Create Your Business Website Without Code (With Squarespace)

Follow along as I work side-by-side with a real client to create and launch her business website from scratch.

Created byJared Gold

Last updated 11/2016

English

What you'll learn

Know how to think like a web designer using the basic best practices
Clarify your design preferences/basic branding and curate your content
Apply those best practices to create an attractive new website

Course content

7 sections • 30 lectures • 2h 46m total length

Course Introduction / Download Course Materials6:53
We discuss the course agenda, expectations, and a bio of the instructor. Please also download the attached course materials (copies of slides and accompanying course worksheet to complete as you progress).
The purpose of a website2:20
You'll learn how to think about a website as what it really is - and its main value. See slides 5-6 of the course materials.
What is Squarespace and why are we using it?14:24
Squarespace is a next-generation Content Management System (CMS) that enables almost anyone to quickly create an attractive website. We will also cover FAQ about the platform so you know what you can - and can't - build on it. Here's a full list of features ( https://www.squarespace.com/feature-index/). See slides 7-10 of the course materials.
What makes an effective website?1:44
You'll learn the the four key characteristics of what makes an effective website. See slides 11-13 of the course materials.
Example of a great website6:24
Here, we dive deeply into one example of a great website - and why - to help you think like a designer and apply those same best practices to your website.
Buying your domain3:04
We boil down what a domain is and where to buy one. And if you're having trouble finding the domain you want or even naming your business, you can see a few great resources to make it easier. See slides 19 of the course materials.
Common myths about building a website3:39
Debunk common myths about websites - and avoid being overwhelmed at all of the conflicting messages that you hear. See slide 14 of the course materials.

The 10 principles of good design4:25
Many people believe that there are 10 key principles to good design. We'll cover what they are; they'll translate very well to planning and building out your website. See slides 15-17 of the course materials.
Picking colors3:50
Different colors link to different feelings/adjectives, and some colors pair better together. We'll boil it down to help you easily pick what colors will work for your brand. See slides 17 of the course materials.
Picking fonts3:26
There are thousands of fonts to choose from - which 2-4 fonts should you choose? This should make it clear to quickly decide. See slides 18 of the course materials.

Laying out the key questions / design preferences6:44
You'll see what the few key questions are to ask yourself to narrow down what you want in a website. This is a boiled-down version of what creative agencies use. See slides 21 of the course materials.
How to pick a template4:13
You now know the basics of how to think like a web designer and have a good vision of what you want in a website. Let's apply that to pick a template to support that vision and get started building immediately. See slide 27 of the course materials.

Writing the text5:29
It's hard enough to write - let alone about yourself. Take a look at these essential pointers so you can get started writing now. See slides 23 of the course materials.
Finding Images7:05
It's common knowledge that high-quality images are very important in a website, though it's not so intuitive how to find them. Here we discuss how to find great images on the internet (both paid and free), as well as other solid DIY graphics options. You'll be able to quickly find images that help your website stand out. See slides 24-25 of the course materials.

Answering the key questions / design preferences4:45
I start the process side-by-side with my client, Emilie, as I learn a little more about her business and what her ideal website should look/feel like. See slide 21 of the course materials.
It's time to select our template!9:43
With a better understanding of what Emilie is looking for, I recommend a template based on her needs. See slides 26-27 of the course materials.
Build: The Home Page (part 1)15:01
The home page sets the tone for your entire website. We all know that getting started is the hardest. Emilie and I tackle it head-on. Also take a quick look at slide 28 of the course materials.
Build: The Home Page (part 2)19:31
The home page sets the tone for your entire website. We all know that getting started is the hardest. Emilie and I tackle it head-on. Also take a quick look at slide 28 of the course materials.
Build: The About Page5:00
Emilie and I work side-by-side to create the About page.
Build: The Services Page (second part of About page)6:16
Emilie and I work side-by-side to include her services (which happens to also be on the About page).
Build: The Contact Page5:26
Emilie and I work side-by-side to quickly create a page that houses a contact form, which allows website visitors to reach us. They can fill out the form and the responses will be emailed to her.
Build: The Blog2:18
If you're ready to start a blog, we briefly walk through how to easily incorporate it right on your Squarespace site to start building your thought leadership online.
Build: The Footer5:33
Emilie and I build out a basic yet footer on the website. The footer is displayed on every page of a website by default, so it is valuable screen real estate and shouldn't be forgotten about.
Website build: recap5:14
We recap what we've built and how it combines both best practices and Emilie's design vision.

