Lex Thomas's Blog, page 3

Introducing Squarespace Refresh 2022 and Squarespace Icons

Squarespace (NYSE: SQSP), the all-in-one website building and ecommerce platform, today announced Squarespace Refresh, an annual release of new product features and updates that empower customers to build their empires and transact online with a beautifully designed digital presence. Squarespace has long supported entrepreneurs, and is rapidly expanding its product portfolio to address their evolving needs by helping them streamline their presence, monetize their audiences and content, and scale their businesses. Squarespace is also introducing Squarespace Icons, a new campaign that pairs the brand with visionary creatives and entrepreneurs to design limited edition templates. The first collaboration available features an exclusive Fluid Engine template with multidisciplinary artist, Björk.    

“Creating Squarespace Refresh represents a great way for us to showcase the incredible progress we have made over the past year,” said Anthony Casalena, Founder & CEO of Squarespace. “From delivering Unbreakable Creativity in web design with the launch of Fluid Engine and our limited edition template with Björk, to introducing new dynamic monetization capabilities, we are excited to launch these incredibly powerful and creative tools to help anyone express their ideas and succeed online.”

Custom Merch with Squarespace.

Highlights of what is available today and coming soon include:

Monetize an Audience: Tools to convert followers into paying customers by earning consistent revenue from videos, expertise, or merchandise.

Video monetization: Natively host video content on Squarespace’s beautifully designed video pages, giving anyone the ability to turn their expertise into income by selling membership access to gated video content. New updates include asset protection tools, in-player video paywalls, and the ability to manage subscriptions with a new digital product composer and inventory panel.

Custom Merch: Easily create and sell high-quality, custom products on your Squarespace store with no overhead. Through a partnership with Printful, Squarespace has created a seamless experience to easily start selling products. Custom Merch powers production, shipping and fulfillment so you can focus on running your business.

Sell anywhere: New ways to connect product inventory directly to other platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Google, and YouTube, so individuals can easily transact with customers where they already are.

Commerce releases:  New features including product reviews, display related items in customer carts, and pay-as-you-go checkout options help customers increase their sales. Merchants can streamline shipping with a new order status page for customers, USPS shipping label purchasing and printing through Squarespace, and local pickup options.

Squarespace Scheduling: Seamlessly book and manage appointments and classes, and collect payments with custom invoicing that can be shared with clients to track and collect payments.

Build a Brand: Tools to build a beautiful and impactful online presence for every platform.

Fluid Engine: A next generation drag-and-drop editor that gives entrepreneurs complete control over their content, including artist Björk who leveraged Fluid Engine’s technology for her personal site and new album, Fossora, which inspired our limited edition template collaboration.

Unfold: Video-first, all-in-one platform to create trend-setting content for social media in minutes. Updates include exclusive templates for TikTok and Instagram Reels, and the ability to create, sell, and promote your own digital collectibles.

Bio Sites from Squarespace: Through the Unfold app or our new web editor, anyone can create a beautiful one-page link-in-bio website to feature content, merch, digital collectables, and more—in one place. Users can also accept tips from supporters and collect funds for projects with the Tips, Support Me and Crowdfunding options. 

Updated Website Design Tools: Breakthrough updates like new scrolling blocks, text highlights, text scaling, and button styles, enabling anyone to express their aesthetic and personality easily on the web. 

Manage a Business: Tools to stay on top of your business from anywhere, all in one place.

Run your business from your phone: Take your business with you wherever you go with the updated Squarespace App. 

Instant Marketing Content: Instant marketing assets, including still images, gifs, and videos, which are created from your products and brand colors for social media, email marketing, and video ads.

Sell in person with new Point of Sale functionalities.

Manage bookings and invoices with the Squarespace Scheduling app.

Asset library: A central hub for creators to share assets. Upload images and videos to your library from your phone or desktop and use them across Squarespace. Access and organize your content in one place with the new Asset Library. 

The scale of these updates and features combined with our leading design expertise has provided Squarespace an opportunity to work with iconoclastic creative Björk to fuse technology and creativity in memorable ways with the launch of Squarespace Icons. Björk’s limited edition Fluid Engine website template will be available from now until January 13, 2023.

Squarespace customer Björk.

