Time for an author website upgrade?
This summer I have spent a lot of time upgrading websites from Squarespace 7.0 to Squarespace 7.1. It’s one of my favourite things to do as I get to tidy up websites at the same time, and can usually get the migration done in one day.
It’s very satisfying to hand over a completely refreshed website to a client at the end!
Anyway, it got me thinking…
I realised that there are still so many authors out there using the old version of Squarespace for their website (known as Squarespace 7.0).
Not sure which version your website is on?
You might have read this far and be wondering: am I on Squarespace 7.0 or 7.1?
Don’t worry - there’s an easy way to find out.
To check your site's version, open the Pages panel for your site and scroll to the bottom of the panel.
If you're on version 7.0, your site's template name also appears.
Why it’s time to make the switch
I’ll be honest - the old version of Squarespace is now pretty crap.
It’s SO much more difficult to edit, and this is the main drawback. With 7.1 it’s just so much easier to make changes to your site, which really helps when it comes to keeping it up to date - now more important than ever.
I know many authors put off updating their websites because of how time-consuming and confusing it can be.
But that’s where I come in!
Introducing…
👉🏻 The Author Website Upgrade
My brand-new service! 🥳
If your website is still on Squarespace 7.0, I'll migrate it to the newer Squarespace 7.1 platform for a one-off fee of £750.
But best of all - this won’t just be a boring technical upgrade.
At the same time, I’ll give your website a refresh, tidy up anything that’s been bugging you, remove old links and generally finish off all the things you’ve been pushing down your to-do list for months.
Meaning you’ll get a completely refreshed website at the fraction of the price of a brand new one.
Sound good?
But Charlotte, why do I need to upgrade?
I know - this is not the most exciting of things, but trust me, it’s worth it. It will save you so much time.
Moving to 7.1 gives you:
✨ A much simpler editing experience
I used to absolutely love 7.0, but now my heart sinks when a client comes to me and says their site is using that version. Even as a professional, I find it so much more time-consuming to work on.
The fact that the pages in 7.1 are ‘Section based’ is the probably a compelling enough reason on its own. There’s more info on this here →
7.1 gives you more control - and much easier control - over layouts, spacing, fonts, colours and page sections.
It will be far simpler for you to make changes yourself in the future - which makes my heart happy. Neglected author websites make me sad.
✨ Access to all of Squarespace’s newest features
And, perhaps most importantly... Squarespace are constantly innovating and all the new features are only added to websites on the new version of the platform.
It’s more important than ever for authors to diversify their income, and this is where having a powerful website can really start to pay off.
On the new version, you can:
Run online courses directly through your website
Schedule and take payments for services like author mentoring or manuscript reports
Sell digital downloads, event tickets, or handle invoicing for any billable work like appearances or guest articles
Use powerful new email automations to make the most of your mailing list
I’ve talked a lot more about the benefits of Squarespace 7.1 in this post →
Last but not least, moving to 7.1 gives you…
✨ An excuse to finally DO something about your sad and neglected author website…
Show your poor website some love and let me bring it back into the 21st century for you - while giving it a wonderful polish and spruce up at the same time!
At the end of our time together, you’ll be proud to show off your website again.
What does The Squarespace Upgrade include?
For a fixed price of £750, I'll:
• Migrate your existing website over from Squarespace 7.0 to 7.1
• Recreate your existing pages and content within the new version, so that it looks the same or (hopefully) better than before
• Make any light-touch design and content edits you need while I'm there
• Update things like fonts, colours, images, spacing and layouts where needed
• Give the site a general visual refresh to ensure it feels current
• Make sure your existing links, navigation and essential functionality are carried across
• Make the site easier for you to update going forward
“This looks superb. Thank you so much. It looks so much cleaner and sleeker.”
It's worth stressing that this isn't a full website redesign.
I won’t be able to create new pages or completely rethink your entire website architecture.
If you want a brand new website, a major redesign or need to add new content, please get in touch and we can discuss alternative options.
But if your existing site is fundamentally fine but you just want to give it a refresh, then this service is for you!
The Author Website Upgrade: £750 (approx $1000).
Want me to build you a website?
My streamlined yet personal approach, perfected over the past 6 years of building websites for ambitious authors just like you, means I can create your dream author website without overwhelming you with tech jargon or confusing decisions, supporting you throughout the whole process and gently guiding you with my expertise.
Find out more, then get in touch. I would love to hear from you!
