Square Online Review: Building Storefronts with Confidence

Square at a Glance

Square, headquartered in San Francisco, California, was established in 2009 with a mission to revolutionize payment processing. In 2018, they merged with Weebly, a popular website builder, enhancing their offerings to form Square Online. This strategic integration combined Square's payment solutions with Weebly's intuitive website-building capabilities, making the platform even more appealing to small business owners. Square Online and Weebly, while integrated under Square, maintain some distinct operations—Weebly still offers their own website and subscription plans separate from Square Online. However, both platforms utilize the same website builder, allowing users to access a unified, user-friendly experience when creating and managing their sites.

Since the merger, Square Online has grown extensively, incorporating integrated eCommerce features, inventory management, SEO tools, and mobile responsiveness to help businesses create and manage their online presence easily. These additions have bolstered the company's reputation as a comprehensive solution for growing businesses. Their commitment to empowering small businesses has earned them recognition, including being named one of Adweek’s best POS systems in 2022 and listed among Fast Company’s Brands that Matter in 2021.

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Key Features

Website builder with SEO tools: Square's website builder includes integrated SEO tools that help optimize site visibility on search engines. Users can customize meta titles, descriptions, and URLs to improve their search rankings, making it easier for new customers to find their business online.

Custom domain options: Businesses using Square can boost their brand recognition with a custom domain. While the platform provides a free subdomain (e.g., yourbusiness.square.site), users can upgrade to a custom domain for around $19.95 per year or get it free with any paid plan.

Multiple payment methods: The platform supports various payment methods, including credit cards, debit cards, and digital wallets like Apple Pay, Square Pay, Cash App Pay, and Google Pay. This flexibility enables businesses to cater to a broader audience by accommodating different payment preferences and increasing conversion rates.

Customer accounts and personalization: The platform allows businesses to create customer accounts, enabling users to save their information for future purchases. This personalization enhances the shopping experience by providing tailored recommendations and quicker checkouts based on previous interactions.

Square POS sync: Square Online seamlessly integrates with Square's Point of Sale (POS) system, allowing businesses to manage both in-store and online sales from a single platform. This synchronization ensures that inventory levels are updated in real-time across all sales channels, reducing the risk of overselling and improving operational efficiency.

Real-time shipping rates: Square Online provides real-time shipping rates, allowing customers to see accurate shipping costs during checkout based on their location and chosen shipping method. This transparency helps reduce cart abandonment rates by setting clear expectations for delivery costs upfront.

Subscriptions and pre-orders: The platform supports subscriptions and pre-orders, enabling businesses to offer recurring services and physical product subscriptions. This feature is valuable for companies aiming to establish consistent revenue streams and assess interest in upcoming physical products and digital offerings before launch.

Secure: Square implements end-to-end encryption on all transactions, ensuring that sensitive data such as card numbers and security codes are never stored on client devices. They also provide free SSL certificates to all websites built on their platform. Additionally, the company employs advanced fraud and account takeover protection, using machine learning and live monitoring to detect suspicious activities in real-time.

Plans & Prices

Free plan

This entry-level plan is ideal for businesses wanting to start selling online quickly. It includes basic website builder tools, unlimited bandwidth, in-store and curbside pickup, online payments at 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction, and in-person payments at 2.6% + 10¢ per transaction. Basic layouts and design controls are included, but it lacks more advanced features like custom domains, professional branding, and enhanced site customization.

Plus plan

Designed for businesses aiming to grow online and streamline operations, the Plus plan costs $29 a month and adds several features on top of the Free plan. It includes access to customizable website themes, QR code ordering, a free custom domain for one year, and advanced site layouts with extensive customization options. The plan boosts professional branding, offers advanced eCommerce analytics, and includes customer account features like loyalty and gift card tracking, enhancing the shopping experience with personalized recommendations.

Premium plan

The Premium plan, priced at $79 per month, is designed for high-volume businesses expanding across multiple locations. It includes all features from the Plus plan, with added benefits like in-house delivery at no extra cost, 24/7 premium support, and reduced transaction fees for online payments (2.6% + 30¢). The plan also offers enhanced branded experiences, advanced site customization, and tools for managing multiple sites and locations, making it ideal for businesses seeking to expand and operate efficiently at scale.

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Pros

Square Risk Manager

Square Risk Manager is a powerful tool for managing payment fraud and protecting your online business from high-risk transactions. It allows you to set up rules based on transaction details, such as Card Verification Value (CVV), transaction amounts, and payment velocity, to trigger alerts or decline transactions. This provides a customizable layer of security, helping reduce the risk of chargebacks and fraudulent payments​.

Free plan available

Square Online’s free plan includes essential features like unlimited product listings, access to in-store pickup and delivery options, basic SEO tools, and the ability to sell on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. This plan is particularly advantageous for small businesses looking to build an online presence without upfront costs​.

