An Ecommerce success story on squarespace
HOW A BOUTIQUE CHOCOLATE BRAND BUILT A BOLD,
CONVERSION-READY STORE
—without Shopify.
When most people think of ecommerce, Shopify tends to dominate the conversation — and with good reason. It’s a solid platform, especially for large-scale operations with complex backend needs.
But for many small to mid-sized brands, Squarespace is more than capable. In fact, for design-led businesses with a clear product offering and a focus on storytelling, it might actually be the better choice.
Take Ocelot, for example — a boutique chocolate brand from Scotland, run by a husband-and-wife team. Their brand is all about aesthetics, ethics, and ease. And their website, built entirely on Squarespace, reflects that effortlessly.
1. A seamless brand experience
From the moment you land on Ocelot’s homepage, it’s clear the site is designed with intention. Typography, layout, and bold visual sections all echo the same attention to detail found in their packaging. It’s clean, modern, and minimal — and that’s where Squarespace shines.
Unlike Shopify, where visual consistency often requires paid themes or a developer fluent in Liquid (Shopify’s proprietary code language), Squarespace gives you powerful design tools out of the box. With a little guidance, brands like Ocelot can maintain a high-end aesthetic without needing constant dev input.
2. Built-in ecommerce tools that actually cover what you need
Squarespace’s ecommerce offering is often underestimated. But here’s what Ocelot’s site demonstrates beautifully: you can run a full-scale, product-based business without plugins, third-party apps, or complex workarounds.
Some quick facts:
Squarespace allows up to 10,000 products
With 250 variants per product
Shopify only allows 100 variants, and you’ll need a third-party app (usually paid) to go beyond that.
Beyond product flexibility, Squarespace also includes:
Subscription product support
Discount codes and promotions
Abandoned cart recovery
International shipping options
Built-in inventory tracking
Ocelot uses most of these — from single-product pages and bundles to subscriptions, all handled natively within Squarespace.
Studio note: Just because a platform can do everything doesn’t mean you need it to. Choose based on what your business needs now—not what you might need in five years.
3. Designed for conversion — not just looks
Beautiful design is only half the equation — ecommerce websites need to convert.
Ocelot’s site is intuitive and uncluttered. The shopping flow is short, logical, and mobile-friendly. There are no distractions, no messy navigation, and no pop-ups shouting for attention. Just strong product presentation, clear calls to action, and a smooth path to purchase.
Squarespace helps brands keep things simple — which often means fewer barriers to buying. Shopify’s plugin-heavy structure can lead to bloated, clunky experiences unless carefully curated. For leaner teams, Squarespace keeps the back-end clean and the front-end focused.
4. One platform. Fewer moving parts.
Squarespace is an all-in-one platform:
Website
Store
Blog
Email marketing
Analytics
Domain hosting
That means you’re not juggling multiple logins, subscriptions, or third-party integrations. You (or your team) can manage everything in one place.
Ocelot’s team can update products, add content, fulfil orders, and keep things running smoothly without technical overhead.
Studio note: Squarespace isn’t “just for portfolios” — it’s powering product-based businesses around the world. If design, simplicity, and clarity matter to your brand, it’s more than worth a look.
Final thoughts
Ocelot proves you don’t need a heavyweight ecommerce stack to run a successful online store. With strong product photography, a clear brand, and thoughtful design, Squarespace does more than hold its own — it leads.
If you’re a small-to-mid-sized brand with a product to sell and a story to tell, Squarespace could be your perfect ecommerce partner.
Thinking of launching or refining your online store?
I specialise in building clean, conversion-focused Squarespace sites that help products shine. Whether you’re starting from scratch or looking to optimise your setup, I can help.
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