Google Sites vs Squarespace

2023. Squarespace acquires Google Domains



Squarespace, a website building platform, has acquired Google Domains from Google for $180 million, leading to Google's exit from the domain name registration business. Squarespace will now take over as the domain name registrar for the existing 10.1 million domains registered with Google Domains. This acquisition positions Squarespace as one of the world's largest domain name registrars, trailing only GoDaddy, Namecheap, and Tucows in terms of total registered domains. Google initially launched Google Domains in 2014, but it remained in beta until March 2022. The service was primarily seen by Google as a means to enhance its business email and app product, Google Workspace (formerly known as G Suite), as indicated by the sales copy on the Google Domains website.


2020. Squarespace adds support for memberships and paywalled content



Squarespace is introducing a new revenue-generating feature for websites built on its platform: Member Areas, enabling businesses to monetize exclusive content. This opens up possibilities for various scenarios, such as online publications implementing article paywalls, chefs offering paid access to cooking videos and recipes, or fitness instructors generating income from online classes. Squarespace supports different membership levels and facilitates the creation of member-only podcasts and newsletters. Moreover, site creators gain access to CRM data pertaining to each member, with plans to introduce additional segmentation tools in the future.


2018. Google Sites now lets you publish protected content



Google has introduced a significant update to its website-building platform, Google Sites, offering organizations greater control over content access. With this update, creators and administrators now have the ability to selectively choose who within their organization can view specific sites. By entering individual names in the "Invite People" box and selecting "Specific people can view when published" from the drop-down menu, organizations can determine the audience for their content. This update is particularly important as it enables organizations to maintain privacy and control over confidential information, thereby encouraging the adoption of the new Google Sites. Currently, this feature is available exclusively on the web, but Google has announced that it will be extending its availability to the Google Drive mobile apps on Android and iOS in the coming weeks.


2018. Squarespace introduced Conversion Metrics



The introduction of new Conversion Metrics in Squarespace provides valuable insights into the performance of buttons and forms, allowing you to assess visitor engagement and interaction on your website. These metrics enable you to understand how visitors engage with your website, whether it's by contacting you, booking services, subscribing to your mailing list, or responding to an event invitation. The Conversion Metrics offer features like Pinpoint engagement, Spot patterns, and Filter by device, providing comprehensive information to identify opportunities for optimizing conversions. Armed with this data, you can confidently make informed changes to forms and buttons, test alternative versions, refine their placement, choose effective wording, and experiment with different styling options. By leveraging these metrics, you can enhance the user experience and maximize the conversion potential of your website.


2017. Squarespace released new analytics app



The newly launched Squarespace Analytics app for iOS and Android allows users to conveniently access essential insights and website analytics from any location and at any time. This app simplifies the process of incorporating analytics into daily workflows by presenting comprehensive business metrics through a user-friendly dashboard that has been specifically designed for smaller screens. Users can effortlessly check key metrics at a glance and further explore more detailed views to gain actionable insights. The app now includes a range of newly added metrics that offer the same comprehensive analytics available on desktop but with the convenience of mobile accessibility. Additionally, the app introduces an enhanced date picker feature, enabling users to access a broader range of historical data and select from new time frames or set custom date ranges.


2017. Squarespace introduced Gift Cards for Online Stores



Squarespace has recently introduced digital gift cards for Squarespace Online Stores, providing merchants with an additional means to boost sales and attract new customers. Selling gift cards offers various advantages beyond revenue generation. It encourages customers to spend more, as they often exceed the card's initial value. Furthermore, gift cards facilitate last-minute shopping, promote brand recognition, and help reduce return rates. Seamlessly integrated into your store, digital gift cards can be purchased and redeemed like any other product. This feature is accessible to all users on the Commerce Advanced plan, regardless of their location or the currency supported by Squarespace Commerce.


2017. Squarespace adds checkout on your domain for Online Stores



Online stores hosted on the Squarespace platform now have the capability to provide secure checkout directly on their domains. With the introduction of "Checkout on Your Domain," customers can complete their purchases without being redirected to a third-party website for the checkout process. This ensures that the entire shopping experience remains within one domain, resulting in a consistent visual presentation and instilling a stronger sense of security for customers. "Checkout on Your Domain" is a feature available in the Advanced Commerce plan and is automatically activated for websites with SSL enabled. SSL is a complimentary feature for all Squarespace websites and can be enabled by navigating to Settings > Security & SSL. By securing your site and activating SSL, customers who are ready to make a purchase will be seamlessly directed to a checkout page on your domain, accessible via a URL such as https://yourdomain.com/checkout.


2016. Squarespace integrates with Paypal



Squarespace is introducing PayPal integration for its Online Stores, making it effortless to incorporate PayPal as a payment option, regardless of whether you're a new business or have been operating a store for an extended period. By integrating PayPal, a trusted, secure, and user-friendly payment method, you can expand your sales potential by offering shoppers an additional payment choice and by accessing a broader global customer base. This collaboration simplifies international transactions, providing a seamless integration that allows you to concentrate on crafting a visually appealing brand and expanding your business. Additionally, the partnership grants you access to PayPal solutions that can further enhance your business's success, such as PayPal One TouchTM, PayPal Credit, and comprehensive Purchase and Seller protection services.


2016. Totally rebuilt Google Sites features adaptive design and real-time collaboration


Google has introduced a completely revamped version of its intranet website builder, called Google Sites. This new iteration offers deep integration with Google's suite of tools, allowing for easy insertion of documents from Google Docs, Slides, Sheets, and other G Suite applications. Additionally, Google Sites now directly integrates with Google Analytics for comprehensive website analytics. Collaborative editing capabilities have also been introduced, leveraging the same technology used in Google Docs, enabling multiple users to work together on site content. Administrators have the flexibility to determine whether users can publish their sites publicly or restrict access to users within their own domain. With this update, the created pages on Google Sites automatically adjust to different screen sizes, ensuring optimal viewing experiences on various devices. The preview mode further simplifies the process of assessing site appearance on phones, tablets, and desktops. To assist users in achieving a professional look, Google has included six new themes to serve as starting points for website design.


2016. Squarespace provides free SSL



SSL is now offered for free on all Squarespace websites. This means that millions of additional domains on the Internet will benefit from SSL encryption, providing our customers with the assurance and trust that secure websites offer to users. By facilitating this easy transition, Squarespace takes care of most of the process, ensuring a seamless experience for customers. To efficiently manage SSL certificates for all our websites, we have partnered with Let's Encrypt, a free and open certificate authority (CA) dedicated to the public's welfare, offering free SSL certificates. Additionally, websites hosted on Squarespace may experience improved search rankings as an added advantage.