Multiple site management on the free plan

Square Online lets you manage multiple websites from a single account, even on the free plan, making it ideal for businesses with multiple locations or distinct segments. This feature allows you to handle all online orders from various sites through one central platform, streamlining order management while providing a clear overview of sales, inventory, and customer interactions across all locations.

Robust app marketplace

Square Online's app marketplace provides over 200 third-party apps that integrate smoothly with the platform. These apps cover everything from accounting and marketing tools to shipping solutions, enhancing your online store's functionality. This robust ecosystem allows you to tailor your business operations to meet specific needs without needing separate software.

Social media sales integration

Square Online facilitates social media sales, allowing you to integrate your online store with platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. This integration broadens your reach by embedding a user-friendly payment gateway directly into your posts, enabling seamless transactions where your audience is most active.

Free custom domain on paid plans

With Square’s paid plans, you receive a free custom domain for the first year, which helps create a professional and branded online presence. While the free plan restricts you to a Square subdomain, upgrading to a paid plan removes Square branding and provides access to more advanced features, enhancing the credibility and marketability of your online store.

Cons

Lack of themes

Square Online has a limited selection of themes compared to other platforms like Shopify or Squarespace. The platform mainly offers a “style picker” that uses similar layouts with variations in color schemes. This lack of deep customization can make many Square Online websites look similar, which may not suit businesses wanting a distinct look for their online presence. Additionally, the design options are fairly basic, with limited customization capabilities for elements like fonts and layout, making them less flexible than other website builders​.

Undisclosed storage

Square does not openly disclose specific storage limitations for their website builder plans, which can create uncertainty for users who need to understand their capacity for hosting content. This may lead to content limitations for those planning to host large media files or manage extensive online catalogs.

Limited support hours

Customer support for Square Online is available only from Monday to Friday, 6 AM to 6 PM, which can be restrictive for businesses needing assistance outside these hours, especially those operating on weekends or in different time zones. This limited support window can impact the ability to resolve urgent issues promptly.

Customer Reviews & User Experience

Square Online receives generally positive feedback from users. They hold a rating of 4.2 out of 5 on G2, where they’re praised for ease of use and integration. On TrustRadius, they score 7.8 out of 10, with users highlighting their practical features but noting some customization limitations. Capterra users give the company a 4.7 out of 5, frequently commending their affordability and suitability for small businesses.

Positive reviews

Many users highlight the platform’s simplicity as their best feature. The drag-and-drop editor and built-in templates are often described as user-friendly and perfect for creating professional-looking websites quickly. Customers appreciate the range of design elements available and the seamless integration with payment systems, which make managing eCommerce tasks straightforward. One user noted how easy it was to build a multi-page site, upload and resize images, and add necessary payment links without any hassle. Another customer shared that they found the platform ideal for beginners, enabling them to set up an attractive and functional website with minimal experience.

Negative reviews

Despite their strengths, the company also faces criticism, particularly regarding its limited customization and inconsistent customer support. Several users pointed out that the platform’s design options can feel restrictive, making it difficult to achieve specific customizations without resorting to HTML. The inability to change themes after publishing and the lack of advanced tools were frequently mentioned as drawbacks. Moreover, many users expressed frustration with the slow and often unresponsive customer service, which could make troubleshooting and getting help a lengthy process. There were also complaints about SEO limitations and high transaction fees, which some found prohibitive, especially for growing businesses.

How Can I Contact Square Online?

If you need to get in touch with Square Online, there are several ways to reach them. You can email them directly through their website or call their support team at 855-700-6000. For sales inquiries, contact their sales team at 800-470-1673, available Monday to Friday from 6 AM to 6 PM. For additional assistance, you can reach out via live chat or ask the community for advice and insights on various topics. Stay connected and keep up with the latest updates by following them on their social media platforms: Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Conclusion

Founded in 2009 in San Francisco, Square began as a payment processing platform. In 2018, they merged with Weebly to launch Square Online to offer easy-to-use website-building tools. Square Online is known for their integrated eCommerce features, SEO tools, and mobile responsiveness, making them a popular choice for small businesses. The platform supports multiple payment options, real-time shipping rates, and seamless POS integration, offering a comprehensive solution for managing online and in-store sales. With a range of plans, including a free option, Square Online is accessible to businesses of all sizes. While they have some limitations, such as limited theme options and undisclosed storage, Square Online is highly regarded for their ease of use and affordability, consistently earning strong ratings on major review platforms.

If you're still looking for the ideal website builder, don’t miss our list of top website builders to find the right fit. You can also use our comparison tool to easily evaluate side-by-side features. For more tips and insights, check out our blog for expert advice on website design, eCommerce, and more.

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