Inspired by the organic, interconnected lines of fungal networks, Björk’s template features full bleed visuals, layered content, and a bespoke mobile design that come together to create an immersive and flowing context experience. Also being revealed today is a film by Squarespace’s award-winning in-house Creative team that explores Björk’s inspirations, the visual world of the album and how it was all translated to her Squarespace site. Filmed in her native Iceland and driven by her narration, it’s a portrait of an artist that has always been willing to engage with technology.

Beginning today, Squarespace customers will be able to access many of the new product features and updates, including Björk’s exclusive template. More information on the 100+ new products and updates can be found at squarespace.com/refresh/2022. More information on Squarespace Icons and access to the limited edition template can be found at icons.squarespace.com.

Acuity Scheduling Launches Invoicing Tools

When Acuity Scheduling joined Squarespace in 2019, our goal was simple - to make it seamless for our customers to offer appointment scheduling and manage bookings through our platform.  

Invoices is the latest addition to Acuity Scheduling, making it easy for customers to manage the invoicing process, and get paid for their time. Acuity Scheduling Invoices allow customers to create and send custom invoices, manage and track invoices, and accept payments securely, all in one place.

The new feature includes easy-to-use tools to quickly create invoices with autofilled appointment types, custom line items, and personalized messages. Invoices can be easily viewed, saved and duplicated for future uses, streamlining the often tedious process of juggling multiple services. To simplify the payment process, customers can send invoices directly to clients using a unique shared link, and payments are processed safely and securely. Customers can track the status of their invoices through a single dashboard that displays all sent, outstanding and paid invoices, in real-time. 

Squarespace is dedicated to providing creators and entrepreneurs with all the tools they need to thrive in one seamless, integrated platform. Acuity Scheduling Invoices joins a range of recent Commerce product updates dedicated to helping customers diversify revenue streams and get the most out of how they sell online. New products include Automated product videos, Shipping Labels, Product Reviews, Shipping Profiles Import and Discount emails. Find out more about all of the recent Commerce product updates here. 

Invoicing is now available to all Acuity customers. More details can be found here. 

Squarespace Launches Invoicing Tools for Squarespace Scheduling

When Acuity Scheduling joined Squarespace in 2019, our goal was simple - to make it seamless for our customers to offer appointment scheduling and manage bookings through our platform.  

In 2020, we launched Squarespace Scheduling to support customers looking for additional tools to run their booking businesses. Invoices is the latest addition to Squarespace Scheduling, making it easy for customers to manage the invoicing process, and get paid for their time. Squarespace Scheduling Invoices allow customers to create and send custom invoices, manage and track invoices, and accept payments securely, all in one place.

The new feature includes easy-to-use tools to quickly create invoices with autofilled appointment types, custom line items, and personalized messages. Invoices can be easily viewed, saved and duplicated for future uses, streamlining the often tedious process of juggling multiple services. To simplify the payment process, customers can send invoices directly to clients using a unique shared link, and payments are processed safely and securely. Customers can track the status of their invoices through a single dashboard that displays all sent, outstanding and paid invoices, in real-time. 

Squarespace is dedicated to providing creators and entrepreneurs with all the tools they need to thrive in one seamless, integrated platform. Squarespace Scheduling Invoices joins a range of recent Commerce product updates dedicated to helping customers diversify revenue streams and get the most out of how they sell online. New products include Automated product videos, Shipping Labels, Product Reviews, Shipping Profiles Import and Discount emails. Find out more about all of the recent Commerce product updates here. 

Invoicing is now available to all Scheduling customers. More details can be found here. 

Squarespace Launches Fluid Engine, Our New Website Design System

Today, we’re excited to unveil Fluid Engine, an incredibly powerful and versatile evolution of our page editing system that reimagines drag-and-drop technology and unlocks creative possibilities not previously possible on our platform. The goal of our editing system is always to balance ease of use with expressibility. Fluid Engine pushes on both of those areas, resulting in a platform that is accessible to more customers while at the same time unlocking many new creative possibilities. 

Fluid Engine provides our customers with maximum freedom to easily play with, experiment, and stretch creative limits through an unrestricted canvas, which is guided by an advanced smart grid. Regardless of how you experiment with Fluid Engine, our guidelines and design system will ensure that your website looks good no matter what. 

“We see our Squarespace site as the front door to our business,” said Edwina Bartholomew, Squarespace customer and owner of the Australian farm retreat Warramba. “We wanted the entire experience from first click, to making a booking, to our guests’ eventual stay at Warramba to be a wonderfully rich experience. Fluid Engine allowed us to achieve this.”

