Common Mistakes I See on DIY Squarespace Sites (And How to Fix Them)
Squarespace is one of the best platforms for creating a beautiful, user-friendly website — even if you're not a designer or coder. But just because it’s easy to use doesn’t mean every website built on it is effective.
As a web designer who specializes in custom Squarespace websites, I’ve seen a pattern of common mistakes that tend to pop up when business owners DIY their own sites. These small oversights can make a big impact — confusing visitors, hurting SEO, and ultimately costing leads and sales.
In this post, I’m breaking down:
The top five mistakes I see on DIY Squarespace sites — and more importantly, how you can fix them. Whether you’re building your site from scratch or giving it a refresh, this guide will help you create a more polished, high-converting website that works for your business.
Let’s dive in!
Mistake #1: Confusing Website Navigation
One of the quickest ways to lose a potential client? A cluttered or confusing website menu.
Most users decide whether to stay on your site within the first 3–5 seconds — and if they can’t quickly find what they’re looking for… they’re gone. Your navigation menu is one of the first touchpoints of your brand experience. It should be clear, concise, and intentionally designed to guide your visitors where you want them to go.
PRO TIP: If your Squarespace navigation feels overwhelming or random, it’s time to simplify. Stick to just a few main menu items (ideally 4–6), and use a clear hierarchy that reflects your services or customer journey.
For example, if you're a Baseball Coach offering training and camps, a streamlined navigation could look like:
Home
About
Coaching
Resources
Contact
From there, you can use “not linked” pages inside Squarespace to house subpages or more detailed info — like:
Coaching → (Hidden Pages) 1:1 Coaching, Group Coaching, Camps
Resources → (Hidden Pages) Recommended products, Affiliate links
This keeps your top menu clean while still offering all the info your audience needs — just in a guided, user-friendly way.
PRO TIP: Always ask yourself, What do I want my visitor to click on first? What’s the natural next step? Your navigation should lead them there — effortlessly.
✅ Fewer menu items = clearer direction + better conversions.
Because good navigation isn’t just about design — it’s about helping your website work smarter for your business.
Mistake #2: Inconsistent Fonts and Colors
Nothing makes a website feel more confusing (or unprofessional) than scattered design choices — especially when it comes to fonts and colors. If your site uses a different font on every page, mismatched colors across sections, or no clear visual rhythm, visitors will feel disoriented before they even know what you offer.
Here’s the truth: design inconsistency leads to clutter. And clutter leads to confusion. When users can’t easily follow your layout or identify key information, they’re far more likely to click away instead of take action.
Solution: Use Site Styles + a Brand Kit
Squarespace makes it incredibly easy to keep your design cohesive with its Global Styles Editor — and using it intentionally can instantly elevate the look and clarity of your website.
💡 PRO TIP: Start with Fonts!
Inside the Site Styles panel, you can select a consistent font system for your entire website — including:
Heading font: Great for attention-grabbing titles and important sections
Paragraph font: Ideal for body copy, descriptions, and readable text
Miscellaneous font (Monospace): Perfect for smaller labels, buttons, or stylistic accents
Once you lock these in, every page on your site will reflect these choices — creating a polished, on-brand look without the need to manually update every section.
💡 PRO TIP: Then, Set Your Color Palette!
With Squarespace’s Global Editor, you can choose up to 5 custom brand colors that will automatically be available across your site when you’re styling buttons, backgrounds, text, and more.
Use one or two primary brand colors
Choose a neutral background color
Add one call-to-action color that pops
Finish with one or two accent/supporting colors
A limited color palette keeps your site visually clean and makes your CTAs stand out — which helps guide users to the right places (like booking or buying!).
In Short:
The more clear and consistent your fonts and colors are, the more confidence you’ll build with your visitors — and the more likely they are to stay, engage, and take the next step. Don’t skip this simple but powerful design detail!
🖥 Want to fast-track a consistent, beautiful website?
Check out my Squarespace templates — professionally designed with built-in styles and strategy so you can launch confidently, without the guesswork.
Mistake #3: Weak (or Vague) Calls to Action
Let’s be honest — if someone visits your website and doesn’t know what to do next, they’re not going to stick around and figure it out. They’re going to click away.
One of the biggest mistakes I see on DIY Squarespace websites is unclear or overly “clever” calls to action. While it might feel fun and on-brand to say something like “Let’s Make Magic” or “Ready to Bloom?” — the truth is, most people won’t know what you’re asking them to do.
Are they booking a call? Buying a product? Reading your blog? If your CTA isn’t crystal clear, it’s not going to convert.
Solution: Clarity > Cleverness
This doesn’t mean your personality has to disappear — but when it comes to guiding users through your website, clarity is KEY.
Your Calls to Action should answer the question: “What do I do next?” — without any guesswork.
💡 Here are examples of clear, high-converting CTAs:
Browse My Services
Schedule a Call
Apply for a Web Design
Book a Free Consultation
View the FAQs
Shop Templates
Notice the pattern? Every CTA is direct, specific, and action-oriented. You’re not leaving it up to interpretation — you’re telling the user exactly where to go and what to expect.
💬 PRO TIP: Not sure how clear your CTAs are?
Ask yourself: “Would a stranger with no context understand what this means?”
Or better yet, “Could I explain this to a 2nd grader and they’d get it?”
