Technology

Squarespace Refresh 2024: Introducing a New Era for Entrepreneurs

Published

5 hours ago

September 24, 2024

NEW YORK, Sept. 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Squarespace (NYSE: SQSP), the design-driven platform helping entrepreneurs build brands and businesses online, today announced Refresh 2024, its annual release of new products, features, and updates that empower entrepreneurs to unlock their creativity and take their business to the next level.

As AI becomes more prevalent, Squarespace is dedicated to helping entrepreneurs harness this technology to enhance their creativity and simplify their business operations so they can focus on their passions. Squarespace is excited to introduce Design Intelligence: a new approach to web design that combines cutting-edge technology, including AI, with two decades of industry-leading design expertise. Built on Squarespace’s belief that AI should unlock human creativity, not replace it, the Design Intelligence suite of features aims to support and amplify a user’s creativity in building their personalized and unique online presence, tailored to their specific needs.

As part of Design Intelligence, Squarespace has launched the next evolution of Blueprint AI, the company’s first AI-powered website builder. Serving as a creative partner, Blueprint AI helps users create elevated, fully-bespoke websites through curated design and content recommendations that reflect their individual brand identity. Blueprint AI supports users at every step of the website building process, from the initial onboarding experience to the design and functionality stages. By incorporating core elements that make each brand unique—such as business type and preferred color palette—Blueprint AI helps create a beautiful, custom starting point for any entrepreneurial journey. Blueprint AI is now available globally in all languages.

“Squarespace champions the irreplaceable value of human creativity, and our latest platform innovations are designed to further empower entrepreneurs to easily bring their visions, brands, and businesses to life,” said Anthony Casalena, Founder and CEO of Squarespace. “It has been an incredible year of innovation at Squarespace as we combine the latest technologies with our deep rooted focus on design to deliver unmatched capabilities for customers globally.”

The latest tools and features highlighted in Refresh 2024 include:

Make your mark
The latest suite of design and content generation tools deliver a more personalized online presence, tailored to every user’s brand profile and need.

Design Intelligence:Blueprint AI: The next evolution of Squarespace’s guided website builder is enhanced with AI integrations that automatically create a standout website populated with curated and beautifully-designed imagery and copy, tailored to a customer’s goals and brand personality.Layout Switcher: An adaptive layout menu that enables faster website design experimentation—offering a set of flexible compositions with one’s content automatically embedded, then applied instantly to a page.Site Themes: One-click styling combinations that make it easier to preview and apply a new website aesthetic—via handpicked font pairings, color palettes, button styles, and more, with recommendations aligned to a customer’s brand personality.Brand Identity Management: A central hub for crafting and storing one’s unique brand identity that guides Squarespace’s AI writer to instantly generate first draft, on-brand copy populated across key surface areas, including website text, content descriptions, and client documents, among others.

Usability & Expressibility Tools: New updates to cookie banner functionality and compliance systems to enhance website privacy and protection on a global level. Plus, new pinning effects to create a more engaging website scrolling experience.

Your business, your way
Built to support every type of business with an intuitive setup, plus management, monetization, payment, and marketing tools that help entrepreneurs establish their business effectively.

Client invoicing: On-brand, professional documents like invoices, proposals, and contracts to help entrepreneurs easily secure and manage their clients. Plus, tools to schedule document sends help foster a positive customer experience. And now with low-fee Automated Clearing House (ACH) direct deposits, clients can quickly and easily pay from a US bank account.
Squarespace Payments: An expanded native payment solution with exclusive payment options that improve conversion, like Klarna, now available in more countries. Squarespace Payments is available to customers in the US, Canada and the UK, with extended European availability coming soon. Customers can also now manage their finances in the Squarespace app for iOS and Android, with upcoming payout and processing summaries, payment and payout dashboards, and detailed views of each transaction.
Content & Memberships: New ways to monetize content, like charging for access to blog posts or videos, allow customers to turn their expertise into income. Entrepreneurs can provide website visitors a preview of their content, and then charge a one-time fee or recurring subscription for access to full blog posts and video libraries.
Donations: Enhanced tools to make collecting donations more efficient, including a new dashboard, support for recurring donations, and a streamlined donation process to help customers reach their fundraising goals faster.
Marketing Tools: An intuitive new experience for building automated email flows that give users total control over outbound marketing. Users can structure campaigns based on audience actions and custom rules, or browse existing templates to save time on customer communication, including thank you notes to first time buyers or discounts to new subscribers.
Business Guidance: New updates that make managing and growing every kind of business easier than ever, with dynamic dashboards, specialized analytics, custom navigation, and step-by-step setup guides that help customers succeed with customized guidance for their specific needs.

A platform that scales with you
An extended network of best-in-class digital solutions help brands and businesses grow.