Fluid Engine offers groundbreaking web design through a new editing system, which includes an array of new functionalities and customization options:

Easier Customization and Creative Expression. A modern design system that gives users creative freedom and flexibility, with design guidance through the advanced drag-and-drop smart grid. 

Placement Precision. A new level of control when arranging content within layouts. You can control all aspects of layering, alignment, full bleed positioning, and more. 

More Control Over Your Mobile Website. A smart grid specifically designed for mobile view that helps users create bespoke designs independent from their desktop version to optimize their mobile experience.

Design Efficiency. Intelligent, responsive functionality to help users get their envisioned design results faster and more easily.

Paired with other newly released design tools—including a motion-based scrolling block, curated font packs and color palettes, custom button styles, and more—Squarespace continues to lead the way as the web’s most powerful website builder.

Fluid Engine is now available on Squarespace 7.1 in English, with plans to roll out in other supported languages beginning this fall. Fluid Engine is included in your Squarespace subscription, and accessible when editing your website. 

Introducing New Commerce Products and Features

We are excited to introduce a series of new Commerce products and features that we rolled out throughout the last quarter. These tools are designed to help customers get the most out of the ways they sell online, whether it be through physical products, digital content, classes, appointments or reservations. At Squarespace, we provide creators and entrepreneurs with all of the tools and services they need to sell anything. We’re continuing to build on our all-in-one platform with the below releases: 

Automated product videos: Customers can now use the Squarespace iOS app to access automated videos showcasing top selling or new products and services that can be easily shared on social media. Video content can still be edited or created using the Squarespace Video Studio app, which enables creators to make professional quality videos that match the design and branding of their Squarespace site. Find out more here. 

Shipping Labels: Merchants can buy, print, and send the tracking info for USPS shipping labels directly through Squarespace to streamline their fulfillment workflow. Labels are accessible with active pending orders for physical products. Find out more here. 

Product Reviews: Squarespace merchants can solicit and display product reviews directly on their online stores, on specific products, or across all products they sell. In addition to reviews collected on Squarespace, reviews can also be imported from Etsy and displayed directly on a Squarespace website. All reviews are visible in a central dashboard, which includes information such as review date, customer name, review stars value, review description, product image and name, and review visibility. Find out more here.

Shipping Profiles Import: Squarespace makes it easy for Etsy marketplace sellers to import products directly into their Squarespace store while continuing to manage their Etsy shop efficiently. With this new update, customers can import shipping rates directly from Etsy without having to manually set them up again on Squarespace. Find out more here. 

Discount email: It’s important for sellers to be able to convert leads into first time customers by connecting with them directly. Squarespace makes it easy to reach these customers through pre-built discount emails that are customized with site styles, relevant email subscribers, and a discount code, helping shops save time with an email format that’s consistent with their existing brand. Find out more here. 

These new features support Squarespace’s vision to give today's creators and entrepreneurs everything they need to thrive in one seamless, integrated platform. For information on the new products, please visit https://www.squarespace.com. Have questions? Our Customer Care team is here to help, 24/7. Don’t have a Squarespace website? Get started today.

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The term 'Etsy' is a trademark of Etsy, Inc. This application uses the Etsy API but is not endorsed or certified by Etsy.

Announcing the Winners of the Fifth Annual “Make It Awards”

Today, Squarespace announced the winners of the fifth annual “Make It Awards,” a program launched in partnership with The New York Knicks in 2017 to provide four tri-state area entrepreneurs and creators with the funds and exposure to elevate their businesses.

The winners each receive a $30,000 grant inspired by the investment Squarespace Founder and CEO Anthony Casalena received from his parents to launch the company in 2003. In addition to the grant, “Make It Awards” winners receive a one-year subscription to Squarespace, use of select Squarespace marketing inventory, including a one-year Unfold Pro subscription, a feature segment on MSG Networks, and more. 

Learn more about the 2022 winners, Adapt Ability (Brooklyn, NY), Harlem Pilates (Harlem, NY), Legally BLK Fund (New York, NY) and COVERR (Queens, NY) below:

Adapt Ability is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that provides custom adaptive bicycles for children with special needs. Each bicycle is tailored to the child to provide mobility, a source of exercise, a therapeutic tool, and so that they can enjoy the simple pleasure of riding a bicycle. Adapt Ability bicycles are donated to families free of charge.

