How do you create an online store using Square Online (formerly Square Online Store)
In the case of selling online, Square is among the most recognizable name brands out there.
As one of the methods to allow “mobile” transactions on the move, Square revolutionized the marketplace with its cost-effective, quick monetization techniques.
Anyone who wants to, from single-off entrepreneurs and small-scale business ownersto new companies can open a Square account and begin accepting payments wherever they may be. It’s no wonder why Square is the preferred choice for payments through POS systems and offline payment.
But, did do you realize that Square could also change your digital transactions by using Square as well?
It’s also the fact that Square is now allowing merchants to create online stores at the price of processing their payments, is making it much easier than ever to move to digital.
Is this online shopping solution is all it’s cracked to be?
Check out the Square Online review to find out more.
Square Online Review: Features
Square makes ecommerce simple.
The store that you will receive when you sign up to the digital plan is easy and intuitive which allows anyone to benefit from a fresh approach to selling. As with the rest of Square’s offerings, this one is also easy to use. Square range, this one has been designed to be easy-to-use with an eye on accessibility.
There is no need to be an expert in web design or coding in order to begin which is fantastic option for people who are new to the field. But, it is also a sign that the experience that you get from Square may not be as sophisticated as those offered by more business-oriented designers.
With a few restrictions, Square offers almost everything you need to start your online store and running. This includes:
- A URL that is free
- Unlimited hosting for free
- Management of inventory and tracking
- Responsive web design
- Tracking and management of inventory
- Advanced and integrated reporting
- Complete integration with other Square products. Seamless integration with other
- Support for pickup in-store
Square Online Pricing
The one of the features that has always been what has made Square so attractive to merchants is its price.
Making an online store using Square marketplace is as cheap as you want. There’s a cost-free plan, which means that you just pay processing costs. This means that you’re only paying for the process ( 2.9% of every purchase in addition to $0.30), and absolutely nothing else.
If you are a business owner and need an extra level of capabilities of their online store there are other options to choose from. You can, for instance, upgrade to:
- Professional Cost: $16 per month or $12 per month each year
- Performance $26 per month or $29 for the month for the entire year.
- Premium $72 per month or $79 for the month for the entire year.
The main difference in and the “free” plan and what you can expect on paid plans is in the terms of features and capabilities. For example the free plan doesn’t offer unlimited storage space, however all paid plans include unlimited storage. Also, you’ll get advertising squares across all your content if you opt for the free plan.
The professional plan, on other hand, has additional features such as personalized domains, custom site statistics and other marketing tools. If you upgrade from “Premium” to “Premium”, then you gain access to third party integrations, custom codes badges for products as well as Facebook ads, alerts on pop-ups and advanced analytics for ecommerce and more.
In essence, it’s the difference between having a simple system for an website as well as a custom-designed solution specifically for e-commerce.
You can get free processing for up to $1,000 credit card transactions in up to 90 days from the start of the period for the account. Square Online account*.
Then afterward, they are charged 2.9 30% + 30C for ecommerce transactions and 2.6 percent plus $0.10 on each swipe of all credit cards.
The offer starts at the end of Thursday on September 16, and runs through the 16th of November on a Monday. The waived processing fee is credited to the user’s bank account upon every single payment.
* Offer is limited time and valid exclusively for brand new US Square customers and is not transferable.
Square Online Pros and Cons
Square Online Pros
- Predictable pricing
- There are no monthly costs for the free plan
- Square Online is excellent for small-sized businesses.
- All-in-one payment system
- It is easy to load products
- It is great for connecting your POS to your online store
- Innovative and advanced features to pay accounts
- Square Online integrates with other Ecommerce solutions.
- There are plenty of fantastic themes to pick from
Square Online Cons
- Poor shipping policy that has no rate adjustment
- Issues with account stability are frequent in Square
- Customer service can be improved
- Certain features are limited to accounts with high-cost fees.
Square Online Review: UI and Ease of Use
No matter how much you spend on Square Online, you’re going enjoy a great customer experience.
Square Online is a Square Online system allows you to sell everything from physical items to digital goods as well as carryout orders, tickets for events, and much other things. You can also accept donations. However, there are some items and business choices that are not permitted, as well as other things that you shouldn’t be involved in.
Once you’ve gotten an account with Square and you’ve signed up, it takes just an hour to establish your site.
The bulk of the work you’re going have to complete is managing your inventory. And this is true for every e-commerce website. When you sign in to the dashboard of your account, you’ll be able to see an entire menu of options to choose from on the left.
