Squarespace Website Templates: How to Choose One That Feels Like Your Business

You’re scrolling through beautiful websites over your morning coffee, wondering how everyone else managed to make theirs look so put together. Meanwhile, you’ve been browsing Squarespace website templates with about seventeen tabs open and no idea which one to choose.

You want a website you’re proud to share. Something that reflects your business, explains what you do and makes it easy for people to take the next step.

But a custom website might feel like a bigger investment than you’re ready for. And building everything yourself? That can quickly turn into an evening spent moving one text box around.

A thoughtfully designed template sits nicely between the two.

I’m Jess, the designer behind House of Toro and Toro Templates, and I’m here to help you work out what to look for, what’s worth paying for and how to make a template feel like yours.

What actually is a Squarespace website template?

A template gives you a starting design for your website, so you don’t have to make every layout and styling decision yourself.

When people talk about Squarespace website templates, they usually mean one of two things:

• Squarespace’s built-in starting designs: included with the platform, giving you layouts and styling to customise.
• Independent designer templates: predesigned Squarespace websites or layouts sold by a separate designer, often with additional pages, content prompts and setup guidance.

Think of it like moving into a home. One option gives you the space and a starting arrangement. The other has had someone thoughtfully choose the furniture, work out where everything goes and make the rooms feel connected.

You’ll still bring your own things. You’re just starting with more decisions already made.

On Squarespace 7.1, all starting designs share the same underlying features and style options. Your choice gives you an initial look and layout, rather than a different set of platform capabilities.

Free vs premium Squarespace templates: what are you paying for?

Premium Squarespace templates can be worth it if their layouts, pages and guidance save you time and make building your website feel more manageable. The value comes from how well the design supports your business and how much useful work is already done for you.

Squarespace’s built-in designs are a perfectly good place to start, especially if you enjoy experimenting and have the time to plan your pages.

“Free” here means there’s no separate template purchase. You’ll still need a paid Squarespace subscription to keep your website live.

With a premium designer template, you might receive:

• A more complete set of coordinated pages.
• Layouts designed around a particular type of business.
• Prompts to help you organise your content.
• Tutorials and setup instructions.
• Support while you customise.

Those inclusions vary, so always read the product details.

A beautiful preview is lovely. Knowing what to put on your services page and how to edit it is pretty lovely too.

Template, custom website or building it yourself?

The right option depends on your budget, your time and how much help you want.

Here’s a rough planning guide. These are indicative Australian dollar budgets and timeframes, rather than fixed quotes.

Approach	Indicative design cost	Rough timeframe	What you’ll take on
DIY using a built-in design	$0 for the starting design	A few days to several weeks	Planning the pages, writing the content and making the design decisions
Premium designer template	Around $200–$800+	A few days to a few weeks once content is ready	Adding your content, customising the design and checking everything before launch
Custom website	Around $4,000–$10,000+	Often 3–8 weeks, depending on scope and availability	Preparing content, sharing your goals and giving feedback while your designer handles the build

Platform subscriptions, domains, copywriting, photography and optional extras sit outside these design budgets.

A DIY website can suit someone who likes learning as they go. A template can suit someone who wants a clear starting point and is happy to do the customisation. A custom website can suit a business that needs more individual strategy, specific functionality or someone to manage the design process.

And sometimes, your biggest consideration is time.

A lower upfront cost can still mean lots of evenings spent figuring things out. A higher investment might give you back time you’d rather spend serving clients, growing your business or closing your laptop.

How to choose the right Squarespace website template

Before you fall in love with the colours in the preview, look at how the website actually works.

These are the seven things I’d check.

1. It reflects your personality

Does the overall design feel like a good fit for your business?

Look at the spacing, image sizes, typography and pace of the pages. A quiet, spacious design creates a different feeling from bold headings and playful overlapping elements.

The demo colours and photos can change. Focus on whether you like the design underneath them.

2. The layouts suit what you sell

Choose a template that gives your offers room to make sense.

A photographer might need galleries and portfolio stories near the front of the website. A coach might need a clear services page that explains who they help, what working together involves and how to book.

You don’t have to stay within the industry shown in the demo. You do want layouts that make your content easier to organise.

3. There’s a clear path to enquire or buy

Open the preview and pretend you’re a potential client.

Can you quickly understand what the business offers? Can you find more information? Is the next step obvious?

Look for useful buttons, straightforward navigation and places to enquire throughout the pages. Visitors shouldn’t have to hunt for the contact form after deciding they’re interested.

4. It includes the pages you need

A pretty homepage is a good beginning, but your business probably needs more than that.

Check for the pages you’ll actually use, such as About, Services, individual service pages, Portfolio, FAQs and Contact.

Also check what “included” means. A designed shop page, for example, doesn’t necessarily mean your products, payments and shipping are already set up.

5. It’s easy to edit yourself

Think beyond launch day.

You’ll want to update a service, add a testimonial or replace a photo without feeling like you might break the whole website.

Look for clear information about how the template is built, what you can customise and whether any special features rely on code or additional tools.

6. It works well on mobile

Spend a few minutes browsing the demo on your phone.

Can you read the text comfortably? Are the buttons easy to tap? Do images crop nicely? Does the navigation make sense?

You’ll need to check the mobile version again after adding your own content, because different words and images can change how a layout feels.

7. Setup guidance or support is included

Find out what happens after you buy.

Will you receive clear instructions? Video tutorials? Somewhere to ask questions? Is support available for a set period, and what does it cover?

