Squarespace 7.0 was a great platform for many people who wanted to create a website easily. However, 7.1 offers a more up-to-date version of the same framework. Therefore, some business owners may want to switch their website to 7.1. How easy is it to switch versions and how can it be done?
How Easy is it to Upgrade?
In reality, it is not as easy to move from a Squarespace legacy option to the latest version. The best process is to create a new trial on the 7.1 system and then recreate your website’s design and move the domain over.
This process can take a long time. And you might need to contact your website developer if you used one to create the original website. It's also important to note that 7.1 is still in development and some features available on version 7.0 are not yet implemented in 7.1.
The pricing might also be different on 7.1 as the pricing plans have changed.
When Should you Cancel your Old Site?
It's important that you don’t cancel your version 7.0 site before your 7.1 is complete. That is unless you want to take the opportunity of upgrading your site to also update your website’s design and content. This can be a good time to analyze where you might want to make changes and implement them.
While you’re working on your new site, you can keep your old site private. This means that no one is going to your new site. You can create an ‘Under Construction’ page using a screen lock or Layout Page. All traffic to your site will then be sent to the holding page.
When you’ve completed the new site, you can then transfer the website’s domain to the new account and cancel the old website.
Does Switching Versions Impact SEO?
Moving from version 7.0 to your 7.1 can impact your website’s SEO. At least for a short period. This can mean that you have fewer visits to your website for a short period, perhaps up to three months. The effect is higher if you use a new domain name where you will get a penalty for getting a new domain name.
Therefore, you have to be sure that you have completed your SEO checklist completely before moving to your new website.
Final Word: How to Switch From Squarespace 7.0 to 7.1?
It is not easy to switch between Squarespace 7.0 to 7.1. You will need to start a new trial for the Squarespace version 7.1 and then recreate your website on the platform. Once you’ve completed your website, you can cancel the old Squarespace website. However, there are a couple of problems. One of them is that there is a Google penalty that can reduce traffic for a short period after you’ve changed the website.
In addition, the costs for redesigning your website can be high and you will need to move the payment plan. Therefore, be sure that you’re ready for the move to Squarespace 7.1.
