How To Use The Square Website Builder To Set Up Your Online Store

You need an online store, but you also have local customers who want to order online and pick up in person or schedule a delivery. Selling in 2022 can be so complicated! Is there one system that can help you do it all?

If you’re looking for a solution that can do all that, and more, Square may be the platform for you. You can use the Square POS to handle in-person sales and use the Square website builder to build and manage your online sales. You can even use Square’s new business banking services to handle your income!

Signing up for a Square website is fast, free, and easy. So whether you’re new to online sales or looking to jump from another eCommerce platform, we’ll show you how to get started with the Square website builder and just how easy it is to use it to set up a Square Online store.

How To Set Up A Square Online Store

You don’t need to be tech-savvy to use the Square website builder. In fact, anyone can use Square’s tools to drag and drop images, text boxes, and more to create a simple yet effective web store fast. Keep reading to learn how to set up a Square Online store, view Square Online store examples, and more.

1. Sign Up For Square eCommerce

Don’t worry about pulling out a credit card or your banking information, because Square website builder is free, at least for starters. You can add extras later, if you feel like it. Start at the Square Online signup page and press the blue button that reads Start a free online store.

Screenshot of Square webpage, captured 2/15/2022

Once you enter some basic information, you’ll be asked to identify as either a business or an individual and choose a category for your business. Next, you’ll be asked to enter your business name, your tax ID number, and your estimated annual sales. All you really need to enter at this point is a business name, however; the other two items are either optional or can be entered later through your Square Dashboard.

2. Enter Business Information

Start your Square account as either a business or an individual, then choose a category for your business. If your business doesn’t fall into the listed categories, click the button that says I Don’t See My Business Type to view more choices. Select the category that most closely meets your business type, and then choose a subcategory to narrow it down further.

Screenshot of Square webpage, captured 2/15/2022

3. Explore Products & Features

After you enter and verify your physical address, you’ll go to your Square Online Dashboard, where a setup guide will help you explore. If it doesn’t pop up automatically, look for the Tour your Dashboard option under the My Business tab at the top right. Take a look at the admin panel on the left side of your screen. This is where you’ll list products, take orders, and manage inventory and payments.

Screenshot of Square webpage, captured 8/26/2020

4. Activate Payments

When you’re ready to enter financial information, open the Setup Guide by clicking the green button at the top of the page. You’ll be guided to set up your account to take payments and link your bank account so you can transfer funds. You can also customize the way receipts will look, set up taxes for items or at checkout, order hardware to take payments in person, or download an app for Android and iOS devices.

If you want to skip the financial information for now and move on to setting up your store, you can always come back to this step later.

5. Create Your Store

Once you have the business end straight, it’s time for the fun part: setting up your store! From the Dashboard, click the Online button, and you’ll be able to choose from three general page types: Single Ordering Page, Full Website Plus Ordering Page, and Checkout Links.

If you’re not sure which page type you should choose, there’s a Help button that takes you through a list of questions about your business and makes a suggestion. Next, you’ll be asked how you plan to fulfill orders: by shipping, by customer pickup, or by delivery. You can choose more than one!

6. Build Out Your Online Store

Access the Setup Guides for help designing your website, adding products, and connecting a domain. You’ll start with the page Square Online suggests for you. Don’t worry — it’s meant to be customized, and it’s very easy to change the look of your Square Online webpage using the Page Sections choices on the left side of your screen.

Screenshot of Square webpage, captured 8/26/2020

7. Add Items For Sale

Near the top of the dashboard, you’ll see a blue button that says Add. Click on that to access a dropdown menu that includes Item, and you can start to build your store’s inventory.

Screenshot of Square webpage, captured 8/26/2020

You can add a physical item, prepared food or drink, donation, event, or membership. Just pick the right item type, then add the item’s title and its price. You should include a description of your item, including materials, origin, special details, size, and specifications. Add images and check the right box to indicate how you’ll fulfill orders, including shipping, in-store pickup, or local delivery. That’s all it takes! Repeat as necessary until your store is ready to go live.

8. Take Your Store Online

You should see a blue button near the top right of your screen that says Publish. When you push that, your site will be live and ready for shoppers to visit. It’s probably a good idea to Preview your site first, though. There’s a button for that just to the left of the Publish button.

