The Power of the Niche: How Monica Kovach Built a Premium Template Business on Squarespace
Location: Kalamazoo, Michigan
Started using Squarespace: 2016
Title: Founder & Creative Director, Hold Space Creative
In today’s crowded digital landscape, many designers are carving out a unique space. Circle Community Leader and Platinum Partner Monica Kovach, a former therapist and the Founder and Creative Director of Hold Space Creative, did just that.
Her journey began with her own website, where she quickly recognized a need for web design services tailored to the mental health industry. That insight set her on the path to becoming a leading voice in the Circle community, specializing in premium Squarespace templates.
In this interview, Monica shares how she successfully transitioned her career, built a profitable business, and developed her innovative “Template Reframe” model. We also dive into the power of finding a specific niche, along with her strategies for marketing and long-term success as a premium template seller.
What originally drew you to web design, and how did you get your start in the industry?
I had never planned to be a web designer, and discovered a passion for it accidentally!
In 2016, I experienced severe burnout from my job as a counselor and art therapist, and made the extremely difficult decision to quit my job. While recovering, I figured I’d use my skill set to start a coaching business so that I could find a little more work-life balance.
Naturally, I put together my own website on Squarespace, which was rapidly gaining popularity at the time. I leaned on my background in art and design to create it, and was surprised at how much I enjoyed the process.
Once my website was launched, my colleagues in the mental health world started to approach me with questions about their websites. Many of them were starting private practices at the time, and I began to get requests to design their websites.
Even though my original intention was to start a coaching business, I was having way more fun designing websites, so I decided to go for it and pivot to web design full time. I officially launched Hold Space Creative in 2017, and as they say, the rest is history!
You primarily work with therapists and coaches in mental healthcare. What is it about Squarespace that makes it your go-to for building websites for these clients?
Since the very beginning, my primary intention has been to help my friends in mental healthcare feel empowered to manage their own websites.
When I started Hold Space Creative, I saw way too many examples of companies exploiting therapists’ lack of website knowledge; there were endless cookie-cutter therapy websites that didn’t even belong to the therapists themselves and these big companies retained ownership and control.
I knew that I needed to find a platform that was user-friendly enough that folks who had never built a website before could use it, and a platform that would allow therapists to maintain ownership of their websites. Squarespace fit the bill, and continues to be the go-to to this day.
When I teach customers and clients how to use Squarespace, I’m encouraged by the fact that I’m also empowering them to retain control over their most valuable marketing asset and intellectual property.
Your services are based on a “Template Reframe” model. Can you explain Template Reframes and why this approach has been so successful?
I launched my first Squarespace templates for therapists in 2020, and again, my primary goal was to empower mental healthcare providers to build better websites. And while I prioritized creating comprehensive support materials for customers to feel confident using my templates, some customers still wanted personalized design guidance.
I created my Template Reframe service in response to these requests. During this five-day design process, I “reframe” (i.e., personalize) one of our template designs on behalf of the client—adding their pictures and copy while I tailor their chosen design to their personality and therapeutic style.
This process holds a special place in my heart because I draw heavily on my experience as an art therapist for these projects. Art therapy is all about bringing an internal experience to the external world, or creating a visual representation of something that can’t always be explained with words. When I work with a client on a Template Reframe, I’m tapping into who they are as a person and clinician, who their audience is, how their audience feels, and synthesizing all of that into the visual form of a website.
I always feel a little like a magician when I complete a Template Reframe because aside from a few email exchanges, I generally don’t know these clients beforehand. I’m tapping into their essence based on the info they provide, and using the skills I learned as an art therapist to translate that into visual form.
What are some benefits of designing for a particular niche or industry? What advice do you have for other web designers looking to “niche down” their services?
Benefit #1: You don’t need to be the best
While I do have a background in art and design, I’m largely a self-taught web designer. Therefore, the designs I made at the beginning of my business weren’t groundbreaking by any means. But because I was focused on one niche, I didn’t need to be the best web designer around to get clients; I just needed to be the best I could be for my particular niche.
For someone who can get stuck in perfectionism, like me, this shift can be a game-changer. It took the pressure off being “the best,” and let me learn and evolve as my business grew.
Benefit #2: Marketing is easier
The phrase, “when you speak to everyone, you speak to no one,” is so true. Unless you have the design skills to reach mass appeal, focusing on one group of people will help your work get seen by the right people.
Everything from writing email newsletters to social media posts to creating promotions becomes easier when you have a specific group of people you’re talking to. You don’t have to worry about solving everyone’s problems—you can focus on helping your audience reach their goals.
Benefit #3: You can become an expert
After eight years of designing and building therapy and mental health websites, it’s safe to say I know a lot about therapy and mental health websites. Sure, I know a lot about web design in general, but when I get invited for interviews or speaking gigs, it’s because I’m an expert in therapy website design, not simply because I’m a web designer.
Niching down means that you can get really good at a specific type of website and become known for that, which opens up a world of possibilities!
What strategies do you recommend for designers aiming to successfully market and sell premium Squarespace templates?
1. Identify your unique selling proposition (USP)
The template market is getting busier and busier every day, so it’s important to differentiate yourself and offer something unique. What’s different about your templates or your business? How are you filling a gap in the marketplace?
2. Deliver on your promises
Premium Squarespace templates are premium for a reason; they often come with extras that other Squarespace templates don’t. In my experience, people are happy to pay for premium products if they know their expectations will be fulfilled, and that comes with a consistent track record of delivering on your promises.
3. Prioritize support
Again, “premium” comes with a certain expectation of support associated with the product. Customer questions and technical issues are normal parts of selling Squarespace templates. Each of our templates includes comprehensive support materials that get periodically updated as Squarespace evolves, and email support for help with any questions that weren’t answered in our support materials.
What design element do you consider essential in every website template you create?
At the risk of sounding boring: heading priority! We try to set our customers up for success by designing our premium Squarespace templates with proper heading priority so that they don’t even have to think about setting their pages up for search and accessibility.
I also make a point to mention this in our tutorials, just in case a customer decides to play around with text styles, but if a customer simply swaps the demo text with their own copy, they already have a leg up in the SEO department.
What do you wish you knew when you first started designing websites?
Good web design isn’t about having the flashiest features or coolest animations. It comes down to how well the website meets your clients’ goals. I knew this intellectually at the beginning, but it’s so tempting to prioritize a flashy design over pragmatics; it took some experience to really take this advice to heart.
What is your favorite part about being a Circle member?
The community! Ever since I attended my first Circle Day in NYC in 2023, I’ve gotten to know so many kind, creative people from all over the world who are always willing to collaborate and swap expertise.
Key takeaways
Here are some top insights from Monica’s interview.
Your existing clients’ existing needs will often reveal what web design services are currently in demand
Use a clear heading hierarchy to improve UX and boost SEO and AIO
Clearly market your Squarespace templates by highlighting your unique niche, skills, approach, or design aesthetic
Whether you’re creating full custom designs or providing post-launch support, excellent customer service is essential
Always deliver on your promises
Watch Monica at Circle Day 2023:
Want more?
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