Your First DIY Website: A 10-Step Squarespace Guide for Hawaii

Building a website in Hawaii requires a specific configuration to handle local tax laws, shipping logistics, and the heavy mobile usage of tourists. This guide walks you through the technical setup on the current Squarespace interface (Fluid Engine), ensuring you do not just launch a site, but a functional business tool.

Step 1: Strategic Template Selection

Most users select templates based on desktop aesthetics, which is a mistake in a market where 63% of traffic is mobile.

1. Go to Squarespace.com and click Get Started.
2. When prompted for your industry, select Local Business or Travel to filter for relevant structures.
3. Ignore the stock photography. Instead, look at the navigation bar and footer. You want a template with a simple “hamburger” menu (three lines) on mobile view to prevent “fat finger” navigation errors for tourists on the go.
4. Skip the AI generator if you want full control; selecting a pre-built template often provides cleaner code structure.

Step 2: Configure the Core Pages

Your site structure must immediately signal relevance to both locals and visitors. In the current interface, page management has moved under the Website tab.

1. From your Dashboard, click Website (formerly “Pages”) on the left sidebar.
2. Click the + icon next to Main Navigation to add your primary pages.
3. Essential Pages for Hawaii:
   • About Us: Essential for local trust (“trust” is a major conversion factor for kamaʻāina).
   • Services/Shop: Your revenue generator.
   • FAQ: specifically to address shipping times to the mainland.
4. Hawaii Pro Tip: Create a separate landing page titled Kamaʻāina for local deals. You can hide this from the main menu by dragging it to the Not Linked section, then sharing the direct link on your local social media or email list.

Step 3: Mastering Fluid Engine for Mobile

Squarespace now uses “Fluid Engine,” which allows you to edit mobile layouts completely independently of desktop layouts. This is critical for Hawaii businesses targeting tourists.

1. Navigate to any page and click Edit in the top left corner.
2. Add your content blocks (images, text) to the grid.
3. CRITICAL STEP: Click the Mobile View icon (phone icon) in the top right corner.
4. In Fluid Engine, moving elements on mobile does not mess up your desktop view. You must manually rearrange your blocks here. Ensure your “Book Now” or “Buy” buttons are near the top of the mobile screen so tourists do not have to scroll to pay you.
5. Click Save.

Step 4: The General Excise Tax (GET) Setup

Standard settings will default to US Sales Tax, which is incorrect for Hawaii. You must configure this to handle the 4% to 4.5% GET properly.

1. From the Home Dashboard, click Selling (or Commerce depending on your plan).
2. Click Finance, then Taxes.
3. Choose Manual Setup (unless you want to pay extra transaction fees for the automated system).
4. Click Add Rate and select United States, then Select State and choose Hawaii.
5. To handle the Honolulu County Surcharge (totaling 4.5%), you must add a Zip Code Rate. Click Add Zip Code Rate, enter the Oahu zip code range (96701–96898), and set the rate to 4.5%. Set the rest of the state to 4.0% (or current neighbor island rates).
6. Toggle Include in Price if you want to show flat pricing to customers, a common practice for local plate lunches or cash-based services.

Step 5: Solving the Shipping Puzzle

You must separate island shipping from mainland shipping to avoid losing money on logistics.

1. Go to Selling, then click Shipping.
2. Click Add Shipping Option.
3. Create Zone 1 (Local):
   • Click Flat Rate.
   • Name it “Hawaii Local Shipping”.
   • Click Shipping Zones and select United States.
   • Click Edit specific states and deselect everything except Hawaii.
   • Set a lower price or $0.00 for this zone.
4. Create Zone 2 (Mainland):
   • Create a new Flat Rate option called “Mainland Shipping”.
   • Under Shipping Zones, select United States, but this time deselect Hawaii.
   • Set this price higher to cover the Zone 9 shipping costs or Flat Rate box fees.

Step 6: Visual Localization

Before launching, you must remove the “Mainland look” from your template.

1. Click the Paintbrush Icon (Site Styles) in the top right corner.
2. Click Colors. Hawaii sun is bright; high-contrast text (black on white) is easier to read outdoors than subtle greys.
3. Click Edit on your homepage header. Replace any stock photos of pine trees or brick buildings with your own photos of Hawaii. Inauthentic imagery is the fastest way to lose local credibility.

Step 7: Launch

1. Go to Settings (gear icon at the bottom of the main menu).
2. Click Site Availability.
3. Change from Private to Public.
4. Upgrade your plan. For most service businesses, the “Business” plan is required to remove the transaction fees on bookings, though the “Basic Commerce” plan is needed for 0% transaction fees on physical products.