Final quality checklist / testing4:22
While your website doesn't have to be perfect, it's best to check over a few things before going live to the world. See slide 29 of the course materials.
Set website live1:32
The website is done - let's make it live to the world. If you've followed my instructions up until now, this will take you 30 seconds to do. See slide 30 of the course materials.
Setting URL redirects (if you had a previous website)0:32
If you happen to have a current website already up, this quick article outlines how to set up URL "redirects" (if someone clicks on an old link, it takes them to the new website). A quicker/simpler version of this can be done by following Squarespace's instructions to link to a 404 page (e.g. if someone clicks on an old link, you can set it so it directs them to your home page).

Edits and analytics4:41
Now that your website is live, here are the very basics of quickly editing and monitoring it. See slides 31-32 of the course materials.
Squarespace help / videos / communities1:35
If you require help - either customer support or technical assistance - you can look at these excellent resources. See slides 33 of the course materials.
Conclusion / Thanks!1:17
You launched your attractive website on Squarespace. Enjoy the compliments, confidence boost, and extra credibility that will help you take your business / side hustle / creative projects to the next level! Please also don't forget to view slides 34-35 for a few parting thoughts.

Requirements

Students won't need any design experience, technical expertise, or even need to know what kind of website they want (nor have any content previously created). This is a fully end-to-end course.

Description

In this course, you will follow along as I work live with a real client side-by-side to launch her business website entirely from scratch - so that you can use that same exact process to create your own website.

To see the final product of what we created live in the class to set expectations for what you can build on your own by following along, view the free preview video titled "Website build: recap" under the "Building out the website (shown side-by-side with my client)" under the curriculum section closer to the bottom of this page.

You want to save potentially thousands of dollars by just doing it yourself. You just want something simple to make you look more professional.

But where do you even get started / what happens when you get stuck? Creating a website is hard!

This course is for you.

This course is designed to help you walk away with an attractive 4-5 page brochure website (which includes a contact form) - no artistic / technical ability needed.

We will be using the Squarespace platform, which is the most turnkey and user-friendly DIY website creation platform.

My class is very different in two big ways:

Rather than simply showing you how to do things (e.g. how to add text, pictures, a form, etc.) - much of the course is designed to teach you my framework to help you learn the basics of thinking like a web designer and helping you envision your perfect website. That seems to be where most people struggle with.

After I walk through the educational portion, I will work side-by-side with Emilie, a client of mine who is starting a business herself.

I look forward to having you in the class so you can launch your website ASAP!

Who this course is for:

This business web design course is meant primarily for solo entrepreneurs, small business owners, and side hustlers that know they need a simple brochure website to boost credibility, but know that it's likely impractical to spend thousands of dollars and a significant amount of time to hire someone for a website.
This course is not designed for eCommerce, websites that require a heavy amount of customization, or websites involving heavy development (e.g. creating a web application, such as Facebook).

Create Your Business Website Without Code (With Squarespace)

What you'll learn

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Course content

How to think about websites / getting started7 lectures • 38min

What is good design?3 lectures • 12min

Discovery Figuring out exactly what you want your website to be2 lectures • 11min

Curating the content2 lectures • 13min

Building out the website (shown side-by-side with my client)10 lectures • 1hr 19min

Quality Check + Launch3 lectures • 6min

Post-launch monitoring, maintenance, and support3 lectures • 8min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: