Top website builder Squarespace has announced a host of features, functionalities, and improvements that, collectively, it is calling Squarespace Refresh 2023.
The update is designed to address the company’s growing customer base, which includes SMBs and entrepreneurs, many of whom already use the services for ecommerce.
It wouldn’t be 2023 without some sort of mention of artificial intelligence, so, unsurprisingly, Squarespace has been working on the generative AI technology it has already started to integrate into the platform.
Squarespace just got a major update
The company’s biggest announcement shifts its customers’ reliance away from third-party payment processing companies. The soon-to-launch Squarespace Payments feature will allow companies to process payments directly through Squarespace, rather than having to use third parties like Stripe.
Squarespace says that US customers will be the first to benefit from this upgrade “in the coming months,” but it will continue to roll out across additional markets in 2024.
Service sellers can now also use the platform to track clients and manage invoices, or to upload and sell online courses in an effort to increase revenue and drive more passive income. The site’s email marketing tools have also been revised to give advertisers more control over their messaging.
News of this major overhaul comes just weeks after the Squarespace Domains business sprung into action, following the closure of the Google Domains business. Squarespace promises domains starting from $12 / £9 / AU$16 per year, but some plans include one domain for free.
In its announcement, the company also shed some light on its commitment to AI. Much like many other AI tools, Squarespace AI is designed to make generating custom content or rewriting existing work quicker and more efficient.
Details and illustrations of what’s new in Squarespace Refresh 2023 can be found on the company’s website.