Successful Squarespace Designer Secrets: What They Do Differently
Web design is a competitive space, but some designers seem to breeze past the competition without breaking a sweat. They surpass revenue and productivity goals, secure great clients, build stunning sites, and somehow do it all in fewer hours than the rest. According to web designer and business educator Paige Brunton, the difference between these ultra-successful designers and everyone else isn’t just raw talent—it’s the set of replicable strategies and systems they implement.
As the Founder of Square Secrets, a Squarespace design course, Paige has interacted with thousands of students through her courses, weekly calls, and Q&As. Her student success stories are inspiring, with some booking up clients over a year in advance, and others charging upwards of $16,000 per project. Paige shared a treasure trove of actionable tips that designers can use to reach their goals in record time at Circle Day 2024.
The two paths to success
You don’t need to copy everything successful designers do to achieve success in your career. Paige has distilled the basics down to a list of five key strategies that strongly correlate with success. Highly successful designers, she stresses, often don’t even hit all five. All of them, however, pursued one of two basic strategies. They developed incredible design skills or they focused on a niche where they could excel. Some industries, like weddings or fashion, have a strong creative and aesthetic focus and demand top-tier design, while others, like HVAC services, are more forgiving. With that in mind, high levels of success are attainable, even if you haven’t yet reached virtuosic levels of skill.
1. Hone your design skills
Design is a skill more than it is a talent. When you develop that skill, you gain both flexibility and earning potential. Websites are big investments, and clients will pay generously to work with top designers. Paige recommends you polish your design before you polish your pricing.
Developing a strong design sense is about more than following best practices. You can develop your eye for design by paying attention to the world around you. For example, Paige recommends watching for stand-out packaging at the grocery store. Ask yourself why it looks more compelling than its competitors. Or, consider why certain interior design schemes look better than others and why certain clothing items work from a design perspective. Follow great web designers and learn from their work. We're surrounded by design that we can learn from.
Of course, building your own portfolio site is another great opportunity to hone your skills. So is building a portfolio of real websites for mock clients. When you’re finished, you’ll have a beautiful collection of work to show to potential clients.
While Paige recommends being omnivorous in seeking design inspiration, she recommends being picky while building your skills. Focus your attention on a single website-building platform. Become an expert in it. There’s more than enough to learn and adapt to within a single platform, and sticking with one shouldn't significantly impact your addressable market.
2. Find a niche
You don’t have to wait until you’ve mastered design before you can launch a lucrative career. Some of Paige’s most successful students were able to tap into profitable niches without highly developed skills. One student, for example, began building sites for local HVAC professionals. Eventually, she specialized in building sites for custom home builders. The niche proved to be extremely lucrative as a single client gained through a website upgrade can result in a significant increase of hundreds of thousands of dollars in business.
When you build websites for similar clients, you become more and more experienced in anticipating their needs. You are also in a great position to make use of templates and timelines.
Like Paige, many students became designers after they built their own websites. If you’re close to particular industries, frequent specific online forums, or have personal or professional networks around specific sectors, consider how this could be your profitable niche. You can also look at Squarespace templates for different niche ideas, or use Squarespace Blueprint AI to ideate on site design and organization.
3. Get referrals
Referrals are the number one method most successful designers use to grow their client base. The key to gaining referrals is delivering exceptional results by offering a seamless client experience. This includes meeting deadlines and having good systems in place. Many high-performing web designers opt to work with one client at a time to ensure high-quality work, reduce stress, and give individualized attention.
Strong systems not only show clients that you’re a pro, but they also help you work efficiently. You can also use automated email reminders to prompt clients to deliver their homework on time. When you’re on it and hit quick deadlines, your clients will rave about your services. Paige recommends occasionally delighting clients with small, unexpected gifts.
4. Market from a place of joy, not obligation
While there are dozens of ways to market your business, you can still find enjoyment in finding creative ways to stand out from the competition. Align your marketing strategies with your strengths and interests, and don’t feel obligated to market on platforms you already don’t use or like.
When designers market in ways they genuinely enjoy, they come across as authentic. For instance, when Paige launched Square SecretsTM, she drew in traffic with a series of blog posts and interviews—activities she already loved doing. For you, the best place to market may be social media, your own blog, or via affiliate partners and giveaways. Investing in one or two marketing channels is usually better than spreading yourself thin across them all.
Want to learn more about managing an efficient content flywheel? Read about the content segment at Circle Day.
5. Run from generic positioning
When you sell the same product as others, you risk competing with them on price. Ultra-successful designers set themselves apart through strong copy, branding, or offers. Some designers, for example, become experts on a specific platform, while others develop a unique brand that hooks potential clients. Injecting personality into your website doesn’t have to happen all at once. If you refine your website and branding gradually, you can ease into showcasing what makes you unique.
Learn more about how to stand out to prospective clients.
Bonus tip: Ignore what doesn’t matter
In website design, there are always new skills to learn. However, successful designers understand that their skills are rarely a limiting factor for success. While successful designers hone their core design skills, they try to avoid unnecessary tasks. They often focus on mastering one platform instead of many. They may even avoid coding unless it provides a direct benefit to their specific clients. Some skip add-on services like branding or copywriting, and focus on streamlining offerings for project efficiency and quality.
What successful Squarespace designers do differently
The difference between highly successful designers and everyone else isn’t innate talent—it’s their ability to use smart strategies, focus on client experience, and avoid distractions. By applying these tips for success, you can streamline your business, build a stellar reputation, market in a way you enjoy, and have clients lining up for your services.
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 across the globe to exchange advice while connecting with new clients and collaborators.
