Have you been thinking about creating a course on Squarespace? Let’s talk about Squarespace for courses: the pros and cons to consider as you’re finding the best fit course platform for you.
Squarespace is a popular website builder. In fact, my own very first website back in 2015 was also build on Squarespace and I really enjoyed the platform.
Over years, as most platforms in the online space, it has expanded and is now offering a lot more features than it once did. One of them is an option to create and sell your courses and memberships.
So let’s take a closer look at the pros and cons of using Squarespace for courses and some important things to keep in mind.
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Squarespace for courses: pros and cons of using Squarespace for selling courses
Squarespace might not be the first thought on your mind as you consider course platforms but more and more SS website owners decide to build their offers on the platform as well. And that makes the perfect sense.
But if you don’t have a Squarespace website just yet – is Squarespace the best choice for courses?
Let’s start by exploring the features that Squarespace give you.
Squarespace ultimately is a website builder designed for those who want to build stunning websites all on their own. It has a rather simple page builder that gives you all the options to design your own website.
Just like any other platform, it has a variety of great and not so great features. Squarespace as website builder is widely popular amongst first-time website creator and those who seek quick solutions as it’s starter friendly.
Eventually, along with the core offer of the website builder, Squarespace has introduced plenty of other features and as of now you can also:
- Set up and sell digital products, including online courses and memberships
- Send invoices
- Schedule meetings
- Send emails
Gotta say – they’re trying really hard to become an all-in-one platform, a lot like Kajabi.
It can sound like an exciting deal but let’s explore some of the pros and cons to expect.
Keep in mind – this time around I’m focusing on using Squarespace for course creation and won’t go into too many other details of the platform.
I have to warn you though – the list of cons will be quite a bit longer than the one for pros… BUT if the pros outweight the cons – it might be the perfect fit for you!
Pros of using Squarespace for course creation
Let’s start by reviewing some of the reasons why I’d say a YES to choosing Squarespace as your course hosting platform –
Squarespace can be a great option for your online course if you already have a website there. If you’re an existing SS user, first of all, understanding the backend and starting your course setup will be A LOT easier. Plus the overall logistics of all the details just make sense. By setting up your course on Squarespace, you’re avoiding additional fees on other platforms and won’t need to lear how to manage yet another online space.
Squarespace can be amazing for course creation if you aspire to provide a creative course space. If you want your course space to have some pizzaz and you want each lesson look like a whole landing page on its own – you can. Gotta say though, there are some other course platforms offering you these more unusual solutions as well. For example, Teachery.
Cons of using Squarespace for course creation
Now, onto the cons we go. As I warned you before, the list of cons for using Squarespace for courses is quite a bit longer than pros… However, if you’re dead set on using this platform, you can also use this list only as a precautionary suggestion.
Generally I’d say – unless you’re already using the platform OR considering it for your website, there are other better options out there.
Here are some of the reasons I’d avoid using Squarespace for courses –
- Their fees are some of the highest in the market. If you’re on the lowest course supporting plan, the fee is 7%. I currently can’t name any other platform, free or paid, that has equally high fees. Most range up to 5% and even that counts as high. Most platforms will have the highest fees ONLY on their free plans but with Squarespace you pay for the plan AND still have the high fees there…
- The investment can be confusing. Along with having a SS website, you will have to pay for various upgrades. Make sure to review what you’ll need well in advance.
- You can upload limited amount of video content. Each tier of the offer comes with a specific amount of hours you can upload. The lowest option comes with 10 hours of video content. It will be more than enough if you’re selling just one offer. But if you’re working on a more indepth course or plan to sell more than just one offer – 10 hours might come short.
- There is no built-in feature to upload or showcase other types of materials besides videos. If you want to add workbooks or any other learning materials to your course, you CAN but there is no easy way for them to be uploaded quickly or showcased directly in the lesson. Course platforms like Thinkific give you a chance to have such materials be visible directly in the lesson.
- There is a lot of customization which can be time-consuming. Customization options can be seen as a great thing – and I had it mentioned above as well! – but especially if you’re a beginner and you’d like to have quick start, customizing everything can take A LOT of your time.
- You can’t manually add in new course students. This might be important if you’re moving from another space – you want to grant your audience access to the content. Or if you’d prefer to use other payment system, you’re not able to go around the SS setup.
The conclusion about creating a course on Squarespace
Squarespace wouldn’t be my first choice for setting up and selling my courses mostly because of the complex setup AND very high fees.
Even if you already have a Squarespace setup, it might be worth it to consider combining your existing website with any other other course platforms.
The thing is, Squarespace is a website builder and that is their core focus. Yes, they have added courses but as of now this option is not as optimized and prioritized.
In the long run, hosting a course on Squarespace will cost you a lot more than using any other platform – even in combination with your existing SS website.
For example, Thinkific has a FREE plan available with ZERO fees – you can have your cake and eat it too!
However, if you choose to use Squarespace for your online course setup, it can provide quite a unique experience for your students as there are plenty of customization options.
I hope this Squarespace for courses review gave you an idea about the best direction to take for your business!
To learn more and stay connected:
- Connect with me on Instagram @coursecreationlab
- Explore Your Course Creation Membership
- Listen to the Savvy Offer Hub podcast
