3 Features of a High Functioning eCommerce Website

Oh, if only all it took was having a great website. It would definitely make my job easier. I could just make pretty things all day without a care in the world about how things worked, or integrated with the rest of your business, or just functioned in general. But we all know that pretty ≠ high functioning. Yes, it definitely takes more than a great website to run a successful business. 

Here’s the problem that I have though: typically increasing a website’s functionality - basically how well it serves your business - usually requires adding more tools. Tools to help strategize and improve user experience, tools to help communicate and manage, tools to ship and schedule and socialize. My minimalist heart just breaks a little sometimes when it requires 1,001 apps and subscriptions to download and sign up for -- just to get simple things done. 

As small business owners flock to eCommerce in record-breaking droves, I think it’s more important than ever to consider platforms that can offer simple solutions for all parts of a business. A website, like the cheese, does not stand alone. 

Best Solution: Squarespace 

Listen, Squarespace is like the all-inclusive resort of website platforms. And trust me on this because over the last 20 years I’ve tried and used them allllll. There are some naysayers out there that say Squarespace isn’t where to be for eCommerce but I call BS. When it comes to a platform that just works, and that has all the tools and capabilities built-in, Squarespace beats out all of the others hands down. (Related: Squarespace or Shopify: Which eCommerce platform is best?) 

The biggest reason I cast my vote for Squarespace in this category is that it’s so important that your eCommerce website doesn’t just have eCommerce capabilities. You need to be able to tend to things like design, marketing, analytics, and accounting. You need to be able to manage the parts of your business that extend beyond your website and you need to be able to do them as seamlessly and efficiently as possible. 

Not convinced that you can consolidate your business software and make life simpler by choosing Squarespace? Here are three of my favorite Squarespace functions and the other apps they can replace: 

Campaigns

Replaces: Third-party email marketing platforms like MailChimp, Flodesk, ConvertKit, or MailerLite.

What It Does: Campaigns allows you to build and manage mailing lists and create visually stunning emails and newsletters that match the style of your site. And because they’re connected inside Squarespace, Campaigns makes it crazy simple to put together emails that feature items from your shop and/or blog! You can even create automated emails to follow up after purchase and welcome new subscribers with a coupon code or send targeted emails to customers based on their interactions with your site. 

Learn More: You can add a Campaign subscription to your existing Squarespace site by just going to MARKETING > EMAIL CAMPAIGNS. That’s it. If you’re not ready to subscribe to a plan, there’s no charge to just build your list and you can send your first three email campaigns for free. 

Member Areas

Replaces: Apps and software like MemberSpace or Memberful, some learning tools like Teachable or Thinkific, or other “all-in-one” platforms like Podia.

What It Does: This feature from Squarespace is a literal game-changer. It allows you to create members-only content that is either free or paid. Sharing your expertise through gated content like a “members only” area or with an e-course is one of the most rapidly growing segments of eCommerce and people love learning new things online directly from experts! Member Areas can handle recurring billing for things that are ongoing memberships and even allows your users to manage their own accounts and subscriptions so that you can focus on creating content instead of being an admin. 

Learn More: I did a quick review of the Squarespace membership feature here. If you’re looking to give this a try, you can enable it on your existing site just by going to SETTINGS > MEMBER AREAS and toggling it on. You’ll need to take care of a few eCommerce settings before you can sell access to any content but it’s a pretty easy process and it’s built right in alongside the pages and tools you’re already used to using in Squarespace.  

Scheduling

Replaces: Online scheduling apps like Calendly, Square Appointments, Acuity, or those offered by other platforms like Dubsado or Honeybook.

What It Does: Squarespace Scheduling allows customers to make appointments with you but, honestly, that just scratches the surface! You can also allow people to book group classes, sell packages and gift cards, set up subscriptions, and automatically set up Zoom meetings. You can also send custom reminder emails or follow-up text messages and even gather information via intake forms. I’ve found that this tool is almost infinitely customizable to fit any type of business especially because they allow you to change the language of the buttons and booking pages so that everything is perfectly personalized for your business! There are some clients I’ve had that use Scheduling exclusively as an “eCommerce” solution for their service-based businesses which I think is so smart!

Learn More: To get started with Squarespace Scheduling, just click on the “Scheduling” link from the home screen. If for some reason it’s not in the list of available items, you can turn to add it so that it’s easy to access by going to SETTINGS > ADVANCED > MENU SHORTCUTS and toggling the Scheduling one on. There are lots of features to this powerful tool but if you’re setting Scheduling up for the first time, Squarespace has super helpful tips and a checklist to help you get started.

Remember: Less is More

When it comes to the best eCommerce website platforms, you have to look at your needs beyond just having a storefront. There are so many other aspects to running a successful online business that are just as, if not more, important. How your website looks and functions, including how easy it is for you to access the tools and features you need every day, can make or break your experience. Set yourself up for success by building on a platform that has everything you need built right in from the start and be leery of platforms that may seem to do eCommerce better but make it difficult to do anything else.