Rated #5 Best Website Platform
Overall Rating:
8.9
Ease Of Use = 8.7
Value For Money = 8.8
Customer Support = 9.2
Services Offered = 8.9
PROS:
- Options include a fee plan or a range of paid plans to suit your needs
- There’s an excellent range of payment solutions available if you need to accept payments online or in-person
- Good range of e-commerce features
CONS:
- The free plan does have the providers adverts and branding on
- You can’t use your own domain with the free plan
- Not well suited to showcase websites that don’t need online ordering options
Square Online Review – More and more businesses these days are moving online to make sales, and this has become a hugely popular method of making purchases for consumers.
From fashion and gift retailers to restaurants and shops, e-commerce has become big business.
In order to benefit from online selling, businesses need to ensure they have a solid and professional-looking online store that is functional and appealing. This means finding the right provider to help you to build the perfect online store. One platform that could be ideal is the Square Online store builder.
At a Glance
As our Square Online review shows, this could be the perfect platform for those who want to grow their online retail business. With a host of features and a range of package options, you should be able to find the perfect one for your needs.
Best of all, you can get started free of charge and then upgrade to a paid plan if and when you wish.
The Square platform offers a variety of included tools to help your online retail business to flourish. It also offers a host of payment options and solutions, which makes it easier for you to take payments for the goods and services that you sell. In this Square Online review, we will learn more about what this platform has to offer.
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Features
The Square Online store builder offers a range of valuable features that are designed to help businesses to achieve success.
Some of the key features of this platform are outlined below:
Simple Account Setup
One of the things you get when you decide to use the Square Online platform is simple account setup, so getting started is very easy and convenient. You simply need to provide some key details as requested in order to set up your account.
Once you have done this, you are ready to get started with creating your online store. You will be provided with a general layout that you can edit using the tools provided to create an e-commerce site that is suited to your needs and fits in with the theme of your business.
Customizable Template
Many website builders come with a huge range of templates that you can use for your site. However, with Square Online, you only really get one main template, which you can then play with and edit to customize it for your own needs.
As mentioned in the cons section of our Square Online review, the customization capabilities are quite limited. However, it does enable you to create an online setting that your customer will find simple, straightforward, and easy to use.
The simplicity of the template means that you can adapt it to suit your needs without spending huge amounts of time trying to work out what to do. In addition, it is structured in a way that will ensure the products you sell stand out rather than customers being distracted by the design of the site itself.
A Range of Sales Tools
One of the areas that make Square Online stand out is the wide range of online sales tools that it offers. Those who are setting up an e-commerce site will find these tools invaluable, and this can help to boost the chances of growth and success for your business as well as saving you time and inconvenience. Some of these tools are:
Ability to add products with ease
One of the features you can look forward to when it comes to sales tools available with this online store builder platform is the ability to add products with ease. No online business owner wants to spend huge amounts of time updating the site to add new products. Square Online makes the process much easier with its integrated tools.
Inventory management tools
Another vital aspect of running an online retail site is being able to manage inventory with ease. With Square Online, you also get to benefit from inventory management tools that enable you to manage your stock with ease. You can categorise changes in inventory too, with the tools covering everything from stock that is sold to damaged and returned stock.
Processing payments
Square Online has a strong focus on payment solutions, so you will naturally enjoy access to tools for payment processing. The provider gives you access to its own payment processing solution, and with certain packages, you can also add PayPal as an option.
However, do bear in mind that while there are no additional fees for processing payments through Square Online solutions, you may have to pay added fees for other payment processing solutions.
Options for shipping
You can look forward to a wide range of options when it comes to shipping solutions for the products you sell via your online store. With paid accounts, you can also print shipping labels through the account.
There are different methods through which you can decide how you want the cost of shopping to be worked out depending on the areas you are shipping items to.
Automatic tax calculator
A big relief for many e-commerce site owners is the availability of an automatic tax calculator, which can save you a lot of number crunching and stress. This only works if you are shipping within the United States or Canada, however. You will need to do manual calculations for shipping elsewhere.
SEO and Marketing Features
You will also benefit from access to a range of SEO and marketing tools and features with the Square Online platform. These tools are vital to aid the success of your site, so it is important to make use of them if you want to grow your e-commerce site.