You don’t need someone hovering over your shoulder, but knowing where to turn can make getting started feel much less overwhelming.

How to make a template feel like your business

“But won’t my website look like everyone else’s?”

It’s a fair question. The good news is that the starting layout is only one part of what people experience.

Your words, photos and brand identity bring a lot of personality to the finished website.

Start with your own messaging. Explain what you do, who you help and what makes your approach yours. Template prompts can guide you, but the finished copy should sound like your business.

Choose images that belong to your world. Your work, your face, your products and the details behind your business will create a different feeling from the demo photography.

Bring in your colours and fonts. These can shift the mood of a design considerably. Keep readability in mind, and check the licence before uploading a font.

Make small layout changes where they help. Remove a section you don’t need, add another service or move a testimonial closer to the offer it supports.

Across my custom design work, the content and imagery have such a big influence on how a website feels. The same applies when you’re working with a template.

You don’t have to redesign every section to make it yours.

Plan your content before you start setting up

It’s tempting to buy a template and immediately start changing the colours.

I get it. That’s the fun bit.

But having your content ready gives you a much clearer idea of what your website needs to do, and makes customisation easier.

Your homepage should help someone understand three things quickly:

• Who you help.
• How you help them.
• What they can do next.

From there, you can introduce your offers, build trust and guide people towards more information.

Write a rough first draft before getting caught up in perfect spacing. It’s much easier to choose the right section when you know what needs to go inside it.

My free Homepage Formula gives you prompts to help organise those ideas before you start building.

For more on planning your page, get my Freebie here

What good setup and support looks like

Good guidance should tell you how to access your template, where to begin and how to customise the main parts of your website.

Look for instructions that are easy to follow, tutorials you can revisit and a clear explanation of how to ask for help.

It’s also useful to know what support covers. Help editing a template might be included, while writing your copy or creating new layouts might be a separate service.

Needing a hand doesn’t mean you’re “not techy enough”. You’re learning something new while running a business. Of course a little guidance helps.

At Toro Templates, I also offer installation support for anyone who’d like help getting started, including adding a design to an existing Squarespace site.

Squarespace website templates for different businesses

The best fit often comes down to what your visitors need to see before they feel ready to enquire.

Coaches

Look for space to explain your approach, describe your offers and answer questions about working together. A clear path to book a call or enquire is especially useful when your service needs a little conversation first.

Photographers

Give your work room to shine, with galleries that are easy to browse and portfolio pages that help tell the story behind a shoot. Your website should also make it simple to find your packages, process and availability.

Wellness professionals

Clarity and a welcoming feel matter here. Visitors may want to understand your services, experience, fees and appointment process before reaching out. Sienna Hart is a Toro Templates option to explore if you’re drawn to a softer design direction.

Designers and creative businesses

Look for layouts that show your work while giving you space to explain the thinking behind it. Project pages, services and a clear enquiry process can work together beautifully. Sasha Rae offers a warm creative studio starting point for this kind of business.

If you’re also considering Showit, can help you work out where you’d feel most comfortable building.

A website you’re excited to share

Choosing Squarespace website templates becomes easier when you look beyond the preview and think about your content, your visitors and the help you’ll need along the way.

Choose a design that supports what you do, then bring it to life with your own words, imagery and personality. There’s room for every approach, whether you’re building it yourself, starting with a template or investing in custom design.

The aim is a website you feel proud to share and comfortable using as your business grows.

Frequently asked questions

Are premium Squarespace templates worth it?

They can be, especially if you want a thoughtfully designed starting point and guidance while you customise. Look at the pages, layouts, tutorials and support included, then consider whether they’ll save you time and help you feel more confident building your website.

What’s the difference between free and premium Squarespace templates?

Squarespace’s built-in designs are included with the platform. Premium templates are purchased separately from independent designers and may include more developed page layouts, content prompts and setup support. The exact inclusions depend on the designer, and both options still require a Squarespace subscription.

Can I change my Squarespace template later?

On Squarespace 7.1, you can change your colours, fonts, layouts and pages, but there isn’t a template-switching feature. Moving to a new designer template may involve rebuilding pages on your existing website or starting a new site, depending on how it’s supplied. Older version 7.0 websites have a different template-switching system.

How do third-party Squarespace templates work, and how are they installed?

They’re usually predesigned Squarespace sites or layouts created by an independent designer. Depending on the seller, you might receive a duplicated site, ownership of a prepared site, or instructions or a service for recreating the layouts on your existing website. Squarespace supports site duplication and ownership transfers, but the seller determines the delivery process, so check before buying.

Can I customise a Squarespace template without coding?

For many templates, yes. Everyday changes to your text, images, colours and fonts can be made through the editor. Some designer templates include custom code for particular details, so check whether you’ll need to edit that code yourself and whether guidance is provided.

Which Squarespace template is best for a small business?

The best template is one that suits your offers, includes the pages you need and makes the next step clear for visitors. Browse the full demo, check the mobile layout and read the setup information before choosing. A template shown with another industry’s content can still be a great fit for your business.

Does Squarespace still use templates?

Yes, Squarespace still offers starting designs. In version 7.1, they all share the same underlying features and style options, so choosing one sets your initial design rather than locking you into particular capabilities. Independent designers also use the word “template” for the predesigned sites and layouts they sell.

Your next website could start here.

Explore thoughtfully designed templates with layouts and guidance to help you get going. Find a starting point you love, add your own personality and make it feel like home for your business.

Explore Toro Templates