Simply click at “Online Store.” Click on the “Online Store” option to navigate to the Welcome page.
Click “Get Started” or click on the “Get Started” button, and you’ll be able to jump right into creating the type of site you’d like to manage. The good thing about this is the fact that Square actually has a broad variety of stunning themes that can help you get to begin. They’re not dated or outdated, as do other themes available for WooCommerce and WordPress. You can also change your style at any time using the Store Editor.
Like you’d expect from an advanced ecommerce store, each design you pick is built to be mobile-friendly, meaning you can make it available on any device that your customers may have.
After you’ve selected the design that you like then you’ll have to fill in the details for your online store. This includes the URL you’d like to use as well as the DNS settings. This could be difficult, but you can take a look at Square’s guide for help.
Additionally, there are several other options you could use to setup your online store. Like, for instance, the software is compatible to Weebly and BigCommerce which means you can create your online store with the two apps as well. You can also utilize Square API Square API if you want to build a custom-designed environment for your website.
How to Set Up Your Square Online?
How do you set up an effective Square Online?
The best part is that it’s much more simple than you’d believe. The process of opening an account as well as processing credit card transactions acceptance, and listing items are designed to be simple actions when using Square. The best part is that you’ll get a totally free online store in your account when you sign to your Square POS, so you almost anyone who is engaged with Square can benefit from one.
This is a step-by-step guideline of what you’ll have to do.
Step 1: Set Up Your Square Online Account
The first thing to do is to create your account online for free.
The account you have created is the place where you gain access to all important features of the Square dashboard which includes store controls as well as crucial information about your products. It’s all you need is an email account and password in order to begin. In addition, Square will ask for the address of where you are.
Step 2: Create your URL
After you’ve successfully logged into your account, it’s time to ensure that your customers can find your site online. This means you need to choose a URL to your shop. Utilizing your “name” section in the Settings Screen, enter the name of your eCommerce website and you’ll receive a URL that is hosted on Square. Square domain.
Step 3: Fill out the Important Information
On the Settings screen of Square Online You’ll also have to enter other crucial information. For example, if you’re going to be shipping or the delivery of online orders and you’re planning to deliver them, then you’ll be required to establish delivery information, shipping charges and other pertinent details.
If the cost of the merchandise you’re selling require an increase to cover shipping and delivery costs, you can choose free shipping. The majority of customers will choose this option which is why it’s the best way to boost your chances of gaining additional online sales.
Alongside your shipping information It is also important to include details regarding your Return Policy and hours of operation. After your Shipping tab, you can select to show the rules for your return policy as well as include essential information regarding your returns.
Your return policy can provide your customers with assurance when they purchase at your store, the office hours prove that you’re a trustworthy company that is able to be contacted by your clients.
Step 4: Set up Your Online Store Theme
After you’ve completed your “Settings” section of your Square Online, it’s time to create a look for your website that will make your website stand out. It’s good to know that Square simplify the task of modifying the look of your store. All you have to do is to click “Edit Store” in the dashboard.
First step to select the theme or design that you want to use for your online store. It is possible to test various themes on the internet and build your site to match the image of your brand. You can also change themes after your eCommerce website is launched.
The primary difference between the themes that are available on Square Online, is the dimensions of the headers and the images featured. Square suggests using specific image size for the theme in order to assist you.
If you own a logo you’d like to put in your store, you’ll have to ensure that you match the size of the image to the particular design specifications of your website. Additionally, you can include your store’s name in text, if you’d like.
Step 5: Redesign your website
Once you have your chosen theme and you are able to begin editing your theme according to your preferences. Square will guide by the steps of changing your theme by providing easy-to-follow instructions, so that you don’t need to learn how to set up your store completely from scratch.
If you’re looking to add logos, for example it’s as easy as clicking the space which says “Add Logo”. It is also possible to upload your logo’s hero image in this Feature Image space. This will be the primary homepage image of your website. When you’re done go towards the bottom of your store’s Editor screen. On this section of the site, you can upload your images for your products, or any other images to be displayed alongside your business Hours and contact information.
When you’re finished bringing your idea into existence, you’ll be able to add items to your store and begin to earn an actual profit.
Step 6: Begin Listing your products
As with everything else that happen on Square Online, the addition of item listings on your website’s e-commerce is simple. With Square your online store, all of your items will be tracked using an item library centrally regardless of where you sell your products your online sales and sales data will be readily available in your Square POS.
