Squarespace has made a name for itself by letting people and small businesses easily build websites. Now, it’s adding a new option for website owners that limits who can visit parts of their site. The feature will let Squarespace users put content behind a paywall, so that only subscribers can access it—enabling businesses that have shifted online during the pandemic to find new ways to bring in revenue.
The company is introducing what it calls Member Areas—special sections of customer websites that are restricted to people who’ve signed up for a membership, which can mean paying a regular subscription charge, coming up with a onetime fee, or simply creating a login. The goal is to give Squarespace customers a new way to offer content to their own customers and fans, whether that’s fitness instructors providing paid online classes during the coronavirus pandemic, writers offering regular newsletters to people who provide their email addresses, or chefs sharing virtual cookbooks with onetime purchasers.