Some of the main ones that you can benefit from include:
SEO tools
Naturally, you want your online retail site to enjoy the best exposure possible on the Worldwide Web, and using SEO tools can help you to achieve this.
Square Online makes it easy for you to add details of your products with SEO titles and descriptions to help maximise exposure and boost your business success. You should have no problem using these tools, and you can use them for both the products on your site and the pages.
Pop-up capabilities
You also get to benefit from pop-up capabilities with the Square Online platform, which is a great way to advertise other products and promotions among other things. The pop-up templates are also attractive rather than intrusive and annoying, which means you won’t end up with frustrated customers who become fed up with seeing them.
These pop-ups can be used for a range of purposes including to offer coupons to those browsing your site, to provide important information, or to confirm the age of the visitor.
Automatic emails
Another valuable feature is automatic emails, and the type of account you have with Square Online will determine the types of emails that can be automatically sent. With a basic account, you can send details of items that have been shipped, refunded items, and cancellations.
With other accounts, you can also benefit from emails relating to abandoned carts and item reviews. Your account is automatically configured to send out these emails, and this enables you to keep your customers informed without going to any additional lengthy yourself.
Choice of Plans
You also get to benefit from a choice of plans, and these are very competitively priced. In fact, as we mentioned earlier, you can get started with a completely free plan, and this is an ideal way to see whether this is the right platform for your needs.
If you then decide that you want to upgrade, you can choose from a number of options designed to cater to a range of needs.
Range of Support Options
Obviously, you want to be able to get support whenever you need it when you set up your online store through Square Online. Well, you can benefit from a choice of options to get support from the team at Square Online. This includes making contact by phone, emailing the team, or engaging in conversation via live chat.
Value For Money
Most people will be keen to know whether the Square Online platform represents value for money. Well, as we have mentioned before in this Square Online review, there is a free account available, and this is great value for money because you do not pay anything for it!
Of course, you have to put up with the Square Online branding and adverts, but if you only want to try out the platform before upgrading, it is a great option.
There are various paid packages that you can choose from, and these also represent good value for money because the cost is very reasonable. This includes the Professional, Performance, and Premium accounts.
Support Levels
The support levels that are available to account holders is comprehensive and impressive. You can access the knowledge centre online to find the answer to your question, and you will find plenty of information there.
However, if you cannot find the answers you want, then you can make contact via email, live chat, or by phone to get the assistance you want.
Square Online Reviews From Customers:
Square Online has plenty of reviews online, and many of these are positive ones. In fact, on Trustpilot, the provider has a very impressive overall rating of 4.3/5 from a large number of reviewers. Some of the reviews include:
I found a few things difficult to set up, however I called support and my issues were sorted immediately by a very helpful and friendly James. Also my payments online have been deposited to me extremely quickly. Sinc’s perfectly with my Instagram through sellable links in my bio, whilst I set up my website. Very happy!
5-star review from M D on Trustpilot
I have used Square on my website, with a card machine and via the payment terminal. The staff are friendly, it is very cost effective, and the tools are easy to integrate where appropriate. Payment is very quick, and I have had no noticable issues. I would highly recommend Square.
5-star review from Jon-Paul Edwards on Trustpilot
The Advantages
There are lots of advantages that you can benefit from when you choose Square Online for your online e-commerce site. Some of the main ones to look forward to are:
- The free account option
- Excellent support levels
- Ease to use
- A range of features
The platform makes it much easier to get started with your online retail site, as well as to operate it and grow your business.
The Disadvantages
There are also disadvantages that you have to take into consideration if you are thinking about using the Square Online platform. Some of these are:
- Limited ability to customise
- Transaction fees with outside payment processing solutions
- Adverts on free account
By weighing up the pros and cons before you make your decision, you will find it easier to determine whether this is the right platform for your specific needs.
Summary
In summary, Square Online is a good choice for those who want to set up an e-commerce site. As our Square Online review shows, there are pros and cons to be considered, but you benefit from crucial benefits such as easy set-up, a range of features, and great support.
The excellent rating that the platform has achieved is also a testament to its effectiveness and popularity.
While you may want to start out with the free account to get a feel for the platform, it is worth considering upgrading further down the line. This is not just to avoid the Square Online branding and adverts on your website but also to access a much wider range of features.