Art Storefronts vs Squarespace: Which is Best for Artists?

Artwork Storefronts vs Squarespace: Which is finest? In the end, all of it will depend on the kind of enterprise you need to run. Squarespace is a simple web site builder, with lovely templates, and loads of helpful instruments if you wish to promote issues like programs, memberships, and subscriptions. Nevertheless, whereas Squarespace advertises itself as an internet site builder meant for creators it’s not targeted solely on artists.

It’s additionally not essentially the most strong ecommerce platform I’ve ever used. In reality, if you dive in and truly arrange an account with Squarespace, you’ll discover lots of lacking ecommerce capabilities. There’s no “want checklist” function, the stock administration instruments are very primary, and Squarespace doesn’t even have its personal devoted cost processor (although it integrates with others).

Artwork Storefronts is the one ecommerce resolution I’ve seen to this point truly designed to assist artists promote and promote their merchandise. It’s a specialised resolution, combining web site design with ecommerce, print-on-demand, and specialised companies.

Let’s dive into the comparability.

Artwork Storefronts Professionals and Cons

Squarespace Professionals and Cons

Artwork Storefronts vs Squarespace: Function Comparability

Each Artwork Storefronts and Squarespace supply entry to web site constructing and ecommerce instruments, however they’re very completely different beneath the floor.

Art Storefronts is a complete resolution designed particularly to deal with the wants of artists. Squarespace is extra of a catch-all platform that means that you can promote just about something, however provides you only a few superior instruments.

Web site Design Options

Squarespace has a superb status as the most effective web site design platforms, and its straightforward to see why. Not solely are you able to select from an enormous vary of professionally-designed templates in your Squarespace retailer, however you possibly can customise these templates nevertheless you want.

Squarespace’s design instruments are extraordinarily straightforward to make use of, and don’t impose any limitations on what number of pages, blogs, or galleries you possibly can create. Plus, if you happen to’re having a tough time constructing the proper retailer, Squarespace means that you can use AI to create a template as a substitute.

Nevertheless, although I really like Squarespace’s templates and design instruments, I do suppose Artwork Storefronts is a greater web site builder general. It provides you all the similar options as Squarespace, together with lovely, responsive templates you possibly can customise primarily based in your wants.

Past that, although, Artwork Storefronts comes with just a few additional options that actually take your internet design capabilities to the following stage. You may create pop-up lead seize instruments with advertising and marketing automation and consumer concentrating on built-in. You may as well design augmented actuality experiences for patrons that permit them to view what your merchandise will appear like on their partitions.

Though the platform is slightly trickier to navigate, Artwork Storefronts does provide the choice to have a group design your retailer for you. You’d must improve to the Enterprise model of Squarespace, or rent a designer to get the identical expertise from them.

Ecommerce and Artwork Promoting Options

As I discussed earlier than, Squarespace is an honest ecommerce platform. It integrates with a variety of cost processing options. Plus, it means that you can promote just about any sort of product, from bodily and digital merchandise, to subscriptions, memberships, and programs.

In the event you’re a service-focused enterprise, Squarespace is unquestionably a sensible choice, with it’s built-in appointment reserving instruments. You may as well reap the benefits of some omnichannel gross sales options, equivalent to the flexibility to promote on social media, or by way of a point-of-sale system (with Sq.).

Nevertheless, in relation to truly promoting artwork, Artwork Storefronts provides you a lot extra performance. First, Artwork Storefronts will truly create your artwork for you.

Whilst you can combine with Printful to get an identical expertise utilizing SquareSpace, Artwork Storefront’s print on demand companies are way more superior. They will create framed items, canvases, and prints in a wider vary of sizes than most POD corporations, and even design catalogs for you.

On high of that, you get a bunch of instruments from Artwork Storefronts that assist you to enhance gross sales, equivalent to:

• Artwork Purchaser AI: An clever software that gives insights into your clients.
• Distinctive merchandizing choices: Akin to stay 3D and augmented actuality previews, and 360-degree merchandising movies.
• Upselling and cross–promoting instruments: Like mechanically recommended bundles, just lately considered product carousels, automated artwork upsells, and dynamic merch positioning.