Domains by Squarespace: As one the world’s largest domains registrars, Squarespace continues to invest in new features to support its millions of domain customers globally. The latest innovation, Domains Dashboard, offers an improved experience for configuring domain DNS settings, email or domain forwarding rules, and more, all from one place. Plus, a new Reseller API allows qualified reseller partners to earn commission on every domain registration.
Acuity Scheduling: A modernized appointment details page that makes it easier than ever to manage key actions: users can quickly contact clients, reschedule bookings, or initiate the checkout process directly from the streamlined interface. Acuity Scheduling also now features automated invoices generated directly from appointment details. These invoices can be customized before sending, ensuring a smooth and professional payment process that saves time and reduces administrative tasks.
Bio Sites: New features help Bio Sites users capture all of their content and interests in a single, social-friendly link-in-bio. With the introduction of Product Links, Bio Sites offers a better way to turn followers into customers. Users can connect their Bio Site to their Squarespace store or manually import products from any digital storefront.

“Squarespace amplifies creative potential with an unmatched digital presence, tools to streamline business management, and support as users grow and scale,” said Paul Gubbay, Chief Product Officer. “As we enter this new era of entrepreneurship, we are excited to launch these tools that will transform how entrepreneurs build, manage, and scale their businesses.”

To learn more about the latest innovations Squarespace has introduced in 2024, visit Refresh 2024.

About Squarespace
Squarespace is a design-driven platform helping entrepreneurs build brands and businesses online. We empower millions in more than 200 countries and territories with all the tools they need to create an online presence, build an audience, monetize, and scale their business. Our suite of products range from websites, domains, ecommerce, and marketing tools, as well as tools for scheduling with Acuity, creating and managing social media presence with Bio Sites and Unfold, and hospitality business management via Tock. For more information, visit www.squarespace.com.

Media Contact
press@squarespace.com

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SOURCE Squarespace, Inc.

Technology

The Lacek Group Champions “Infinite Personalization” in New White Paper

Published

2 mins ago

September 24, 2024

New AI tools and deeper data curation offer marketers the potential for limitless customization.

MINNEAPOLIS, Sept. 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — According to a recent report, 70% of brands agree that AI adoption will bring personalization to new heights and build deeper, more meaningful connections with their audiences. But few brands have harnessed these new technology tools to achieve those outcomes, often due to a lack of understanding about what’s involved.

70% of brands agree that AI adoption will bring personalization to new heights.

What if marketers could create a highly personalized communications plan for every individual in a database? What if the personalization was reflected across more than just content, but also cadence, preferred channel, layout, offers, and more? Further, what if a marketing plan could adapt in real time to meet each customer’s evolving preferences and needs? That’s infinite personalization.

For decades, communications and marketing professionals labored through an intensive annual process to craft an organization’s marketing plan. As mass-marketing capabilities evolved to allow for content tailored to unique audiences, brands have been relying on customer persona-led segmentation paired with small-scale content personalization. AI technology will drive this capability at scale, deeper data curation and sophisticated content adaptivity are vital to a new era of infinite personalization.

This white paper spotlights in-market examples and shares a four-step, AI-informed process aimed at leveling up brands’ marketing efforts:

Use multiple data points to create customer insights to hone personalization efforts at scaleEnhance and enrich personalization with adaptive content that evolves to reflect customers’ preferencesIndividualize delivery cadence and frequency to drive the highest levels of engagementLeverage split testing to the nth degree using A/B testing at the individual level

Download a copy of the full “Infinite Personalization: AI Makes It Possible” white paper and learn more about The Lacek Group at lacek.com.

About The Lacek Group
For more than 30 years, The Lacek Group has been perfecting the art and algorithms of brand devotion. We help world-class brands identify their highest-potential customers, engage them across channels throughout their lifecycles, personalize each relationship for optimal long-term results, and measure the true effectiveness of those efforts. The Lacek Group is an Ogilvy One company.

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SOURCE The Lacek Group

Technology

The Starr Conspiracy Rebrands as TSC and Appoints Ashley Bernard as CEO

Published

2 mins ago

September 24, 2024

Name change, new leadership, and new services are designed to empower tech companies to break free from outdated marketing playbooks and drive real growth.

FORT WORTH, Texas, Sept. 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — The Starr Conspiracy is now TSC.

A full stack marketing agency known for its work with top tech companies today announced a significant rebrand. The agency will now be known as TSC, a name many of its clients have used for years. The change marks the evolution of a brand that has served the tech industry for 25 years.

This rebrand reflects TSC’s new direction, which includes a revitalized leadership team, expanded service offerings, and a new headquarters in Fort Worth’s cultural district. The rebrand is officially being unveiled at the 2024 HR Technology Conference & Exposition, offering attendees a first look at the agency’s new era.

With over a decade at the agency, Ashley Bernard will be the new Chief Executive Officer. She is widely respected for her leadership and deep affinity for customer experience. Bernard’s leadership is instrumental in driving TSC’s innovative approach and she will continue to lead the transformation.

