Book excerpt: Discover the best way to build, design and launch professional websites with Squarespace quickly, without needing to learn any code About This Book Discover time-saving tricks and best practices, and avoid common pitfalls while creating a website Create visually stunning Responsive Design templates for your website with Squarespace 7 Understand how to monitor, measure, and manage your website after launching it Who This Book Is For This book is ideal for anyone who wants to learn how to use the latest version of Squarespace to create a website from scratch and take it through to go-live. You don't need any prior experience with Squarespace, HTML, or CSS, or building websites in general as everything is done using Squarespace's simple, browser-based interface. What You Will Learn Develop an essential Website Toolkit that will act as reference and materials for your entire project, ensuring you stay on-target to meet your objectives Set up your Squarespace account, learn how the interface works, and select the correct template for your website's purpose and goals Create your website framework, fill it with content, and arrange your pages using Squarespace's easy drag-and-drop tools Customize your site's look and feel to match your brand, and create a stunning visual impact for your website on all types of devices, including mobiles and tablets Configure the core functions your business needs, whether connecting to social media, promoting events, showcasing your work, or selling goods and services online Learn time-saving tricks and how to avoid common pitfalls from an experienced professional with years of Squarespace experience Gain valuable insights about search engine optimization, communicating effectively online, and other e-marketing advice How to monitor, measure, and manage your website post-launch In Detail Squarespace is a web-based tool that allows non-technical people to create and manage professional-looking websites quickly, without needing to write any code. It empowers business owners to take total control of their own websites, without needing to pay someone to design or maintain it. This book covers much more than just how to use Squarespace. It covers all aspects of creating a successful business website, from developing your brand identity, to writing and structuring content to match your target audience's needs, and dozens of other other valuable tips that will help your website shine. Most importantly, you'll learn the correct steps to follow in order to ensure your project is smooth and stress-free. The book starts by helping you plan your website project and gather all the raw materials you'll need. Next, you'll set up your account and become familiar with the terminology and tools that you'll be using. Once you've learned the basics of how the Squarespace interface, templates, and different page types operate, you will create the framework of your website, ready for you to insert content and functionality. Then, once all the core elements are in place, you'll apply the aesthetic fine-tuning needed to bring your website in line with your brand. After the aesthetics have been honed and all functions tested, you will launch your website and drive traffic to it, monitor it, and improve it. Style and approach This easy-to-follow guide will teach you to build websites the easiest way in the latest version of Squarespace.