Hip layouts sporting minimalist design are the hallmark of content management tool Squarespace. Squarespace is responsible for the latest layout on NPR.org, evidence that this content management system uses lots of white space and striking graphics to produce a crisp and streamlined look.
Established in 2011, this minimalist website creation station offers a website builder, a Web hosting service and a blogging platform.
The content management part of the deal is made easy with portfolios, photo galleries, media players and streamlined text space.
Although Squarespace is not free, a price point of less than $10 a month for a basic subscription is a reasonable investment for a high-quality CMS.
Pros
Getting started with Squarespace is a cinch. Sign up and start working on your content management system immediately without downloading or uploading anything.
Squarespace went through a huge overhaul of its interface in October 2014, which increased its capacity for content. Access to Getty Images, more than a dozen new templates, cover pages and updates to Android apps all help bring Squarespace to the forefront of the competition.
The software is extreme user-friendly, giving nontechies a treat with easy-to-manage modules and features, such as custom forms and commerce options.
Squarespace subscribers even have access to a free logo creator service to help develop their brands. Statistics for Web traffic come standard, and these are located on the same dashboard used for editing.
Squarespace handles everything, including automatic upgrades to the system, with full tech support around the clock.
Cons
Choosing Squarespace for your CMS needs means you must use Squarespace for everything — even your Web hosting.
This can put a damper on your budget if you already have a Web hosting service, and custom domain names require an annual subscription.
Top-of-the-line features are, of course, only available with top-tier subscriptions, and you may need supplements.
For any level of detail on your visitor statistics, for instance, you’ll need to install Google Analytics, as Squarespace keeps its statistics as minimalist as its sites.