What’s worth knowing in the Squarespace world.
For designers, developers, and people building businesses around Squarespace.
From Myspace to Squarespace: Empowering Entrepreneurs Through Web Design
This month is our 8th year business anniversary and we're celebrating with a series called Into the SQSP Metaverse: 33 Portals Through Web Design And Entrepreneurship. This is Portal #1.
"I became passionate about helping other people launch their websites—individuals who weren't necessarily designers but were entrepreneurs eager to share what they love with the world."
-Promise Tangeman (CEO and Creative Director GoLive)
The sound of laughter and excited chatter filled the room as Promise Tangeman, CEO and Creative Director of GoLive, welcomed a group of eager entrepreneurs to her live workshop. The atmosphere was electric, as these small business owners had traveled from all over to learn how to build and launch their websites in just two days.
Promise's journey to this point had been an interesting one. It all began with her love for customizing MySpace profiles back in 2007, which eventually led her to start her own design agency, Promise Tangeman Creative. As demand for her unique design aesthetic grew, she found herself maxed out with projects and searching for a way to scale her business.
The solution came in the form of website templates, which allowed Promise to help more people launch their businesses online at a lower cost. She started with the web design platform Showit and eventually moved on to Squarespace, embracing the challenge of creating templates for the popular platform.
As her business continued to grow, Promise rebranded to GoLiveHQ and focused on building a team of designers who shared her vision and aesthetic. This allowed her to step back from micromanaging and trust her team to create beautiful designs for their clients.
Throughout her journey, Promise learned valuable lessons about the importance of niching down and clearly stating what a business offers on its website.
Lesson 1: The Importance of Niching Down
One of the first lessons Promise learned was the importance of niching down and focusing on a specific target audience. Instead of trying to be everything to everyone, she discovered that honing in on a particular niche allowed her to become known for her unique style and attract more clients who were looking for that specific aesthetic.
Lesson 2: Clearly Communicate What You Offer
Another crucial lesson Promise learned was the importance of clearly communicating what her business offered on its website. She realized that many entrepreneurs, including herself, often struggled to plainly state what they did or what made them different. By crafting a concise, one-sentence statement that clearly explained her services, Promise was able to attract more clients and grow her business.
The solution to scaling her business came in the form of website templates, which allowed Promise to help more people launch their businesses online at a lower cost. She started with the web design platform Showit and eventually moved on to Squarespace, embracing the challenge of creating templates for the popular platform.
Lesson 3: Utilize Byproducts from Your Service-Based Business
As her business continued to grow, Promise rebranded to GoLiveHQ and focused on building a team of designers who shared her vision and aesthetic. During this process, she learned the value of utilizing byproducts from her service-based business to create additional income streams. For example, she turned scrapped website designs into templates, allowing her to generate more revenue without additional effort.
"When your business focuses on serving others, you'll consistently have ample work."
-Promise Tangeman
With these lessons in mind, Promise was able to successfully scale her business and empower entrepreneurs through GoLiveHQ. As the workshop attendees eagerly began working on their websites, Promise couldn't help but feel a sense of pride in how far she had come. From her humble beginnings customizing MySpace profiles to empowering entrepreneurs through GoLiveHQ, her journey was a testament to the power of passion, hard work, and a willingness to adapt and grow.
Key Takeaways
1. Niching down: Focus on one specific area or service to become known and stand out in the online space.
2. Clear website messaging: Create a one-sentence statement on your website explaining your unique offerings and target audience.
3. Utilize byproducts: Identify byproducts of your service-based business and find ways to package and utilize them for additional income.
4. Create sustainability: Turn byproducts into digital products to create a consistent and scalable income source.
5. Serve others: Make your business about serving others to ensure long-term success and ongoing work.
6. Turn competition into clients: Share your knowledge and processes to potentially serve peers within your industry.
7. Be adaptable: Continually refine and adjust your approach to your business based on the lessons you learn and the market's needs.
In the chapters to come, we'll dive deeper into these lessons from the perspectives of other SQSP entrepreneurs. Join us as we journey further into the SQSP Metaverse and uncover the secrets to success in the world of web design and entrepreneurship.
Listen to Promise’s story here.
Into the SQSP Metaverse: 33 Portals Through Web Design and Entrepreneurship
Welcome to the SQSP Metaverse, a realm where creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship collide to create a thriving ecosystem of web design and online businesses. Over the next 30 days, we will delve into the stories of passionate entrepreneurs who have harnessed the power of Squarespace to bring their visions to life and empower others to do the same.
1. From Myspace to Squarespace - Empowering Entrepreneurs through web design with Promise Tangeman
6 Best Squarespace Themes for NonProfits
Looking for the perfect Squarespace template for your nonprofit organization? Look no further! Not only does Squarespace offer several nonprofit and community focused templates but there are several Squarespace template shops who also offer premium version. In this article, we'll take a closer look at six Squarespace templates designed for nonprofits - Roseti, Lusaka, Bailard, Clarkson, Comet, and Ember - to help you choose the one that best suits your organization's needs.
1. Roseti
Roseti is a Squarespace template tailor-made for sharing community events, making it perfect for promoting your nonprofit's upcoming courses, workshops, or fundraisers. Each event link features a title, brief description, image, and date, with the date cleverly displayed in the top-right corner of the image like a calendar. This template is ideal for organizations that host frequent events and want a visually appealing way to showcase them.
2. Lusaka
Lusaka is all about putting your nonprofit's mission front and center. This template is perfect for organizations that want to emphasize their mission without delving into advanced features like memberships or scheduling. Lusaka offers interactive elements like a donation button and contact form, making it easy for potential supporters to get in touch or contribute to your cause. With well-defined sections for different activities and compelling testimonials, Lusaka helps you tell your nonprofit's story effectively.
3. Bailard
Bailard's minimalist design lets your nonprofit's core message shine. With plenty of white space and large, easy-to-read text, this template is perfect for organizations that want a clean, uncluttered look. Bailard is especially suited for small nonprofits just starting out or those with a strong online presence on other platforms like social media.
4. Clarkson
Clarkson boasts a clean and minimalist design with a soothing neutral color palette and full-bleed banner images. This template is already formatted for nonprofits or community organizations, featuring "donate" and "volunteer" prompts, a grid-style blog, and social media integration. All you need to do is add your branding, and Clarkson will make your organization shine.
5. Comet
Comet is packed with features that make online learning a breeze for your nonprofit. This template enables visitors to enroll in your programs directly from your website and offers signup forms, a members-only area, and the ability to manage monthly subscriptions. Whether you're hosting online classes or in-person workshops, Comet is a fantastic choice for showcasing your programs and streamlining enrollment.
6. Ember
Available for $299, the Ember template offers a classy and professional design tailored for nonprofits, churches, or charities. This engaging and strategic template will help your organization grow by showcasing your story and mission. With customizable colors, Ember can be easily adapted to match your organization's branding.
In conclusion, Squarespace offers a diverse range of nonprofit templates to suit any organization's needs. Whether you're looking for a minimalist design like Bailard, a feature-rich powerhouse like Comet, or a classy and professional template like Ember, Squarespace has you covered. So go ahead and choose the perfect template for your nonprofit, and watch your organization flourish online!