The centralization approach Square uses for managing their online stores is a large part of what makes it simple to sell your products with the help of Square Online. You can change the settings for every item you have for sale whenever you want to. You’ll also be able add items to your store’s listings on the internet directly from the store editor screen.
Step 7: Open Your New Online Store
After you have all your items listed successfully then you’re ready to start your online store. Again, it’s an easy process. Simply go until the uppermost part of the Store Editor’s page and click”green “Launch” button. Square will upload your store and put it live within a few minutes.
Selling becomes straightforward.
Your store will be available for business and you’ll be able begin selling your products in no time. There are also marketing tools that are built into the Square POS, such as that Square mail marketing function, which will help you convert your customers over time.
Square Online Review: Designs and Templates
Square is designed specifically to provide business owners with an easy method to get online and begin selling. The process of creating a store using the themes and templates available is simple and easy. But, Square Online doesn’t offer more templates than other companies offer from.
When you first sign up for the platform, you’ll get led to a dashboard where you’ll be able to begin making your site appear like. Square lets you select the colors you prefer for your website (based on your company’s brand). It is possible to import logos and switch designs too.
Although there aren’t a lot of templates that can help you start however, you have the freedom to design a website that is distinct to your needs. If you’ve used Weebly’s site builder and Square Online’s store builder, then you’ll find that Square Online store environment should be similar to that – because Square utilizes Weebly’s platform.
Square is encouraging business owners to design websites that are easy to navigate and appealing. You don’t need to be pushing the boundaries of design in order to stand out on the web. A professional and clean web page is enough to convince your readers that you’re worthy of their attention.
When you have a base design and the colors you like, Square will allow you to create your website each page one at a time. It is possible to copy and paste page designs and also add or delete blocks according to the modules you require. The block-based approach makes it easy to start in case you don’t have lots of experience regarding web-building.
However, content blocks aren’t the best option for those who want lots of freedom to play with the appearance of your site. As an example, it is the case that you cannot change the size or placement of text boxes as well as there are plenty of modifications that are impossible to do if you’ve got specific designs you’re looking for.
Another important thing to know concerning Square is that adding content to your website requires the addition of an existing block from the selection of blocks. You cannot simply add a text box on your site. There’s no way to alter CSS or HTML which means you can’t engage a web designer to modify your website for you.
Square Online‘s designs and layouts are user-friendly and flexible, as you can alter how your layout appears whenever you’d like. But the lack of personalization can turn many customers away.
Square Online Review: Integrations
While several online store builders such as Square offer a broad range of features for your site but it’s important to keep in mind that there are bound to limitations on the things you can build using this software. This is why it’s important to locate a website builder with the integrations and add-ons of other third-party vendors.
If you are feeling limited by the features for eCommerce that are available through Square Online, don’t worry. The Square online store integrates with a range of other tools that allow users to perform a variety of things. There are over 100 third-party integrations and add-ons that are available that include real-time POS solutions accounting invoice loyalty cards, gift cards and marketing.
While it’s true that Square‘s listing of integration options may not be as extensive as other options on the market but it’s still a good range. You can also connect the functionality of your Square Online store with Instagram. That means, when you get a user to click on your product on Instagram you can direct them directly to an Square checkout.
Remember that Square integrates with many other eCommerce businesses as well as software solutions such as WooCommerce, 3DCart, and BigCommerce. This means you can make your own website and domain using a different provider, and making use of Square for your payments processor. If you’re looking for a efficient option for your store, then making use of Square in conjunction with other eCommerce software solution could be the best option.
Square also gives access to various APIs, also known as Application Programming Interfaces, which allows for a bit more freedom to developers. If you have the right experts in development, you could be able build customized connections and add-ons to your store by starting from the ground up.
Square Online Review: Product Management
The most difficult part of creating your online business is the import and managing the inventory.
The benefit of Square Online is that your inventory will update based on the pre-existing Square solutions you’ve got. Also, if you already have an existing Square POS, then you are able to sign in to your account and begin adding items.
If you’re just starting from scratch , this is an excellent advantage. This means that once you start selling your products, Square will update your inventory for you , and you don’t have to worry about keeping track of how many you’ve got on a particular product.
Once you’ve set up your online store, Square will ask you to add the products you’d like to sell as soon as you can. However, you’ll be required to decide the kind sales tax you’re planning to implement prior to deciding if you require some “Modifiers.” For instance, Square allows you to give your customers “extras” along with their purchase. For instance, you could offer a makeup brush that is not included in the cosmetics kit For instance.
