Squarespace vs WordPress

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.


2023. Automattic launches an AI writing assistant for WordPress



Automattic has introduced an AI assistant for the widely used content management system Wordpress.com. Now, when composing a post or page, users have the option to incorporate an "AI Assistant" block into their content. By inputting prompts in natural language, users can avail themselves of the AI assistant's text generation capabilities. Beyond providing content suggestions, the AI assistant can facilitate the creation of organized lists and tables within blog posts. Additionally, it has the ability to adjust the tone of a post, adding elements of informality, skepticism, humor, confidence, or empathy. The assistant can also generate post summaries and propose suitable titles. Initially, the Jetpack AI Assistant block offers a complimentary trial allowing users to submit 20 requests. Subsequently, a subscription fee of $10 per month is required to access this feature.


2021. Automattic acquires analytics company Parse.ly



Automattic, the profit-making company associated with the open-source web publishing platform WordPress, has recently completed the acquisition of the analytics provider Parse.ly. Parse.ly equips creators, marketers, and developers with tools to gain insights into content performance, demonstrate its value, and deliver personalized content experiences that yield meaningful outcomes. While WordPress and Parse.ly already exhibit compatibility, the objective is to enable Parse.ly customers to access WPVIP features (enterprise hosting and support for publishers) and enhance the availability of Parse.ly data to WPVIP publishers. Additionally, there exists potential to incorporate more commerce-related data into Parse.ly, considering Automattic's ownership of WooCommerce.


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. 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. 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.