5 Common Mistakes to Avoid When Customizing a Squarespace Template
Editor’s note: I see great templates turn into “DIY soup” during edits. Big Cat Creative specialize in Squarespace templates, so I asked them to break down the five mistakes that cause that—and what to do instead.
The reason you buy a template is so you can start with a design that is already good. It's supposed to look better than designing it yourself from scratch! (Right!? 😅)
But if you're not careful, and if you don't have a plan going in, your template could turn into a bit of DIY mess.
At Big Cat Creative, we've helped thousands of small businesses and creatives design stunning websites using our premium Squarespace Templates. So, we've seen it all. The beautiful, the fun, the bold, and the... well... almost-there.
Our goal is for everyone to have a website that they love and are proud of. Using a Squarespace Template is a great way to make this happen. You get to invest in professional level website design at a fraction of the cost, and you learn so much along the way.
But, if you're using a template, you're probably not a designer (that's the point!). And if you rush through the process, your websites could end up looking a bit disjointed, messy, and DIY'd (not in the fun, scrapbook way).
As a non-designer, it's hard to put your finger on just what it is that is making your site look not as put together as it should.
Luckily, usually it's only a few small tweaks that will make it all come together and look legit.
So whether you’re just shopping templates, mid-edit or almost ready to launch, we're here to give you some tips that will help you get the most out of your template, produce something that actually looks good, and feel proud of the website you built!
MISTAKE #1: Over-Customizing Until It Doesn’t Look Like Anything like the Original Template Anymore
We get it. You want your site to feel like you. And you should customize it!
But when you move every block, change every section, and swap out every layout, you lose the visual structure and conversion strategy that made the template so powerful (and beautiful) in the first place.
If you haven't bought a template yet, consider this when you're choosing:
Will this template work with the layout and structure of my content? We always recommend finding a template that aligns best with the structure that you need.
This means you'll need to go in with an idea of what you need. Make a bit of a game plan first: Map out the pages you need, then roughly what you want on those pages.
We wouldn't recommend choosing a template based on colors, fonts and images. Because these are the things that can be changed most easily. In Squarespace, changing colors and fonts across your entire site is often just a few clicks.
Changing layout structure and moving blocks however is very time consuming, and a fast track to messing up the layout of the template.
Some layout tweaks are usually needed, but you'll get to where you want to go faster, and get a way better final result, if you choose a template that doesn't need to much tweaking in the first place.
What to do if you already have a template and the layout sections aren't working?
Instead of editing the template sections, try looking around your site for sections that have already been included in the template that you can duplicate and move to where you need. This way you know the section looks good already, and it will save you time!
Really stuck on a bit of your content that just won't fit in the template? At Big Cat Creative, we offer support for this sort of thing! With our templates, you get free email support included where we can give you design and technical advice to get you un-stuck!
MISTAKE #2: Only Updating Some of Your Brand Colors
One of the easiest ways to break the cohesive, pro-level look of your site is by changing some of the template colors, but not all of them.
You may have updated the main color themes, but if any buttons, fonts, or shapes still have the template demo colors, it shows.
What to do:
Before you start customizing, make sure you have a clear brand color palette.
(Psst—Big Cat Creative templates come with built-in Canva color guides that will help you create your own color palette you can slot into the template easily!).
Then, update every area of your site to reflect it. This is usually pretty easily done within Squarespace's built-in Color Palette editor. But as you work through the design of each page, pay attention to accent colors, shapes and other on-page elements, as these still might have some of the template colors.
You'll hear us say this a lot, but, consistency is what makes a site feel professional! So if you're consistent with your color palette, it'll make a huge difference.
💡 Tip! You actually don't have to change the template color palette. If creating a color palette is overwhelming, and you dont have a custom palette for your brand yet, just keep the colors the template comes with. They already look good!
MISTAKE #3: Skipping the Final Launch Checklist
You’re “done”… but your site still has broken links, leftover demo text, or unnamed pages 😬
A lot of people get through the build, hit publish, and walk away. And we totally get it.
The build can be pretty time consuming. Even with the most beautiful template, and the best resources and support (we're pretty confident we hold that title!), building a website is a big mental load. It's rewarding, and can be really fun, but it can also be tough.
So, we see a lot of people pushing "launch" on a site that's 90% there.
And look, if that's all you have left in the tank, that's better than nothing. But if you're trying to take your site from slapped-together to showstopper, then pleaseee put the finishing touches on it!
What to do:
Run through a proper "launch checklist" before you go live. That means:
Checking for spelling mistakes
Testing every button and link
Reviewing your site on mobile and tablet
Making sure there's no demo content leftover
Adding SEO titles and descriptions
Updating your favicon
And yes—we have a full "Final Launch" checklist with tutorials on how to do ALL of this included in our templates 🤗
MISTAKE #4: Using Low-Quality or Inconsistent Imagery
Even the best-designed template can’t shine if your photos are doing it dirty 😩
You don’t need to hire a pro photographer (though if you can, go for it!). But you do need to be intentional about the imagery you use.
Grainy selfies, random stock photos, or a mishmash of styles can make your site feel messy and unprofessional.
What to do instead:
Choose high-quality, high-resolution photos that reflect your brand’s vibe
Stick to a consistent look and feel—consider lighting, tone, editing style, and composition
Curate visuals that match your message and connect with your dream clients
You want your images to support your design—not distract from it. Think of them as the outfit your site is wearing. If the design is the structure, the photos are what bring it to life.
Oh yeah, and, if you get a template from Big Cat Creative, we have a whole lesson on how to choose high quality, cohesive imagery, and the best places to source them from (from free to paid!).
MISTAKE #5: Choosing the Wrong Fonts
Fonts are a huge factor in the success of your web design. The right fonts will elevate your design to professional level. The wrong ones can make your whole site feel outdated or hard to read (no matter how gorgeous your layout is).
Here are some quick font rules to live by when customizing your site:
Avoid overly decorative or trendy fonts for headings. Script fonts, hand-written styles, and super stylized type can be hard to read and often look amateur when overused. It can be great in small amounts as design elements, rather than text that actually needs to be read.
Go with something more timeless. Fonts go in and out of fashion as fast as skinny jeans. To avoid looking outdated, go with a more timeless and less trendy type. The most expensive-looking sites often use the simplest fonts.
Avoid mixing too many font styles. One for headings and one for body text is usually enough.
💡 And as always, if you don’t have established brand fonts, feel free to just stick with the template’s original font pairing. It's yours to use, and it was chosen for a reason (because it looks goooood 💅).
So, how do you build a site that actually looks great?
There's no better feeling than being proud and excited to share you site. Putting yourself out there is hard! Having a beautiful site makes it SO much easier.
And we really believe that using a premium Squarespace template is one of the smartest moves you can make as a solopreneur.
It will save you so much money on custom design fees, you'll learn SO much through the process, and you really can create something beautiful.
But, it's important to avoid these common mistakes to help you keep the pro-level polish and bring your unique brand personality to the forefront.
Remember: you don’t need to be a designer to have a beautiful, strategic website—you just need the right tools, guidance and a bit of DIY spirit ✨
Big Cat Creative Squarespace templates come packed with designer-curated fonts, cohesive color guides, image inspo, a final launch checklist, step-by-step tutorials and 1:1 support—everything you need to launch a high-converting site you actually love.
We want you to be proud of your website, and the fact that you built it!