In easy phrases, Squarespace is perhaps higher for promoting programs and subscriptions, nevertheless it doesn’t maintain a candle to Artwork Storefronts by way of artwork promoting options.

Advertising and Enterprise Progress

Relating to advertising and marketing and rising your small business, Squarespace is a little bit of a letdown. It does offer you entry to a fantastic running a blog performance, so you possibly can put money into content material advertising and marketing. Plus, the templates you’ll entry on Squarespace are optimized for technical Search engine optimization.

Nevertheless, there are not any notably superior advertising and marketing instruments. You may create electronic mail campaigns (although I’d suggest utilizing a third-party app for this), design trackable hyperlinks for social media campaigns, and use pop-up and announcement bars in your web site. That’s about it.

The very best function Squarespace provides you to develop your small business, for my part, is the flexibility to promote subscriptions and memberships to clients.

Once more, Artwork Storefronts is much more superior. It means that you can earn the belief of your clients with 3^rd get together badges from advisable artwork associations. There’s an built-in pop-up lead seize software included on all web sites, and also you get a Search engine optimization-ready weblog for content material advertising and marketing.

There are AI instruments just like the Artwork Copilot that can assist you create customized advertising and marketing campaigns, and an built-in CRM system for monitoring buyer relationships. Plus, the Artwork Storefronts group will construct total advertising and marketing campaigns for you, in addition to offering you with art-selling finest follow guides, webinars, programs, and playbooks.

Plus, Artwork Storefronts permits clients to create favorites lists, share pages with mates by way of electronic mail with a single click on, and consider merchandise in augmented actuality. On high of that, you get entry to electronic mail advertising and marketing instruments and integrations with social media platforms.

Artwork Storefronts vs Squarespace: Pricing and Charges

Whereas Artwork Storefronts is the extra superior ecommerce resolution for artists general, Squarespace does have an edge from a pricing perspective. The platform follows a easy subscription mannequin, with costs starting from round $16 to $49 monthly.

Notably, you will want a minimum of a “Enterprise” plan to promote by way of Squarespace, which begins at $23 monthly, with transaction charges of three%. If you wish to keep away from transaction charges, you’ll want the Commerce Primary ($36 monthly) or Superior ($65 monthly) plan.

This pricing does make Squarespace a bit dearer than a number of the different ecommerce platforms I’ve used up to now, nevertheless it’s nonetheless comparatively reasonably priced, notably for individuals who would want to entry add-ons for different platforms (like Shopify) to promote programs and subscriptions.

The principle drawback with Artwork Storefronts is that there aren’t any direct pricing plans to select from. You may solely get a value for the platform if you contact the group and request a demo. They’ll ask you particularly what companies and help you’re going to want, and offer you a customized quote.

From what I can inform studying different consumer evaluations on-line, you’ll spend round $3,000+ to set your retailer up initially, then there are additional month-to-month charges to pay for internet hosting and help. There are additionally hefty charges for lots of the companies you would possibly need to entry.

I ought to observe, nevertheless, that whereas the pricing for Artwork Storefronts is perhaps excessive, you’re getting an enterprise-level expertise. In the event you actually need to scale and develop your artwork enterprise, it could possibly be price paying slightly additional.

Artwork Storefronts vs Squarespace: The Verdict

In the end, if you happen to’re on the lookout for the perfect ecommerce platform for artists, and also you’re not fearful about pricing, Artwork Storefronts is the higher alternative, fingers down. It’s the much more superior platform, full of distinctive instruments that can assist you to to advertise, create, and promote extra artwork.

It’s additionally the higher possibility by way of customer support and help, providing end-to-end help with the whole lot from internet design to advertising and marketing.

Alternatively, if you happen to’re simply on the lookout for an reasonably priced, comparatively versatile, and easy-to-use ecommerce platform, with out the additional bells and whistles, Squarespace continues to be a sensible choice. Personally, although, I’d suggest it extra to folks promoting programs and subscriptions than established artists.