What I’ve Learned From Selling Squarespace Templates as Passive Income
When I launched my web design business in September 2024, selling Squarespace templates wasn’t even on my radar. Like many small business owners and creatives, I started out designing custom websites for clients one-on-one. But everything shifted at the beginning of 2025 when I found out I was pregnant.
As a solo entrepreneur with no team (and no paid maternity leave), I knew I had to find a way to generate income that didn’t rely on trading time for money. I needed something flexible, sustainable, and aligned with my strengths—and that’s when I started exploring the world of digital products.
Selling Squarespace website templates became my path to passive income. It gave me the creative freedom I love (without client revisions) and allowed me to build something scalable while preparing for maternity leave. I launched my first template in May 2025, and today, my shop is steadily growing.
Whether you're a web designer thinking about launching your own template shop, a business owner curious about how these products come to life, or someone looking to invest in a professionally designed Squarespace site—this post shares a behind-the-scenes look at what I’ve learned so far.
🛍️ Looking for a beautiful, strategic Squarespace template to grow your business? Explore my current templates here →
Lesson 1: Templates Are an Investment Up Front
When people hear the term “passive income,” it often brings up dreamy visuals—relaxing at the beach, casually strolling through Target, or waking up to hundreds of new sales overnight. But let me be the first to say: launching a Squarespace template shop hasn’t looked anything like that.
The truth is, passive income starts with VERY ACTIVE effort. Behind every “plug-and-play” website template I’ve created is hours of intentional work—planning, designing, testing, researching, writing copy, sourcing or purchasing visuals, refining every little detail until it’s not only beautiful but strategic, as well as updating it as new analytics show up. Sometimes it even means diving into custom code or design tweaks to make sure the end product stands out from the sea of sameness.
And once the template is built? That’s only half the battle. Now comes the marketing. Truly the hard part in my opinion. This is not just one post, but for the lifetime of that product.
To actually sell templates, you need more than a good design—you need visibility. That means setting up SEO on your site, creating Pinterest graphics, writing helpful blog posts, sharing behind-the-scenes content on Instagram, and building email funnels that guide potential buyers to your shop. And the hardest part? Doing it consistently.
It takes real effort, time, and strategy to build a digital product that actually brings in passive income—but once the pieces start coming together, it’s absolutely worth it. Your templates become an evergreen offer that can sell while you sleep, while you're with clients, or even (in my case) while you're snuggling your newborn.
👉 If you’re a business owner looking to save time and still get a professionally designed website, my Squarespace templates might be the perfect fit. Explore them here →
Lesson 2: Selling Is a Skill (and a System)
If there’s one thing I’ve learned as a creative entrepreneur, it’s this: designing the product is only half the job. Selling it is the other half—and it’s a skill and discipline you have to develop.
Whether you’re offering custom services or digital products like Squarespace templates, sales don’t just “happen.” As small business owners, we can’t afford to avoid selling—it’s literally how we stay in business! But the good news? You don’t need to be pushy or salesy to succeed. You just need a strategy.
I’m one year into running my web design business, and I’m still learning and refining my systems. And the earlier you treat selling like a skill and a system (instead of something awkward to avoid), the sooner you’ll start seeing real results.
Here are a few areas that have made a big difference in how I market and sell my templates:
SEO: Optimizing your website copy, product descriptions, and blog content to attract the right traffic.
Blogging: A powerful (and often underutilized) tool for driving long-term traffic to product pages.
Social media consistency: Showing up with helpful, brand-aligned content builds trust and visibility.
Lead magnets + freebies: Offering something valuable for free can be a great way to grow your email list and introduce new people to your work.
You can also look into using a Client Relationship Management (CRM) tool such as HoneyBook to keep track of leads, email subscribers, and buyer behavior—especially as your shop grows.
No matter your niche, your ideal customers need to know three things: what you offer, how it helps them, and why it’s worth the investment. That’s where strategic systems come in.
📩 Curious what a high-converting Squarespace template actually looks like? Check out my ready-to-launch designs →
Lesson 3: You Learn What Your Audience Wants
One of the biggest unexpected benefits of selling Squarespace templates? You get real-time feedback on your niche, your style, and your messaging—whether through customer reviews or even…silence.