When in doubt, simplify. Be human. You can always infuse your brand voice elsewhere — in your welcome message, your about page, your Instagram captions. But your CTAs? They should always be easy to understand.
In Short:
You only have a few seconds to grab someone’s attention. Don’t waste it on confusing or cutesy copy that makes your visitors think too hard.
✨ Clarity builds trust. And trust leads to clicks.
Need help with CTA placement or wording? My Squarespace templates are built with strategic CTA prompts baked in — so you don’t have to guess what goes where. Tap here to explore!
Mistake #4: Skipping Mobile Optimization
Here’s the truth: most people aren’t viewing your website from a laptop.
Whether they’re scrolling during lunch break, browsing between errands, or researching from the couch — chances are, your visitors are on their phones. So when your site only looks good on desktop? You’re unintentionally losing mobile users (and likely potential clients).
And yet, one of the most common mistakes I see on DIY Squarespace websites is skipping mobile optimization entirely.
Solution: Preview + Adjust Your Mobile Layouts (After the Desktop Version)
The good news? Mobile optimization doesn’t have to be complicated — especially with Squarespace.
💡 PRO TIP- My recommendation:
Design your desktop view first, then switch to mobile once your content is in place. If you try to go back and forth while building, you’ll end up doubling your work and potentially creating inconsistencies.
But as you build your site, keep in mind:
Not everything translates perfectly to mobile
Font sizes, image layouts, button spacing, and section padding often need small tweaks
A layout that looks clean on desktop might feel cramped on mobile
💻✨ The beauty of Squarespace 7.1?
You can preview your mobile layout right inside the same section you designed — no extra dashboards, no code needed. Use the mobile preview toggle, adjust spacing, resize images, and stack elements so they’re easy to read and scroll on a phone.
📱 Mobile optimization is not optional in 2025. It’s essential. Think of it as a final polish — the step that ensures your website feels seamless across all devices.
Pro Tip:
Want to do a quick mobile check?
Open your website on your phone and pretend you’re a first-time visitor. Can you:
Read the text without zooming in?
Click on buttons easily with your thumb?
Scroll through each section without confusion?
If not, it’s time for some adjustments. You want mobile users to feel just as confident and clear as desktop visitors.
In short? Don’t skip the step that most of your audience is going to interact with first.
Mistake #5: Ignoring SEO Settings
You’ve poured time and effort into your website — but if no one can find it, what’s the point?
One of the most common (and costly) DIY mistakes I see is completely skipping over Squarespace’s built-in SEO settings. You might think that just hitting “publish” will attract visitors — but the truth is, Google needs help understanding what your site is about.
And that starts with the essentials:
Meta titles
Meta descriptions
Image Alt Text
Solution: Add Meta Titles, Meta Descriptions, and Alt Text
Squarespace makes it easy to optimize your site for search engines — but you have to take advantage of the tools!
🔹 Meta Titles & Descriptions
These are the snippets that show up when your site appears on Google. Think of them like a first impression for both search engines and potential visitors.
In Squarespace, you can set:
A Site Title and Site Meta Description (for your entire website) by going to Settings → SEO
Individual Page Titles and Page Descriptions under Pages → (click gear icon on the page) → SEO tab
✅ Keep it clear and keyword-rich. What is the page about? Who is it for? What value does it offer?
Example:
“Custom Squarespace website design for service-based businesses ready to launch with strategy and style.”
🔹 Image Alt Text
Alt text helps search engines understand what your images are — and it also makes your site more accessible to screen readers. Double win.
To add alt text in Squarespace:
Click on an image → Edit → scroll to Filename or Alt Text and type a short description of what’s in the image.
📌 Tip: Don’t keyword-stuff, but do use relevant words (e.g., “homepage mockup for Squarespace makeup artist template”).
Why This Matters (Especially Long-Term)
🕵️ SEO doesn’t deliver instant results.
You won’t publish your site on Monday and see thousands of visitors by Friday — but what you do today will stack up over time.
Adding these SEO basics tells search engines:
What your business is
Who it’s for
What problems you solve
And in return? You increase the chances of showing up when ideal clients or customers are searching for exactly what you offer.
Think of SEO as a long-term traffic strategy — and these settings are step one. You can always add more advanced strategies (like blogging, backlinks, or Google Search Console) down the road, but don’t skip the foundation.
In Summary
If you ignore your SEO settings, you’re missing a major opportunity for organic visibility. But by filling out your meta descriptions, optimizing your page titles, and adding alt text to your images, you're setting your site up for long-term discoverability.
It’s simple, it’s free, and it can pay off big over time.
Want a website that’s already set up with SEO best practices? Explore my Squarespace templates — they’re designed with both style and strategy in mind.
Even the most beautiful DIY Squarespace websites can fall short if the foundational elements aren’t in place. From confusing navigation to weak calls to action and skipped SEO settings, small mistakes can lead to lost visitors and missed opportunities. But the good news? Each of these is fixable — and with a few intentional tweaks, your site can go from “just okay” to clear, strategic, and conversion-ready.
✨ Want to launch faster and with confidence?
→ Check out my Squarespace Website Templates — professionally designed to help you stand out and sell, without the stress.
→ Or if you’re planning ahead and want a completely custom site with every detail taken care of, apply for a 2026 Custom Website and let’s bring your vision to life — minus the mistakes.