9. Upgrade Your URL

Square will assign you an automatic domain name that probably will read Your-Store-Name.square.site. Fortunately, you’re given an option immediately to improve on that no-frills URL. You can link to a domain you already own or, if you want to upgrade to a paid Square plan, you can build your brand with a professional web address.

It’s worth noting that all Square Online plans, including the free one, include a shopping cart, inventory management, tax calculator, coupon codes, and gift cards, and allow you to accept payments through Square. If you’re interested in adding a paid plan, you’ll add features to that list.

10. Spread The Word

Once you’re up and running, use the marketing tools already built-in to the Square website builder to let customers know about your new online store. You can send out a one-time or automated marketing email campaign, or make a special offer to previous buyers who haven’t visited in a while. You can also ask for customers’ birthdays and then send them a special offer on their special day. If you’re active on Facebook, or if you’d like to build your presence there, you can send customers a link and ask them to leave feedback on your Facebook page. You can customize Square’s campaign templates with your branding elements or product photos to help you meet your marketing goals.

It’s worth experimenting to see how you can use your Square website to increase sales or meet your business goals.

5 Square Online Store Examples

You can use the Square website builder successfully for almost any kind of business. And Square excels at supporting specialty shops, food and drink purveyors, and nontraditional businesses that sell face-to-face and want to add an online sales element. This becomes apparent when you sign up for a new Square account and see the first choices for types of business:

Screenshot of Square webpage, captured 2/15/2022

Scroll down the list and you’ll see Square online store examples from traditional sales categories, too, like furniture and home goods, or art, photo, and film alongside charitable organizations and events/festivals. For each business type, you’ll find some links in the Square ecosystem that offer a chance to streamline your operations, by adding invoicing, scheduling, or messaging integrations, for example. Let’s take a look at some of these types of businesses and see how Square website builder supports them.

Restaurants

Launching your own online store means customers can order directly from you and skip the third-party delivery services that cost you commission fees. Square supports all types of food businesses, from full and quick-service bars and restaurants to coffee shops, fast casual eateries, and even ghost kitchens.

Here are some features that specifically support food businesses that build their web stores with Square website builder:

• Online ordering
• Delivery, curbside pickup, and self-serve ordering
• Multiple ordering pages
• Manage in-house and online orders from one system
• Link POS and kitchen display system with online platform
• QR code ordering
• Order scheduling
• Tipping is supported
• Sites are mobile-optimized
• Integrates with Square Marketing, Square Loyalty, and Square Kitchen Display
• Square Pay lets customers save payment information for faster checkout next time
• Instagram integration
• Order limiting keeps you from getting overwhelmed
• Multilocation support
• Time-based menus supported

Screengrab of Square webpage, captured 2/16/2022

Retail

Square Online supports all types and sizes of retail businesses, including, notably, those selling CBD products. Here is an overview of the Square website builder’s best features for retail business websites. While you can build and operate a retail store using Square’s free plan, some of these features are available only on paid plans:

• Customizable website
• Options for shipping as well as local pickup and delivery
• SEO tools and site statistics
• Syncs with Square POS to support in-person sales
• Shipping label printing and discounts
• Real-time shipping information
• Unlimited products
• Gift options and coupon codes
• Abandoned cart recovery tools
• Product reviews
• Social media integrations
• Sync online and in-person orders, products, and inventory
• Payment options including PayPal and Afterpay
• Built-in tax calculator
• Manage multiple locations
• Add third-party integrations to customize your store
• Integrate with Square Marketing, Square Loyalty, and Square Gift Cards

Screenshot of Bouguessa webpage, captured 2/16/2022

Service Businesses

Whether you meet customers in the field or in their homes or if they come to you, when your business depends on scheduling appointments, you need some special support. Fortunately, Square website builder delivers the tools you need, including these features:

• Flexible payment options that work in your work space or in the field
• Accept cash, checks, ACH transfers, credit cards, and more
• Integrates with Square Appointments, Square Invoices, Square Messages, and Customer Directory
• Third-party integrations for invoicing, accounting, forms, and more
• Mobile-friendly site lets customer book on-the-go
• Social media selling and appointment booking
• Integrate online and POS
• Gift cards
• Accept tips
• Enable reviews

