There are many, many fantastic aspects to Squarespace that have made my use of it streamlined and effective. My only real complaints relate to the lack of freedom in terms of adjusting font and image choices; but other than that, the platform is an excellent way for users to manage a website. It’s strengths lay in its availability of automation.
My favorite automation thus far has been the newsletter function that is made possible through MailChimp. As users register for my newsletter, their information automatically syncs with a google excel spreadsheet, and also syncs to a MailChimp spreadsheet. This gives me immediate contact information that is neatly organized, and it also automates all of my posts from then on. Newsletters are automatically designed by MailChimp by compiling all of my posts each week and then emailed to my registered users every Sunday. In this way, my families do not need to constantly check my website, because my website automatically comes to them.
In terms of safety, I maintain the policy to post information that is only accessible to the general public so that my website can be accessible to everyone and will not require a password to enter. I also instituted a contact feature that allows users to contact me through the website or call me; but in order to contact me, they again have to input their contact information (which is required), which auto-populates into a separate contact log that I’ve also made accessible to the CMC that timestamps the information and records their message. I can then follow-up with them once I’ve confirmed their identity against a contact list generated by the command.
So far, the immediate feedback that I have received on the website has all been positive; and has been encouraging. Many families have said that the website makes them feel more involved and connected to the command and the ombudsman and that they’ve felt less alone throughout the process. Going forward, I hope to use my website as a prototype that can be expanded into the curricula of other ombudsman. Our positions are multifaceted, and by automating some of the most basic portions of our position allows us to be more available for the more serious components of our jobs.