How a Squarespace Website VIP Day Actually Works

I've had a few people ask me some version of this question:

How can you actually build a whole website in one day?

And to be fair, it's a reasonable question.

If you're picturing me opening up a completely blank Squarespace website at 9am and having a finished website ready to go by the end of the day, it probably does sound a bit unrealistic.

The thing is, that's not quite how my Website & Systems VIP Day works.

The VIP Day itself is a focused day of work on your project, but there's preparation beforehand and there may be some finishing work afterwards too. You also get 30 days of follow-up support, so you're not simply handed a website at the end of the day and left to get on with it.

So what actually happens?

There's some work to do before your VIP Day

If you're thinking about booking a Squarespace website VIP Day, the preparation beforehand is just as important as the day itself. A successful VIP Day actually starts before the day itself.

I need to have everything I need to work on your project before I sit down to do it. That includes things like your website copy, images, branding and any technical information or logins I need.

We'll also have worked out what you want to achieve and what we're going to focus on during the day.

I've written a separate guide, which goes into all of this in more detail.

What I need from you before we start your Squarespace website

This is why I ask you to have your final copy and content ready 48 hours before your VIP Day. It gives me time to look through everything properly and make sure we're ready to go, rather than using your day to chase down missing information or discover that we're still making decisions about what needs to be included.

It's also why VIP Days need to be booked at least two weeks in advance. I want there to be enough time for you to prepare, and enough time for me to get everything organised at my end.

What Happens During Your Squarespace Website VIP Day?

Once everything is ready, that's when I can really get stuck into your project.

Your Squarespace website VIP Day is a dedicated day where my focus is on you and the work we've agreed.

Rather than your website being worked on in between other client projects, meetings and whatever else is happening in my business, I've set aside the day specifically for your project.

Depending on what we're working on, that could mean building a new Squarespace website, refreshing an existing one, adding and restructuring pages, connecting your domain, setting up forms or integrations, or sorting out some of those bits of tech that you've been meaning to deal with for ages.

The exact scope will depend on your project, which is why we'll establish what you need before you book.

Need more time? Stack your VIP Days

Sometimes one day isn't quite enough.

A VIP Day doesn't mean your entire project has to fit into one day. If we look at what you want to achieve and it's clear that you need more time, you can simply book additional VIP Days to get everything finished.

For example, a straightforward website can usually be completed in one VIP Day. A website plus an Acuity Scheduling setup might need around a day and a half, while a more complex website, or one that includes things like a store, email campaigns or an online course setup, could need two or more days.

I'll be able to advise you on how many days you're likely to need based on what you want to achieve and the systems involved.

You can book your days close together or spread them out, depending on what works best for you.

This means we're not trying to cram a bigger project into one day just so we can say it was done in a day. We can give the project the time it needs while still keeping that focused VIP Day approach.

But isn't everything finished at the end of the day?

Not necessarily, and I think this is probably where the idea of a "VIP Day" can be a little misleading.

The day is when the main, focused work happens. It doesn't mean that every last little thing has to be completed between the start and end of the day.

There can be finishing touches, checks or little bits of tidying up to do afterwards. That's just part of building a website properly.

I don't want to be in a position where it's the end of the day, there's one small thing left to check, and I'm rushing to finish it just so I can technically say the website was completed in one day.

The important thing is that we've used the dedicated day to get the bulk of the work done, with a little space afterwards to make sure everything is properly finished.

And then there's the support afterwards

Your VIP Day also includes 30 days of follow-up support.

This is something I think is really useful because, however prepared you are, there are often things you only think of once you've got your new website or systems in front of you.

Maybe you spot a small change you'd like to make. Maybe you've got a question about how something works. Or maybe you realise you forgot to ask me something during the project.

You don't need to book another session just to ask a quick question. You've got 30 days of follow-up support included, so you can get in touch and I'll help you get things sorted.

So what can you actually get done in a VIP Day?

Quite a lot, but it depends on what you need.

A Website & Systems VIP Day can be used for things like:

• Building a new Squarespace website

• Giving an existing website a refresh

• Adding or restructuring pages

• Connecting your domain

• Setting up forms and integrations

• Sorting out website and email systems

• Connecting the different tools you use in your business

• Tackling a collection of smaller website or tech jobs

And if you need more time, that's where stacking your VIP Days comes in.

I'm much more interested in working out what your project actually needs than trying to squeeze everything into one day.

And what does a Squarespace website actually cost?

If you're at the stage of thinking about getting a new website, there's probably another question sitting in the back of your mind: how much is all of this actually going to cost?

There are the costs of Squarespace itself, your domain and potentially other tools or subscriptions, as well as the cost of having someone design and build the website for you.

I've broken those costs down in this post, if you want to get a better idea of what you might need to budget for.

How Much Does a Squarespace Website Cost?

Why work this way?

For some businesses, a traditional website project is exactly what they need. But for others, the thought of a project taking weeks or months, with lots of back and forth along the way, is enough to make them put it off altogether.

That's one of the reasons I like the VIP Day model.

You do the preparation beforehand, we have a dedicated day to get the work done, I take care of any finishing touches that are needed afterwards, and you've got me available for the following 30 days.

If you need more than one day, we simply add another. There's no need to turn a larger project into something rushed just because it's called a VIP Day.

So yes, your website can be built in a day.

But it's probably more accurate to say that the main build happens in a day.

The reason that works is because we're not trying to do everything from scratch on the day itself. We've already done the preparation, we've already agreed what we're working on, and I'm able to give your project my full attention.

Think a VIP Day could be right for you?

If you've been putting off your website because it feels like a huge job, or you've got a list of website and tech jobs that you really don't want to tackle yourself, a Website & Systems VIP Day could be a good way to get it all moving.

We'll get everything prepared beforehand, spend the day focused on your project, take care of the finishing touches afterwards and I'll be there for 30 days if you need a hand with anything once you're up and running.

And if your project needs more than one day, we can simply stack your VIP Days to give it the time it needs.

The short version

A Website & Systems VIP Day isn't about trying to cram an entire website project into one day.

There's preparation beforehand, a focused day of work, finishing touches afterwards and 30 days of follow-up support. If your project needs more time, you can simply stack additional VIP Days.

The aim is to get your website or tech sorted without the project dragging on for weeks.

One focused day - or a few, if that's what your project needs - to get your website and tech properly sorted.

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