Harlem Pilates is the only Pilates studio in Harlem, and their focus is to make health and wellness accessible to diverse communities. To counter the lack of representation and diversity in the fitness industry, Harlem Pilates aims to create a safe space where everyone feels included, appreciated, respected, and celebrated on their wellness journey.

Legally BLK Fund is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that was launched in 2020. With Black women making up only 2% of attorneys in the United States, the Legally BLK Fund is dedicated to supporting aspiring Black women attorneys by providing them with resources and financial assistance.

COVERR provides financial services that are customized for the gig economy and empowers the workers to reach their highest earning potential by offering a better alternative to a credit card or loan by eliminating traditional barriers. 

The judging panel for the awards this year included MSG Networks sportscasters Rebecca Haarlow and Monica McNutt, last year’s recipient and First Tech Fund CEO & Co-Founder Josue De Paz, Jack Settleman of SnapBack Sports, and Photographer Andre Wagner. Additionally, Squarespace Founder and CEO Anthony Casalena returned as a judge for a fifth year.

Squarespace’s mission to help entrepreneurs and creators stand out and succeed is strengthened each year by the “Make It Awards.” The company’s long standing partnership with Madison Square Garden and The New York Knicks represents the commitment of both organizations to give back and make a difference in their community. To learn more about the initiative, please visit www.makeitawards.com. 

Unfold Releases New Features and High-Impact Design Updates

Unfold, Squarespace's award-winning app that helps anyone stand out, capture audiences, and monetize content on social media, has launched a series of exciting new features and updates. The new enhancements make it easier for creators to develop and diversify revenue streams, engage their audiences, and plan content—furthering Squarespace’s vision to be the all-in-one platform providing creators and entrepreneurs with the social tools they need to succeed.

With Unfold, users can utilize one of hundreds of templates to make professional-looking and easy-to-share social content. Unfold’s Bio Sites—beautiful landing pages optimized for social—enable users to link to everything they offer in one place within their social bio, from their contact information, portfolio and information on causes they care about. Unfold makes it easy for creators to turn their lifestyle into their livelihoods with tools to transform their creative ideas into beautiful content. 

The new updates include:

Tools to stand out

Slideshows: Users can easily create videos with images they already have by putting any story or post template into slideshow mode and exporting it as a video to share on TikTok and Reels.

Music Integration: Powered by Epidemic Sound, users can now add unique, royalty-free music tracks to their stories and posts.

Tools to connect with audiences

Tipping on Bio Sites: Unfold has partnered with Stripe to allow creators to accept tips directly through their Bio Site in support of their goods and services.  

Multiple Bio Sites:. Everyone using Unfold has access to two free Bio Sites -- with more available to Unfold Pro users -- to provide flexibility for those managing multiple audiences, whether it be personal or brand.

Tools to save time 

Post Scheduling to Instagram: Now users can schedule Instagram posts across multiple accounts in addition to organizing their feeds, writing captions, and posting directly from Unfold to Instagram and other social platforms.

All Unfold users can now utilize these new updates, and those with Unfold+ and Unfold Pro will have expanded usage and access. Unfold is free to download in the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store for anyone, including Squarespace customers. Login with your Squarespace account and get started building beautiful social content today.

Squarespace Teams up with Zendaya for 2022 Super Bowl Campaign

Today, Squarespace revealed its eighth Super Bowl campaign starring Zendaya and featuring a special appearance by André ‘3000' Benjamin. The advertisement, directed by Edgar Wright, tells a modern tale about one of the most beloved entrepreneurs of all time. 

Inspired by the classic tongue twister Sally Sells Seashells, the spot features Zendaya as Sally, an entrepreneur looking to grow her seashell selling business. The story unfolds with narration from master of verse André ‘3000' Benjamin, who chronicles Sally's business transformation, from selling seashells to selling everything from seashell serenity sessions, tours of the seaside and more with the help of Squarespace.

Squarespace’s mission is to help people with creative ideas stand out and succeed. From established small businesses, to the new generation of creators and entrepreneurs, Squarespace’s tools allow anyone to sell physical and digital products including content, classes, appointments, experiences, and more.  A playful riff on the company's “Everything to Sell Anything” campaign, “Everything to Shell Anything” celebrates this dynamic new era of commerce that is revolutionizing the world’s economy.