When I first started, I had a general idea of the types of businesses I wanted to serve and the design styles I loved. But it wasn’t until I launched a few templates that things really started to click. Certain layouts and aesthetics came more naturally to me. Certain industries felt more fun and intuitive to create for. Those patterns weren’t random—they were signs pointing me toward my zone of genius.
📌 Tip: Pay attention to what flows easily and what your audience responds to. That’s your sweet spot.
Templates are a great way to refine your niche and define your visual voice. They also give you an opportunity to test and improve your messaging. As you build your shop, tweak the way you describe your offers. Make your product titles, sales pages, and calls-to-action speak directly to the dream client who’s most likely to buy.
Start by reviewing your analytics. Which templates get the most clicks or time spent on the page? Which platforms are driving traffic—your own site, Etsy, Pinterest? Are there templates that consistently get views but no sales? That could be a sign something’s off—maybe the photos need to be updated, the copy doesn’t resonate, or you’re missing features that your ideal customer actually wants in a website.
When you do start making sales, don’t be afraid to follow up! A simple post-purchase email or short survey can go a long way. Ask what they loved, what felt confusing, and what they’d like to see in future designs. That kind of feedback is gold—and it leads to better products, better marketing, and more sales. If they genuinely liked it, ask for a review! Social proof is gold for future trust and sales as you grow!
Lesson 4: Diversifying Offers Builds Resilience
If there’s one thing the past year has shown me, it’s this: having more than one offer makes your business so much more resilient—especially when life gets unpredictable.
In the web design world, it’s easy to rely solely on custom client work. And if you’re booked out with a steady stream of dream clients, that’s amazing! But for most solo designers (especially early on), the reality is more nuanced. Not every potential client is ready—or able—to invest in a fully custom website. That doesn’t mean they’re not a good fit. It just means they need a different kind of solution.
That’s where templates come in.
By adding Squarespace templates to my shop, I was able to serve a wider audience: small business owners who still value strategy and design but need a faster or more budget-friendly option. And as those templates started selling, they quietly brought in income—without me being in the middle of a client project or discovery call.
When I got pregnant and started planning for maternity leave, I realized just how crucial that kind of flexibility was. Templates gave me a way to keep my business running without working 1:1. I was able to scale back client work while building another way to provide for my family.
Diversifying your offers doesn’t mean doing everything. It means creating focused yet layered options that meet people where they are—so you’re not leaving money (or impact) on the table.
💡 Thinking about adding templates to your business—or looking for one for your own brand? Browse my template shop to see how beautiful and strategic digital products can be →
Lesson 5: What I’d Do Differently (If I Could Start Over)
If I could go back and relaunch my business, I’d do one big thing differently: I’d start with templates—right from day one.
Creating a few Squarespace templates before launching my design business would have done several things for me:
Helped me build a beautiful portfolio without needing free or highly discounted client work
Allowed me to refine my skills and design process without the pressure of a paid project
Jump-started my template shop and website traffic from the very beginning
Showcased my design style to potential web design clients, making it easier for them to say “yes”
Looking back, it would’ve saved me so much time in building trust with my audience. Templates act as both a passive income product and a portfolio piece—double the value from one effort.
Another thing I’d change? I would’ve launched with a much narrower offer.
In the early days, it’s easy to think you need to offer everything—branding, strategy, audits, social media templates, you name it. And while all of those can be helpful, trying to do too much at once can dilute your messaging and overwhelm your systems. If I could do it over, I’d focus solely on custom Squarespace website design and templates, keeping things clear and streamlined.
✨ Once you’ve worked with a few clients, learned what your audience really needs, and built up experience—that’s when it makes sense to expand into complementary services like branding or strategy (if you want to). But at the beginning? Less really is more.
🚀 If you’re just starting your own design business—or if you’re a business owner who needs a beautiful site without the custom price tag—my Squarespace templates are designed to help you launch with confidence. Take a look at what’s available here →
Passive income isn’t easy—but it is empowering.
Selling Squarespace templates has taken time, strategy, and a lot of behind-the-scenes work. But it’s also given me freedom I never had with client work alone. As a solo business owner—and now a mom—it’s allowed me to step into a new season with more peace, flexibility, and sustainability.
If you’re building a business that can weather the unexpected, support your lifestyle, and serve others well—diversifying your income through digital products is 100% worth the effort.
💻 Ready to explore templates that work for your business, even when you can’t? Visit the shop and find your perfect fit →
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