Why I Chose Squarespace (over Wordpress) to Start my Book Blog

Wondering what web platform to choose to start your book blog? Check out why I chose Squarespace when I launched my blog and why it might be the best web platform choice for you.

Why I Bucked the Trend and Started my Book Blog in Squarespace, not Wordpress.

So you’re interested in starting a book blog and wondering where to start? Well I’m passing along some of my tips and experience to help you along on your journey.

I love reading books, especially romance books, and the more book bloggers to share recommendations, the better!

Before you consider how to structure your book review, how to promote your book review or where to even get books to read, you need to pick a web platform to design your blog and make it live.

When I first started my blog, I chose Squarespace!

What’s the Best Book Blogging Web Platform?

Sure there are free options like Blogger and Wordpress.com but if you really want to stand out and not be held back by any restrictions, then you’re going to want to skip these options.

I’ve seen book blogs that have been around for awhile on these platforms but if you’re just starting out, I believe you need a blog to not only have great content but also look GOOD and free options just aren’t going to help you make that happen.

Let’s face it. We are living in a world where image matters so a clean cut blog design with sleek images and easy navigation is where it’s at, so you’re going to want to pick a blogging platform that is not only easy to use for the technological novice but one that is easily customizable for your own look and feel.

Squarespace nails these two must haves for me but I’ve provided all of my reasons for why I initially chose Squarespace for my book blog below.

And before we go on, I’ll acknowledge that a TON of book bloggers use Wordpress. I get it. It has the reputation of being one of the most popular web platforms, and if you want to jump on that bandwagon then go for it.

But I started my web site days for my own acupuncture business back when Dreamweaver was still a thing and then transitioned to Wordpress but I never loved it. Flash forward to when Wordpress recently updated it’s platform and then I really didn’t like it!

I found it to be so not user friendly, even for someone like me who’d become familiar with basic code. That’s when I landed on Squarespace and haven’t looked back.

So if you’re feeling forced into Wordpress to follow the crowd but really don’t feel up to the task technologically speaking, then you’ll want to read on to see if Squarespace is for you.

[*Update 2021: I have since migrated to Wordpress because I’m in this blogging thing for good and wanted more control on my site speed. That being said, I stand by my reasons below why Squarespace is a great choice for bloggers, especially if technology isn’t your thing!]

Top 6 Reasons to Choose Squarespace for your Book Blog:

1). It’s Easy to Use for the Techno-phobe or Blogging Novice

For your blog to succeed, you’re going to need to post frequently. If you’re not completely comfortable with how to structure a blog post or get a new one up easily and effortlessly then you’re less apt to blog and that would be just sad.

Squarespace is VERY user friendly, giving you lots of tools to create the design you want and the look you want while easily cranking out content.

2). It’s Drag-and-Drop Easy: Coding Knowledge Not Needed

To create the web site that you want and the blog post look you’re hoping for, all you have to do is drag and drop the items you need and what you see is what you get.

Need a text box? Drag it over. Need to insert an image, done. Need to add a button or newsletter sign up form? Just drag and drop.

3). It’s a Complete Web Builder

Hosting Included

Since Squarespace is a complete web builder, you don’t need to go out and search for a web hosting service. You build and host your blog on Squarespace, so it’s easy peesy.

Plus, it even has an email marketing system included and many other bells and whistles like a logo maker.

No Plugins Needed

One thing I couldn’t stand about Wordpress was the need to find plugins for added functionality. I’m not an ace web designer so who was I to know if I picked the right plugin that had support and wouldn’t crash on me?

And who has time to research all the best plug ins. No thanks, I’d rather be reading. Plus the constant plugin updates were overwhelming.

No Updates Necessary

Not only did I have to constantly update my plugins but you have to continually update Wordpress as well.

With Squarespace, the pros take care of all the updates, maintenance and security issues for you. Plus, Squarespace is always available for support and their help resources online are super easy to find and follow.

4). SEO Included

Squarespace has SEO functionality built in so it’s got you covered to ensure that your blog gets found! It’s easy and all there for you.

5). Mobile Friendly Web site

Now more than ever people are searching online on their phones or tablets. All Squarespace sites are mobile ready as is.

It’s also super easy to view what your site looks like on a mobile device right from the platform.

6). Easily Customizable

It was really important for me to find a web platform that was not only easy to use but user friendly in its ability to create the look and feel of the site I envisioned.

There are so MANY beautiful templates available in Squarespace which you can use as is or easily customize for your needs. And they are FREE. No need to buy a child theme.

To help me get up and running and feel super confident in Squarespace, I took the course, Website That Wows by Louise Henry and it was AMAZING. Hands down the best course I have ever paid for.

Website That Wows: The Squarespace Course to Get You Off the Ground

I don’t know if there are any courses that can guide you through Wordpress to get you on started but learning the basics for blogging online is so important if you’re not familiar with them already and Website That Wows is THE course for Squarespace. (*Yep, that’s an affiliate link!)

Here’s why I highly recommend this course for any Squarespace user:

1). Website That Wows gets your site up and running in just 7 days. It’s true because I did it.

2). It has short, easy to follow videos to teach you EVERYTHING you need to know.

• How to set up a blog
• How to set up social sharing
• How to turn on comments
• How to verify your Pinterest account
• How to include related posts
• How to design a blog post template and MORE!

3). The support is amazing. Louise and her team are in the Website That Wows Facebook group to answer your real time questions. She also offers web site reviews. The support alone makes this course such a steal.

4). It’s more than just a web design course for your blog. This course also covers:

• Email Campaigns (for Squarespace and Convertkit)
• Working with Canva (a MUST for book bloggers so you know how to design great images for your blog posts)

Plus, it walks you through how to develop your home page, about page, necessary legal pages, landing pages and more!

5). You get a 20% off discount code for your first month/year of Squarespace.

Book blogging has been so much fun so if you’re thinking of joining a great community, then I say do it! But, do it the right way for you. For me, the journey started with Squarespace and I haven’t regretted it for a second. Consider using this web platform for your blog as well!

Still deciding between Squarespace and Wordpress? Let me know your concerns in the comments below!

Looking For More?

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