“As a creator myself, and a Squarespace customer since 2018, I understand the importance of having an online presence that truly represents you and your business,” said Zendaya. “I was incredibly excited to have the opportunity to work and create with Edgar Wright on a story narrated by André ‘3000' Benjamin.”

“Squarespace provides today’s creators and entrepreneurs, like Zendaya, with everything they need to thrive through our all-in-one platform,” said Anthony Casalena, Founder and CEO of Squarespace. “Through this campaign, we hope to inspire the entrepreneurial spirit of a generation of creators that are building brands, and selling the things they're passionate about. We aim to give them all the tools they need to grow a thriving online business.”

This marks the first Super Bowl campaign produced by Squarespace Los Angeles’ in-house Creative team. The office was opened in 2021, as a space to harness the growing creative community and talent the city has to offer. 

The spot will air live during the first quarter of the game on Sunday, February 13th and will run in the US, UK and Canada. To learn more visit Squarespace.com/Zendaya. 

Introducing: Video Hosting and Monetization Tools

It’s now more important than ever for creators and entrepreneurs to diversify their revenue streams. Squarespace is releasing new tools to help our customers meet this moment, and earn income through selling digital products and content. Beginning today, customers will be able to easily host, showcase and sell access to video content directly through the Squarespace platform.

We launched Member Areas in 2020 to provide creators with a new way to sell content through memberships. Since then, we’ve seen an increase in video content being utilized, and to help customers better leverage this medium, our latest releases offer a seamless way to monetize video content such as classes. If you are just starting to explore merchandising video on our platform, these tools are powered by Squarespace’s best-in-class design and enable brand consistency across all touchpoints. 

The new video monetization tools help creators and business owners including chefs, instructors, wellness providers, and educators diversify revenue streams and earn passive income by selling content. With these tools, customers can:

Sell access to video content: With Member Areas, customers can choose to charge a one-time or recurring fee to access their video content.

Host video directly on Squarespace: Squarespace is now supporting native video hosting on our platform, in addition to externally hosted videos on YouTube and Vimeo.

Video hosting storage: All customers will be able to upload up to 30 minutes of high-resolution video content to their website for free.

Leverage our new video player: All Squarespace hosted videos will be played on our new video player with slick playback, speed controls, resolution controls, and a deep integration into the Squarespace platform.

Customize video details: Titles, descriptions, URLs, custom thumbnails, metadata, and more can be fully customized.

Merchandise video content: Videos can easily be categorized, arranged, and styled to best represent a customer’s brand.

Any Squarespace customer can now utilize these layouts designed to beautifully display video content, and those with Member Areas can monetize content and get additional hours of video hosting storage. Member Areas is available as an add-on product to any Squarespace website subscription and plans start at $9 a month. 

Have questions? Our Customer Care team is here to help, 24/7. Don’t have a Squarespace website? Get started today.

Introducing the all-in-one Squarespace app

At Squarespace, we’re building tools that give you everything you need to sell anything. We recently consolidated three previously separate mobile apps into one updated Squarespace mobile app that has the functionality you need while on the go. You can now manage your online store, make sales, monitor analytics and edit your website—all in one place on your mobile device.

Commerce
The all-new Commerce tab enables you to manage inventory and fulfill orders on the go. Easily add new products or services to your store and edit product listings. When a customer places an order, you’ll see their information and have full access to order details in the app. You can also opt in to receive push notifications when new orders are placed, inventory is low or stock is depleted. 

Point of Sale
Point of Sale is now available directly in the Squarespace app for iOS, too. Connect a Square reader to make in-person sales that stay in sync with your online inventory.

Analytics Tools
Our entire suite of analytics tools have been added to the Squarespace app as well, making it easier than ever to get a holistic overview of your online presence. Tap the Analytics tab to view key metrics, learn about your audience, see sales and revenue, and identify audience trends, empowering you to make impactful decisions about your business and website. On iOS, you can even add a widget to your homescreen to view your website traffic at a glance.

The Squarespace app is also a convenient way to make quick edits to your website from anywhere. Upload photos from your camera roll, or draft and publish content to your blog, portfolio and other pages. Preview your site on mobile and make changes to page settings and site styles, so your website looks consistent and professional no matter where your audience is viewing.

The Squarespace app is available for free on iOS and Android, enabling all Squarespace users to keep their online presence up-to-date while on the go.