There are going to be times when you might want to change the design of your Squarespace website. This could include making changes to your Squarespace website pages with different elements (like video) or it could mean changing your Squarespace templates. However, when you change your template, there can be some high time costs.
Not only do you have to spend time choosing and installing the new template, but there is the chance that you will lose your website’s content. For instance, custom CSS, header and footer information is all specific for each template.
Therefore, when you switch Squarespace templates, you’re going to lose all that information. That is why many Squarespace website owners often ask whether or not it is better to switch Squarespace templates or to start a new trial on Squarespace.
While this is a personal choice, certain things can help you make the decision easier. Here are some of the considerations.
Content
When you create a new trial, then you will need to re-enter all of the content that has been on the old site. This can be very consuming if you’ve got a lot of content. It can also lower your ranking on the main site if it isn’t deleted as you can suffer a Google penalty.
A lower rank for both or one site can restrict the traffic that will visit your website. This will reduce the revenues that can be generated from your website as well.
If you’re swapping your content to a new template, then the content will remain the same, however, it will be added to the new template and it can cause other problems.
Search Engine Optimization
If you’ve got a new trial and not transferred your domain, then your SEO will have to start from scratch. This can be a problem. It can often take between three and six months for Google to give you a good rank. This is a new business penalty.
You might also lose all the inbound links that you’ve established on your old website. Therefore, you might want to look at keeping your current domain and website and just switch the template. If you’ve got very little SEO power on your website, then this is might not be a problem.
Costs
Whatever option you have, the cost for the new template will be the same. All Squarespace templates are free, but customization of the template by a third party can be costly. However, with a new trial, you will be able to save on your website cost for a little while (14 days). This isn’t very much but it can be good if your website hasn’t been performing well.
The big problem you might have is that by not switching, you might not have a working new site before the trial runs out. Then you’re paying for your website when it isn’t active and it isn’t earning you any money. If you just switch your template, it can take less time to get your website up and running again.
Final Word: Should I Switch Squarespace Templates or Start a Separate Trial?
When it comes to switching templates on a Squarespace website there are two options: switching the template or starting a new trial. There isn’t a best practice, it is all a preference for what you want to do. You can use some of the aspects above to make that final decision on what is best for you and your brand.
