How Circle Members Make the Most of Membership
With new trends and technological innovation, web design is ever-evolving. The industry is anchored by a class of well-established designers, developers, project managers, and creatives, and welcomes new solopreneurs and agencies into the fold daily.
Professional web designers have long monetized their skills on Squarespace. In addition to building websites for their clients, they sell premier templates, develop brand identities, act as branding consultants, write custom code, establish SEO strategies, write compelling website copy, and more. Some have gone on to build entire careers and multi-tier businesses out of their offerings.
Established in January 2016, Squarespace Circle was born out of the desire to support these powerful Squarespace customers and connect them to each other. The free partner program has evolved into a worldwide community of thousands of creative professionals who exchange knowledge and feedback about running a Squarespace web design business. Circle members also enjoy a wide array of benefits, including 20% discounts on annual subscriptions, early access to product betas, referral payments, a members-only forum, and in-person and online networking events. Simply put, there is a lot that comes with Circle membership.
To better understand the Circle community and how members can take advantage of its benefits, we spoke with Sarah Greisdorf, Circle Community Manager. Sarah works with the Circle community to help members expand their knowledge of Squarespace and grow their business.
As Community Manager, you get to interact with so many Circle members. How would you describe the community?
Sarah Greisdorf: Our community of Circle members is vibrant, passionate, and dedicated to supporting one another. They take their work seriously, but also want to see each other succeed in building careers utilizing Squarespace. We see this in the support they provide one another on the Forum, the way they show up to events and host meetups, participation in webinars, and the invaluable feedback they provide on our product.
Circle members have a lot of perks. What are the most popular benefits of membership?
Sarah: The most popular benefit of membership is the extended trial—instead of two weeks to build a website before subscribing to a plan, they have six months, giving them adequate time to build a site to client specifications. Another popular perk is the 20% off they get for their first payment on annual product subscriptions.
One of the newer perks that has been great for the community is the feature request board on the Circle Forum. Members can make feature or product requests and upvote each other's suggestions. Our team surfaces this list to product managers so Circle members have the most up-to-date information regarding product and feature updates. It’s a great example of increasing transparency and honesty between Squarespace and Circle.
Another favorite that I'll call out is the Circle referral payment benefit, which allows eligible members to earn commissions for bringing their clients to Squarespace. Through this benefit, Circle members can earn hundreds of dollars on a single project.
What can Circle members accomplish with the extra commission?
Sarah: I’ve heard Circle members say they put the money back into their businesses. Some use it to cover bigger purchases such as software and tools, while others invest in their marketing or additional skill building.
This is the best update Squarespace has made for professionals for as long as I've been a designer. Last year I earned several thousand dollars just by doing what I was doing anyway, which is showing clients how fantastic Squarespace is. It's allowed me to reinvest heavily in equipment, software, content, and everything else that improves my overall service delivery. – Sam Crawford, Circle member
In addition to being a community manager, you co-host Circle Live, the live monthly series on all things Squarespace Circle. What can Circle members expect to see and why should they tune in?
Sarah: We have some great content planned for the next few months. The format of the show is centered around bringing the experiences of our Circle members to life and finding new opportunities to unlock possibilities for your business. It’s an exciting new way to feel reinvigorated and get inspired.
No matter where you join us from, Sam Zelitch (Circle Live co-host) and I are there to encourage you to take your Squarespace business to the next level.
Let’s talk about the Circle Forum. Some members love participating in open forums and conversing with peers, while others would rather observe. Talk us through some of the benefits of getting involved.
Sarah: There is one clear benefit: if you have a question, you can get it answered. There are so many people on the forum who love helping and solving problems, it’s rare that questions are posted without a response.
Plus, the more you post, the more relationships you form as a result. The more you engage with people on and off the forum, the more you can learn and bring into your own business. In turn, this can strengthen your service offering for clients.
I joined Circle about four years ago, and I've loved every minute. Until recently, I primarily used the Circle membership perks to sell my Squarespace services to potential clients using the 20% discount and free six-month development period. These two exclusive Circle member offers are what really makes me stand out from the rest of the crowd and land the client. During the past few months, I've made more of an effort to participate in the online Circle Forum, and I've really enjoyed the sense of community. I now find that my day doesn't feel complete unless I've checked in at least once to see what everyone's up to, and, as a solopreneur, it's nice to feel a part of something bigger. – Shawna Gibbs, Circle member
Circle is known for hosting great networking events and skill-building webinars. How do you plan these events with Circle members in mind and what are some that members should definitely look out for?
Sarah: All of our content is fueled by requests or suggestions from Circle members. When we plan our content for the next couple of months, we start with one question: How can we effectively support our Circle members and their businesses?
We can’t talk about events without discussing Circle Day. What is Circle Day and why is it an absolute must for Circle members?
Sarah: Circle Day is our annual gathering of current and prospective Circle members where our community comes together to meet one another, learn new skills, and leave feeling empowered to continue growing their Squarespace businesses.
And while most of our events are reserved for Circle members, select Circle Day events will be open to the public. Keep an eye out for details!
Speaking of networking, why is it so important for members to meet other members of the community? Can you share an example of a networking success story?
Sarah: Getting out there and meeting members of the community is the best opportunity you have to expand your own knowledge and the scope of what you can offer as a business owner.
My favorite Circle networking story goes back to Circle Day 2022. For our first Circle Day, our team supported Circle members in hosting meetups after the events around the world. We had a Circle member in San Francisco host a meetup for members in her area, and they now meet monthly. What was originally an online connection went from URL to IRL.
The events that are put on for the Circle members are amazing! The ability to network with other designers, as well as the Squarespace team members, provides a value that not a lot of companies offer their partners. Sure, there are learning opportunities, but it is generally a mass education type of experience that, a lot of times, leaves me feeling like I’m just a number. The Circle events, while heavily attended, don’t feel that way. – Sayre Ambrosio, Circle member
A benefit of being a Circle member is receiving access to product betas. Why is this such a popular perk and what does early access mean for members?
Sarah: We always aim to give Circle members a preview on what’s to come so they can feel prepared when working with their clients. When we can, we give Circle members access to upcoming products and new features. This is such a popular benefit because it provides the chance to try things out before their clients, meaning they can better educate and support them with the new features.
Lastly, what is your number one advice for Circle members looking to get the most out of the program?
Sarah: I think step one is to start reading the Weekly Release Notes we send every Monday. They include all of the information about what’s new across our community, including program offerings and product updates. If you want to stay up to date with product betas or the next Circle live, the release notes give you the best opportunity to stay in the loop!
A lot of times, the release notes link to posts on the forum, so I recommend reading the posts to get a better sense of what’s going on. It’s also a great way to find opportunities to get plugged in.
If you have built a business around Squarespace, there’s nothing more empowering than being a Circle Member. The information you get as a Member gives you an edge that you can use immediately to better serve your clients and customers… It’s not every day that a company as large as Squarespace gives its users such transparency, access, and the ability to influence. It makes me happy that I chose to build my business with Squarespace! – Melissa Kelly, Circle member
A special thanks to Sarah Greisdorf, Squarespace community manager, for giving us an in-depth look at the Circle community. We’d also like to thank Sam Crawford, Shawna Gibbs, Sayre Ambrosio, and Melissa Kelly for sharing their experiences with Squarespace’s professional partner program.
Want more?
Check out Squarespace Circle, Squarespace’s program for professional designers. Along with exclusive content, discounts, and other perks, Circle brings professionals together from all across the globe to exchange advice while connecting with new clients and collaborators.