Screenshot of The Dash Bar website, captured 2/16/2022

Nonprofits

So far, we have covered various types of for-profit businesses, both large and small. The Square website builder also works well for nonprofits. If you’re trying to keep costs low, while still being able to take donations and payments in person and online, you’ll like the free Square website plan. Here are some features you might appreciate:

• Accept donations
• Sync with Square POS to take payments anywhere
• Integrate with Instagram and Facebook
• Negotiable payment processing rates if you process $250K+ per year
• Capture donor information from the Square POS
• Sell nontangible products like tickets, services, and memberships
• Add a blog to share information about your nonprofit and mission
• Send customizable receipts automatically

Screengrab of Oakdale Nature Club webpage, captured 2/16/2022

Independent Vendors

If you’re an independent contractor or freelancer, or an artist or musician who wants to sell on the side, a Square website can help you meet your goals. Here’s how:

• Sync online and in-person sales
• Sell anywhere your customers are, including festivals, job sites, and markets
• Offer local pickup and delivery in addition to shipping
• Sell on social media, including shoppable Instagram posts
• Highlight new and sale items
• Add a blog to tell your story
• Use coupons to attract new customers
• Add product reviews
• Customize your store with your logo, photos, and colors
• Integrate with Square Marketing, Square Loyalty, and Square Gift Cards

Screengrab of Square webpage, captured 2/16/2022

Square Website Pricing

There’s absolutely nothing wrong — and many things right! — with using the free option for your Square Online store. However, once you’ve gotten to know the site and perhaps solidified your eCommerce goals, it’s a good idea to take a look at what paying for a plan can get you. It’s easy to change plans at any time.

Here’s a quick summary of what each plan gets you. See Square’s website for a detailed comparison of each plan’s features.

Square Free Plan

The Free plan costs $0/month and includes these features:

• Hosted online store with unlimited products
• 500MB storage limit
• Sell on Instagram and Facebook
• Options for pickup, delivery, self-serve ordering, and shipping
• Age confirmation
• Accept donations
• SEO tools
• Sync with Square POS
• Order status text alerts
• Shipping label printing and discounts
• Payment via Square Pay, Apple Pay, Google Pay, or Cash App
• Online payment processing rate of 2.9% + $0.30

Square Professional Plan

The Professional plan costs $12/month and includes all the features of the Free plan, plus these additional features:

• Unlimited bandwidth and storage
• Connect custom domain
• Remove Square footer ads
• Password-protected pages
• Custom fonts
• Site statistics

Square Performance Plan

The Performance plan costs $26/month and includes all the features of the Professional plan, plus these additional features:

• Accept PayPal
• Abandoned cart recovery tools
• Gift options
• Product reviews
• Advanced eCommerce statistics

Square Premium Plan

The Premium plan costs $72/month and includes all the features of the Performance plan, plus these additional features:

• Real-time shipping information
• Online payment processing rate of 2.6% + $0.30

Alternatives To A Square Website For Square Users

What if you want an easy way to sell online, without the hassle of maintaining a full online store? If you value the convenience of using Square POS for in-person sales and want a quick and easy way to accept payments online, you might want to look into Square Online Checkout.

Square Online Checkout is a payment solution that lets you accept customers’ payments via a simple link. It’s similar to how PayPal works, except customers don’t need a Square account to make payments. When you use Square Online Checkout, you’ll generate a link or button you can share via email or text message or on your social media pages, blog, or website. Customers can click that link to purchase products and services from you, and payments will be processed through your Square account.

And, of course, it’s important to note that Square isn’t the only option you can use when you want both an online store and a POS system for in-person selling. One comparable option is Shopify. There are some key differences between these options, however:

• Choice Of Payment Processors: If you build a Square store, you will need to use Square as your payment processor. Although Shopify tries to steer users towards its own processor, Shopify Payments, you can choose among many other popular processors if you prefer.
• International Availability: Shopify serves merchants in 175 countries, while Square is available in only seven. Shopify also supports international shipping and payments better.
• Business Types: Both Square and Shopify support a wide range of business types, but Square’s POS has more industry-specific apps and features. That makes Square particularly suitable for restaurants, small retail shops, and businesses that rely on appointment scheduling. Shopify, on the other hand, may be better suited to businesses that rely heavily on eCommerce.

We recommend checking out our full in-depth Shopify vs. Square comparison for all the information you need to make the best choice.

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