Square can also allow you to classify your items into categories making it simpler to manage. When you upload your products but don’t include categories or sales tax details right immediately, you’ll discover the ways to do this on the Square Dashboard.
The process of adding items to your online store is easy. You can design distinct sections for specific items and then put them all in one place.
In each section, you can click “Add Item” to see an additional box appear.
The more information you are able to include in each product’s listing more information you can provide, the more accurate.
Keep in mind that you’ll require a description, images of your merchandise, pricing as well as tax information. variations – such as different sizes and colors.
More “advanced” options are at the lower right of the page where you can turn on or deactivate an item’s visibility in your store , if you’re not ready to go live or run out of inventory.
The feature that is what makes Square especially remarkable is the ability to transfer all of your product library directly into the Register app, simply clicking the “Add Item” button, selecting to import your library. It is also possible to add directly to CSV files, if you have hundreds of items you want to add all at one time.
Once you’ve got all your catalog of products set up on Square Online, once you’ve got your entire library set up in Square Online, you can start working to bring your digital business to life.
Square offers a variety of functions that can make running your business easier. For instance, you can create low-stock alerts, which send you notifications when you’re about to end up with a particular item. You can also swiftly monitor inventory levels by going to your dashboard.
Square Online Review: Shipping
If your business is selling electronic products on Square such as eBooks or downloads, then this feature likely won’t be applicable to your business. If, however, you’re planning to ship items internationally, whether in-land or over the ocean and internationally, then you’ll be required to explore Square Shipping. Square Shipping features.
However, many find this part of Square Online to be the most difficult. You’ll need to select free shipping for each product in your store, or choose a fixed price for all your products after you’ve set up. This is a big issue if you’re selling items of different weights or dimensions, and the cost could be different.
The best way to handle this issue is to provide an “free shipping” option for every item you sell. In this way, you’ll be able to modify the cost of your products to include the cost of shipping. It could leave you with odd prices however, the absence of shipping costs could appeal to your clients – even if they have to pay more.
Although the option of adding “additional shipping” costs is accessible on Square’s online store however, it’s not looking very attractive:
The small “+ $5” is guaranteed to cause your customers to feel badly.
It is much more likely to see excellent results If Square could just combine these two numbers and offer your customers with a simple cost. For now it seems like this is one of the areas in which Square isn’t doing enough in its digital strategy.
It’s true that everything isn’t perfect in a free online store, after all.
Square Online Review: Completing Online Orders
While shipping issues aren’t the only issue One thing you’ll find is that there’s plenty of options to handle your orders and increase sales with square. If you own a restaurant it’s possible to let customers place orders online and pick the items up in person , so provided you have an Square Point of Sale integration in place.
For businesses that sell services, it is possible to permit customers to pay via the internet by clicking an icon to add a particular option to their shopping cart. In reality, it’s easier to take payments at the Square POS in person instead.
If you’re managing a square Online login, clicking your dashboard will show you with a list of your pending orders, whether they’re food orders, requests for products or any other.
A little frustrating aspect is that you must declare each order “fulfilled” if you want to receive payment for it. Once you’ve finished the order legally, Square will hold onto the cash from the client. The good thing is it does mean that you’re able to offer your customers a higher level of service by committing yourself to a particular standard for processing.
For example, Square automatically assumes that you’ll get an order completed within 7 to seven days, or less. You are able to change this number by yourself, but in the event that you fail to complete the order within the specified timeframe and the deadline is missed, Square will refund your customers immediately.
In addition, once an order is made you may include tracking data in the order. For that, however you’ll need to search for the data you wish to share and then contact the customer in person. There’s no single-click method to update your customer. This can be a issue if you’re trying update hundreds or even dozens of clients at once.
For those who do not have the time, you have the option of integrating ShipStation into your shopping cart. ShipStation feature which can keep track of and manage your electronic orders on your behalf. Square will also generate confirmation emails for you once you’ve completed your transaction. If you’re selling a digital file however, the email won’t contain the download. You’ll need to manage fulfillment yourself.
Overall, the process of processing payments isn’t the easiest experience using the latest version of Square online platform, however, it’s not a bad experience especially when you don’t have to pay any fees for your business. In addition, if you’re selling items in store it’s a little simpler because you can choose to automate accepting orders if you choose to.