“TSC is known for pushing boundaries and thinking differently,” Bernard said. “Our rebrand builds on what makes us unique and reflects who we are today — a full stack agency, redefining marketing for tech companies. Marketing has changed, tech has changed, and so have we.”

Bret Starr, TSC’s founder, and Bernard have shared the CEO seat for over a year. Working side-by-side on the rebrand, they invested heavily in AI and reimagined TSC’s services.

“There is literally no one in the world that I trust more to lead us into the future during such transformative times,” Starr said. “Ashley has a clear vision for our agency and a spotless track record of achievement and success. Our agency is stronger with her at the helm.”

In addition to Bernard’s appointment as CEO, two other leadership team members will be taking on expanded roles as part of the agency’s transformation. Racheal Bates, Vice President of Customer Experience, and JJ La Pata, Vice President of Digital Strategy and Insights, will play critical roles in driving the agency’s innovative approach to radical go-to-market strategies, experience design, brand strategy, defining moments, and sales experience alignment. TSC’s new services are designed to empower tech companies to break free from outdated marketing playbooks and drive real growth.

Bret Starr will remain fully engaged with the agency in his new role as Chief AI Officer, where he will focus exclusively on advancing B2B marketing theory, driving AI innovation, and enhancing client success.

“Our approach is centered around creating abundant experiences that resonate deeply with people,” Bernard said. “At TSC, we don’t believe in just optimizing old models. We blow them up and create something entirely new — taking into account holistic experiences and that build lasting connections.”

With a focus on redefining the marketing landscape, TSC’s leadership team is excited to bring their clients a fresh perspective.

For more information on TSC’s rebrand and services, visit TSC.chat.

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SOURCE The Starr Conspiracy

Technology

LearnLaunch Fund + Accelerator brings its Demo Day back to EDTECH WEEK in NY for a Demo Week experience

Published

2 mins ago

September 24, 2024

BOSTON, Sept. 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — LearnLaunch Fund + Accelerator is thrilled to announce the successful completion of its Breakthrough to Scale program by five exceptional edtech companies. They now will be in the spotlight during EDTECH WEEK in New York City – the largest gathering of edtech investors and innovators on the East Coast, from October 8th to 10th.

After completing an intensive 12-week accelerator program focused on iterative, milestone-driven growth strategy, these visionary founders are now ready to showcase their exceptional solutions on a grand stage. The five companies will be appearing in the Navigating Career Pathways, Designing the Future of Work, and Innovation in K-12 Shark Tanks:

Highfive (Indianapolis, Indiana) reimagines school discipline systems to foster safe and connected communities. The company equips schools with data-driven tools that empower educators to cultivate safe, connected, and supportive learning environments.

Prentus (Miami, Florida) is a career success platform that enables transition from learning to earning leveraging the power of AI and community. Built to serve outcome-oriented schools and jobseekers, Prentus provides tools to save coaches time and reduce time to employment.

Reflection Sciences (Minneapolis, Minnesota) supports cognitive skills in early childhood, ensuring all kids are ready to succeed in school and in life. The product combines an objective measure of childhood cognitive function with classroom curriculum and supplemental interventions for ages 3 to 9 that improve brain development and later academic outcomes.

Hardskills (Singapore) is an immersive, cinematic, AI-powered platform for businesses to train essential professional skills like thinking critically, empathy, influencing, resilience, collaboration, and a growth mindset. Using unique training insights, Hardskills drives workforce engagement and alignment across multinational corporations resulting in higher productivity and reduced costs.

Thriving Students Collective (Oakland, California) empowers educators and mental health professionals with professional development solutions to effectively support neurodiverse students. With its robust library of video classes, practical tools, and a professional community, the company helps educators tackle complex learning challenges and reduce burnout and turnover.

This group exemplifies new methods and measurements approaches in education and workforce upskilling. “The education industry is seeking new ways to gauge success, and we are excited to see these teams working on meaningful impact metrics. Unsurprisingly, ‘impact measurement’ is a key theme at NY EdTech Week. It’s important to discuss new assessments and nuanced human capabilities that will become increasingly important in the age of AI,” said Jean Hammond, LearnLaunch Partner. Hammond will contribute to the “Measuring What Matters: How to Evaluate EdTech Product Impact” panel discussion.

The LearnLaunch team is featured on many expert panels during the two-day event. Venture Partner Jamie Farrell will offer insights from edtech founders on surviving tumultuous times and Auditi Chakravarty will delve into the commercialization of edtech R&D. Also, LearnLaunch Partner, Tetyana Atashkina, will participate at “Decoding the VC-Founder Match: What Investors Really Look For.”

LearnLaunch Fund + Accelerator is dedicated to supporting impact-driven entrepreneurs in achieving product-market fit and developing scalable go-to-market strategies. Focusing on companies with revenue potential and scalable impact, their unique approach nurtures long-term funding, partnerships, and growth.

Contact:
Tetyana Astashkina
Email: Tetyana@learnlaunch.com

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SOURCE LearnLaunch Fund + Accelerator