We’ve covered the basics of creating a great photography website from scratch, but what if you want a simple solution to get online quick?

Squarespace presents an affordable solution to create a great portfolio site without hiring a web developer or going it alone.

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So, what is so special about Squarespace? It features a intuitive backend that allows for easy and painless editing with unlimited possibilities.

The Pros

Simple and Easy – The system is designed so anyone can build and create a website, no matter their experience level. Don’t hand code it, create it.

It has an iPhone app – Yep, even Squarespace has an iPhone app. The app allows quick posting to your site, editing posts on your blog and monitoring traffic.

Easily Import – Already have a blog at Wordpress or Blogspot? Squarespace can easily import your previous posts into your new site for a fast changeover.

Social Bliss – Squarespace promises a robust social integration app soon for easy monitoring and posting to Twitter, Facebook, Delicious, Digg, etc.

A Unique Design – The system has over 60+ templates for use. Along with the templates, you can hand edit the CSS code, change settings with intuitive sliders and make the site your own so it doesn’t look like it came from a cookie cutter.

Hosting – Your site is hosted on the Squarespace server in “the cloud” so they manage and take care of any issues.

The Cons

Price – With every great service comes the price… Squarespace plans start at $8/month and go up all the way to $50/month. They do offer a 10% discount on one year plans. Higher price plans have more features, more space and more bandwidth. Also, you must purchase at least the $14/month plan to have a custom domain name.

Hosting – While having a site hosted and managed by someone else can be good you also lose some control. I’m not suggesting you host the site yourself, but when you purchase a hosting plan at a company yourself (such as Hostgator or GoDaddy) you have more control. You can manage domains, subdomains, files, etc. If you use any type of client proofing software you need to keep hosting in mind.

It’s Not for Everyone – While a lot of big names now use Squarespace, it’s not for everyone. If your interested, give the Squarespace free trial a try.

You Can’t Fine Tune – The one great thing about creating a website yourself or using a professional is you have a lot of control over things such as SEO, linking, gallery flow, etc. So, a content management system may not be right for you.

The Conclusion

Squarespace presents a simple way to get online but does have some downsides. Try the free trial and see if it’s right for your website.

Many college students now use it to avoid the high fees of hiring a professional. While the price may initially turn you off, the cheaper plans are almost as inexpensive as regular webhosting.

Many solutions exist to easily and quickly create a website, including many Flash based apps, but Squarespace presents a difference to most. It uses slick html coding, a easy editor and great design to make sure your site stands out.