Editor's note: This is a guest piece from Elise Barnes, the designer behind Websites By Elise. Elise builds Squarespace templates for specific industries rather than general-purpose designs, and all ten of her templates are stocked here on SquareLocator. Template links in this article go to those listings, and SquareLocator earns a commission on sales at no extra cost to you.
When I first started designing Squarespace websites, I did what a lot of designers do: I created beautiful websites that could work for almost anyone. The problem? "Could work for almost anyone" usually means it isn't properly built for anyone.
Over time, I started noticing a pattern. The websites that performed best weren't necessarily the prettiest ones. They were the ones that felt like they were made specifically for the person visiting them.
A law firm website should feel different from a church website. A fitness coach should not sound like an estate planning attorney, and a construction company should not have the same layout and messaging as a therapist or medical practice.
That realisation completely changed how I approach template design.
I Start With the Industry, Not the Design
Most people assume website design starts with colours, fonts, and images. For me, it starts with understanding the business.
What questions are potential clients asking? What are they worried about? What information are they looking for before they reach out? What would make them trust this business?
Once I understand those things, the design becomes much easier. The layout of a law firm website naturally looks different because visitors need different information. The layout of a church website naturally looks different because visitors have different goals.
The structure comes first. The design supports the structure.
SEO Starts Long Before Keywords
A lot of people think SEO is something you add after the website is built. In reality, the best SEO decisions happen before a single page is designed.
When I'm creating a template for a specific industry, I'm already thinking about what pages that business will need to rank well in Google.
An estate planning attorney will likely need dedicated pages for wills, trusts, probate, elder law, and asset protection. A contractor may need pages for kitchen remodelling, bathroom remodelling, roofing, and decks. A fitness professional may need separate pages for personal training, nutrition coaching, group fitness, and online coaching.
When those pages are planned from the beginning, SEO becomes much easier later on. The website grows naturally instead of trying to force SEO into a structure that wasn't built for it.
Templates Should Make Business Owners Faster
One of my biggest goals when creating a template is making life easier for the business owner. Most people purchasing a template are not designers. They don't want to spend weeks trying to figure out where things should go. They want guidance.
That's why I build templates with intentional page structures, content sections, calls to action, and layouts that already make sense for that industry. Instead of staring at a blank page, they can simply replace my content with their own. That saves an enormous amount of time.
Positioning Matters More Than Most People Realise
One thing I've learned after building hundreds of Squarespace websites is that design alone rarely sells a service. Positioning does.
Two businesses can offer almost identical services and have completely different results based on how they present themselves online. That's why I spend so much time thinking about how a website feels. Does it feel trustworthy? Professional? Established? Does it communicate expertise?
The right positioning helps visitors quickly understand who you are and why they should choose you. The design simply reinforces that message.
Why I Still Love Squarespace
People often ask why I continue building almost exclusively on Squarespace. The answer is pretty simple: I want my clients to actually be able to manage their websites after launch.
Squarespace allows business owners to update text, swap images, publish blog posts, and make everyday edits without needing a developer. That independence is valuable. A website should help your business grow, not become something you're afraid to touch.
Final Thoughts
At the end of the day, I don't believe a website needs to be complicated. It needs to be clear. It needs to help visitors find what they're looking for. It needs to build trust. And it needs to make it easy for someone to take the next step.
That's really the philosophy behind every template I create. The goal isn't just to build something beautiful. The goal is to build something that actually works.
Elise Barnes, Websites By Elise
Browse All Ten Websites By Elise Templates
Every template in Elise's range is available on SquareLocator, each built for Squarespace 7.1 and delivered straight to your Squarespace account:
- Legal Edge: law firms and attorneys
- Safe Haven: churches and faith communities
- Core Movement: fitness and wellness coaches
- Modern Wave: therapists, counsellors, and medical practices
- Stone & Timber: construction and trades
- Coastline Realty: real estate professionals
- Precious Moments: photographers
- Taste of Décor: interior designers
- Midnight Burst: marketing agencies
- Beyond Words: copywriters and creative services
You can also browse the rest of our curated range in the Squarespace templates hub.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an industry-specific Squarespace template?
It is a template designed around one type of business from the start, with the page structure, content sections, and calls to action that industry actually needs, rather than a general-purpose design you adapt yourself.
Do industry-specific templates really convert better than generic ones?
In Elise's experience across hundreds of builds, yes. Visitors trust a site faster when it answers the questions people in that industry actually ask, and the structure guides them to enquire rather than leaving them to hunt for information.
Which industries do Websites By Elise templates cover?
The range covers law firms, churches and faith communities, fitness and wellness, construction and trades, therapy and medical practices, photographers, interior designers, real estate, marketing agencies, and copywriters.
Can I customise one of these templates without hiring a designer?
Yes. They are built on Squarespace 7.1, so you edit them in the standard Squarespace editor. Each template also includes a ten-module launch course walking you through customisation step by step.
How much do Websites By Elise templates cost?
Each template is $297, which includes the full multi-page structure, the launch course, and the industry-specific layouts described in this article.
Do these templates work with the current version of Squarespace?
Yes, all ten templates are built for Squarespace 7.1 with Fluid Engine, the current version, so they work with the latest editor and features.
Disclosure: SquareLocator earns a commission on template sales made through links in this article, at no extra cost to you. This does not affect which products we feature or what our contributors write.
