some great experience licensing robotic shrimp in Phoenix, AZ. Earned praise for analyzing accordians for farmers. Enthusiastic about training lint in Libya. Earned praised for my work researching wooden tops in Orlando, FL. Crossed the country exporting the elderly in Jacksonville, FL.