Square Online Review: Customer Service
What if you require some assistance creating an online business?
It’s likely that you’ll require at least some help, particularly in the case of selling your products online in the very first instance. The good thing is that Square provides several options for getting in contact with. For example, you can send a tweet to @SqSupport, or use a form to get in touch with our sales staff.
When you click on “Contact Sales,” or the “Contact Sales” option on Square’s homepage may be a bit difficult at first, because it will take you to an Weebly (read our Weebly review) contact form that is not created by Square. The functionality for building websites is provided by Weebly as a specialized solution to SquareUp.com.
If you prefer to go with the DIY method to get your assistance, then explore Square Knowledgebase. Square Knowledgebase. It’s an extensive database for those who are beginning their journey on the sales side of the market. There are a lot of articles to read, photos and other helpful information. Additionally, you can join the seller community to get additional assistance as well.
Square Online vs Shopify
While Square Online offers convenience and ease of access to all types of businesses, it may not be the best solution for all. There are some that prefer a different option such as Shopify for instance.
Square is Shopify ahead when it comes to cost, making it more affordable for smaller businesses to begin their journey online because there aren’t fees for transactions to be concerned about. But it’s certain that Shopify has a greater selection of templates to pick from when beginning to build an web presence. Furthermore, Shopify can easily allow both physical and online stores to sell.
Since Shopify is an online store hosted by Shopify it is not necessary to fret about purchasing the hosting you need for your site separately or buying an additional program to set up. Everything you need to set up an Shopify store is readily available to you right out of the box. But, Shopify does seem to depend more on the basics of coding rather than Square which could mean that it’s more suited to users with a bit of experience in the field of website development.
Square Online vs BigCommerce
BigCommerce is a different hosted E-commerce service that is a convincing alternative to Square Online. It lets business owners create their own website and sell their goods online without difficulty. It is a reliable SaaS service it doesn’t require have your own software in order to use BigCommerce.
BigCommerce, similar to Shopify offers a broad range of custom-designed templates to pick from to create the perfect store and it allows you to sell physical and digital items. There are also some basic tools to aid you in marketing your product as well. Similar to Square’s Online Store it is targeted at those who don’t have lots of coding or technical expertise to talk about. There are however options to alter CSS and HTML when you’re required to.
All plans from BigCommerce include the ability to create unlimited employees accounts, which implies that BigCommerce is a great price-for-money, especially in comparison to alternatives such as Shopify as well as Wix. However, it’s not able to provide you with the wide range of POS services that Square is able to offer.
Square Online vs Squarespace
Additionally, Squarespace is an ideal solution for businesses who need to create fast and professional-looking websites using minimal code. It is possible to use this software to build professional-looking websites without programming, modify your site using a user-friendly CRM, and much more. Squarespace offers better tools for blogging than Square however, it’s important to remember that it can take some time to become accustomed to the platform.
Squarespace isn’t quite as user-friendly like Square Online. But, it claims as “the” best option for creating portfolio websites and blogs. Similar to the other options discussed above, you don’t require a mastery of how to utilize CSS or HTML to utilize Squarespace. However there are plenty of other nebulous features in this website builder that can be confusing to newcomers.
Even with all the extra capabilities, Squarespace still won’t be enough for those who want to have a more precise approach to their design strategy for their websites.
Is the Square Online Right for Your Ecommerce Business?
Then, should you try the Square online?
If you’re only beginning in the current market and are just beginning to get your feet wet, the brand innovative Square Online solution can be a great starting point to establish your digital enterprise and up and running. It’s not necessary to learn tech or programming skills prior to starting It’s also easy to set up your inventory up, too..
You can make use of Square’s Square solution to handle payments, join with other shopping carts and design some striking visually appealing product pages. But, you’ll need upgrade to a more professional version if you’re looking for more advanced options such as monitoring and analysis.
Of course, the online store isn’t complete. You can’t instantly connect your store to Facebook or Twitter accounts, unless paying for a premium service for example. It can also be a bit difficult to handle certain aspects of customer service and delivery of orders, too.
A major issue in the Square Online is it’s approach to shipping costs. You can’t, in the end, make different charges for products that are likely cost more to send but without looking like that you’re simply putting additional costs on your customers for no reason. However, it’s not a bad idea trying out Square’s online store try if you’re just beginning to learn about selling on the internet. It’s completely free to start with, and is great for those who are just beginning and is a fantastic option to gain control of the strategy you use for your online store.
