Why It’s Time to Migrate Your Squarespace Website from 7.0 to 7.1
What are the benefits of moving to Squarespace 7.1?
We’ll dive more into the ins and outs of what it takes to move from 7.0 to 7.1, but the main reasons we love 7.1 are that it’s easier to maintain and add content, it has more advanced design capabilities, stronger analytics, and moving forward, all features on Squarespace will be pushed to 7.1 and won’t be available to 7.0 sites. Keep reading on to get our take on why it’s a smart move (and much less involved than you would imagine) to make the move to 7.1 sooner than later.
Here are our favorite features of 7.1:
Enhanced Editing Experience:
As UI/UX designers, we know the value of an intuitive and efficient editing experience, and Squarespace 7.1 doesn’t disappoint. Their new Design panel makes it easier to make changes to your website and it’s more efficient than ever to customize your website's look.Modernized Templates:
We build our websites from scratch, and we provide extra customization to ensure your site is 100% unique, but if you’re on a budget, Squarespace 7.1 offers a collection of modern templates optimized for mobile use. These templates, built with the latest web technologies and design trends, will give your website that extra edge. With user-friendly customization options, you can create a starter website.Flexible Layouts:
Our team of creatives knows how important it is to stand out in front of the crowd, and Squarespace 7.1 offers creative flexibility like never before. We love its multiple-column layouts, full-width sections, and advanced formatting options. It’s possible to create an engaging and dynamic user experience that captivates your audience and showcases your brand's personality.Enhanced Mobile Responsiveness:
In today's mobile-centric world, having a website that looks fantastic on any device is vitally important. We like how Squarespace 7.1 is designed with a mobile-first approach, ensuring that your website looks great and functions flawlessly on any screen size or device.Advanced Analytics and SEO Tools:
It’s essential to understand your website's performance and visibility in search engines. When used correctly, Squarespace 7.1 provides improved analytics and SEO tools, giving you valuable insights into your website's performance and helping you optimize it for better search engine visibility. It’s still important to continue creating SEO-friendly content and update your meta description, and you’ll continue to build exposure no matter what version your site is on. Keep climbing that SEO ladder, my friend, and your brand will continue to fly.Scalability and Future Updates:
When you migrate to Squarespace 7.1, you ensure that your website remains compatible with future updates and improvements. As Squarespace continues to improve and evolve their platform, they will gradually phase out older versions like 7.0. By upgrading to the latest 7.1 version, you’ll take advantage of new features and ensure that your website is future-proofed against any changes or advancements.
When did Squarespace move to 7.1?
Squarespace released its version 7.1 in early 2020 (seems like a lifetime ago, right? Remember those days before Covid?) Although Squarespace platform still supports and allows users to create on version 7.0, we’re seeing that 7.1 has a more improved experience and will continue to do so, as 7.0 no longer updates features and advances usability.
How do you know if it’s time to migrate to 7.1?
If your Squarespace site was built before 2020, it was built using Squarespace version 7.0— it’s a wise idea to move to 7.1. If you’re already contemplating updating design or adding in copy updates, you might end up doing double work if you update your current 7.0 site and then migrate over to 7.1. The way migration works, you have to build your new site now is a good time to take care of it all and migrate over to the new version.
Will migrating to Squarespace 7.1 impact my website SEO?
The short answer is yes if you don’t prepare and take the time to make the appropriate adjustments before you migrate your website from 7.0.
The main reason that switching from 7.0 to 7.1 could negatively affect your SEO ranking is if your URL structure changes. The way search works is that search engines like Google and Bing reference your old (7.0) site’s website map to identify your unique site content. If other websites linked to yours, we call these inbound links, they’re likely linking to URLs that were on your old website. If these URLs change all of a sudden, your SEO rank might be affected. The good news? With some preparation, you can minimize any damage and even help your website's long-term performance in search results.
Looking for help to migrate your website from 7.0 to 7.1? We’ll take care of it for you.
What’s the cost to move from 7.0 to 7.1?
It might seem like migrating from squarespace 7.0 to 7.1 would be a costly endeavor, but it’s actually only a fraction of the cost of building a brand-new website. Think of it this way: when you build a new house, your roof and foundation will need some TLC and updates over time as natural wear and tear occurs. This is similar to website maintenance—over time, features and design capabilities advance and technology improves, so it’s wise to move your website to a new version in order to continually evolve your online presence in a positive way for long-term success.
Curious about what it would cost to move to 7.1? Reach out to us and we can give you a quote.
What will happen to my 7.0 site while I migrate to 7.1?
Right now, there isn’t any automatic button to press to immediately upgrade your version 7.0 site, but you can still make the move and rebuild your content and design in version 7.1 to take advantage of its new features and options.
When we work with folks to move their site to 7.1, we move your content and designs to 7.1 and then manually revise the content, customize design layouts, update all the URL slugs, check integrations, and ensure everything is working properly before we officially migrate. While we work on 7.1 in the background of your website, your 7.0 site stays up and visible, but we advise that you don’t make updates to your 7.0 site until we are finished with the migration. It’s a straightforward process, and we work quickly, so it’s not updated for just a short amount of time.
If you’re not comfortable with making the move yourself, we recommend that you work with a professional design team to ensure your website is migrated properly and efficiently to mitigate any potential errors or issues.
The Key Takeaways for Migrating to 7.1
Migrating your current 7.0 website from Squarespace 7.0 to 7.1 will greatly benefit your brand’s online presence. With an enhanced editing experience, modernized templates, flexible layouts, improved mobile responsiveness, advanced analytics and SEO tools, and future scalability. If you haven't yet made the move to 7.1, it's time to consider migrating to unlock the full potential of your site. We're here to support you every step of the way on your brand journey. Let's migrate together and create a brand that stands out and connects deeply with your audience.
Ready to take your website to the next level?
Contact us today and let's dive into your brand journey to create something amazing together. Whether you're just down the street or halfway around the world, we're here to roll up our sleeves and help you build a stronger connection with your audience.
Let's migrate to Squarespace 7.1 and take your brand to new heights!
