5 Squarespace Mistakes That Cost You Clients —and How to Avoid Them
Squarespace has earned its reputation as one of the most accessible platforms for entrepreneurs who want a beautiful website without learning to code. It promises elegance out of the box, and for many wellness professionals, coaches, and creative entrepreneurs, it feels like the perfect fit.
But as polished as the platform is, there is a quiet trap inside its simplicity: the small mistakes that signal “beginner energy” and drive potential clients away. A website is often the first and most lasting impression of your brand. If it looks unfinished, confusing, or inconsistent, even a brilliant service will feel less trustworthy.
In this post, I’ll walk you through five common Squarespace mistakes that cost entrepreneurs clients. More importantly, I’ll give you practical solutions to elevate your site into a tool that not only looks refined but actively converts visitors into paying customers.
MISTAKE 1: Using Squarespace Like a Digital Business Card Instead of a Client Magnet
One of the most damaging missteps is treating your site like an online business card: a static placeholder with your name, a short bio, and a contact link. That approach might check the box of “having a website,” but it misses the point of what a website is designed to do: guide a visitor through a journey that builds trust and leads to action.
Squarespace makes it easy to set up a single-page site, but if all you offer is a handful of sentences and a button, you are underutilizing one of your most powerful business assets. Clients need more than your name and a headshot. They need to know why you exist, how you solve their problems, and why you are worth investing in.
Fix this:
Think of your website as a funnel rather than a brochure. Start with a clear hero section that communicates who you serve and the transformation you create. Add sections that build credibility: testimonials, service descriptions, case studies, or examples of your work. Include calls to action throughout so visitors are never left wondering what to do next.
When you expand beyond a business card into a structured narrative, you invite your visitors into a relationship rather than leaving them on the outside.
MISTAKE 2: Forgetting About Mobile Squarespace Optimization
Squarespace automatically generates mobile versions of its templates, which leads many users to assume their site will “just work” on phones. The reality is more complicated. Text that looks clean on desktop can crowd a mobile screen. Images may crop awkwardly. Buttons can end up too small to tap.
When more than 60 percent of web traffic comes from mobile devices, ignoring how your site looks on a phone is a guaranteed way to lose potential clients. People scrolling late at night, in between tasks, or on the train are often the ones making buying decisions. If they land on a page that feels cramped or difficult to navigate, they will leave before they discover what you offer.
Fix this:
Use the mobile preview feature regularly. Check each page not just for looks but for usability. Are the buttons large enough to tap with a thumb? Is there enough white space between elements so the content feels breathable? Do your forms work seamlessly on mobile?
A mobile-first mindset means ensuring the most common browsing experience is pleasant and friction-free.
MISTAKE 3:Overusing Fonts, Colors, and Design Effects on Squarespace
Squarespace’s style editor allows a wide range of customization, which is empowering but also dangerous. Many entrepreneurs start by experimenting with every option: different fonts on every section, a palette of ten colors, animations that fade and slide, and background images layered on top of each other.
The result is visual noise. Instead of looking premium, the site looks chaotic. Clients subconsciously associate inconsistency with lack of professionalism, even if they can’t articulate why.
Fix this:
Set design limits. Choose no more than two fonts: one for headlines, one for body text. Select three colors: a primary, a secondary, and a neutral. Stick with these choices throughout your site. When you feel tempted to add more, remember that restraint signals confidence.
Think of high-end fashion or luxury branding. They don’t need every possible variation to prove their worth. Their elegance lies in consistency and clarity. When you align your site design with this principle, your brand communicates stability and trustworthiness.
MISTAKE 4: Not Adding Strong Calls to Action on Squarespace Pages
Many Squarespace websites fail in turning visitors into clients because they don’t tell visitors what to do. A button that simply says “Contact” tucked into a footer is not enough. Visitors rarely take action without being prompted. If you don’t guide them, they leave.
For service-based entrepreneurs, the absence of a clear call to action translates directly into lost clients. Your audience might admire your site, nod at your offerings, and then close the tab without booking a call, joining your list, or purchasing a package.
Fix this:
Every page should have a purpose, and every purpose should end in an action. Do you want visitors to schedule a consultation? Sign up for your waitlist? Download a free guide? Spell it out. Use action-oriented language like “Book Your Discovery Call” or “Join the Glow Waitlist.” Place these buttons multiple times on each page so the invitation feels natural, not hidden. And make sure they link to the right page!
Your website is not just an online gallery, it’s a sales tool. Strong calls to action make the difference between admiration and conversion.
MISTAKE 5: Leaving Your Squarespace Template Too Generic
Squarespace templates are beautiful, but when you rely on the default settings without customization, you risk blending into the crowd. Clients have seen dozens of sites that look exactly like the template demo. If your brand doesn’t stand out, it becomes harder for clients to remember you or justify your premium pricing.
Think of using a template as a framework to help you start. But you have to shape it into something uniquely yours, because your offering is unique. And visitors need to understand that instantly
Fix this:
Customize beyond the surface. Replace stock images with high-quality photos that represent your actual brand. Adjust spacing and layouts so your site feels intentional rather than copy-pasted. Rewrite placeholder text in your authentic voice.
If design is not your strength, this is the moment to invest in a professional. A designer who understands branding can take a Squarespace template and turn it into a distinctive, polished website that communicates your value immediately.
How These Fixes Help You Win Clients
Each of these mistakes: business card sites, poor mobile optimization, chaotic styling, weak calls to action, and template sameness, has more or less the same consequence: clients leaving before they convert. The good news is that every one of them is fixable, and the fixes don’t require advanced tech or design skills. They require clarity, consistency, and an understanding of what clients need when they land on your site.
Squarespace offers the canvas. Our responsibility is to use that canvas wisely. By treating your site as a living, strategic asset instead of a quick solution, you position yourself as the premium choice in your field. Clients don’t want the cheapest option, they want the one that feels reliable, clear, and worth their investment. They want something they can trust, and the quickest signal of trust is a clean, intententional design.
When you correct these five mistakes, you stop leaving money on the table. You end up with a website that pulls its weight and drives your business forward every day.
Your Website Can Work Harder for You
A website is not an accessory. It is the stage where your brand earns its first standing ovation or loses the audience before the opening line. Squarespace gives you the tools to shine, but avoiding these five mistakes ensures that you are not just visible, you are unforgettable.
Practical Next Steps
Audit your site. Open it on desktop and mobile. Walk through as if you were a first-time visitor. Where do you feel lost? Where are the opportunities to guide action?
Simplify your design. Choose your fonts, colors, and spacing rules. Write them down, or use the Squarespace in built colour and font themes, and stick to them.
Upgrade your calls to action. Add clear, inviting buttons on every page. Make them visible without scrolling.
Replace defaults. Swap out demo images, placeholder text, and canned layouts with content that feels distinctly yours.
Test with a friend. Ask someone unfamiliar with your brand to navigate your site. Listen to where they stumble. This is the most effective, and low-cost way of user-testing your site.
Each adjustment shapes a site that reflects your vision with clarity and invites clients to step into it with confidence.
