There are so many elements that need to come together to make a website successful. You start with the initial design then add in online ads, social media, email marketing, content creation, and more. All of this focuses on one ultimate goal: gaining leads and converting them to customers.
Getting visitors to reach your contact us page should be a primary goal of your website.
However, many companies think their work is done when a customer reaches that page. In truth, it’s easy for a customer to drop out of the pipeline at this point. It all depends on that pivotal contact page. To keep the momentum moving, include each of these elements on your contact us page.
Essential Elements on a Contact Us Page
Underestimating your contact us page is like running a marathon and stopping before the finish line, hoping the wind will push you the rest of the way. Instead of leaving it up to chance, use these elements to make your contact page a success.
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Enticement
Some customers might come to your contact page with a goal in mind, but others don’t. You need to give them examples of why they should contact you.
This can be as simple as a sentence or two. For instance, “Contact us to schedule an appointment, find out about our pricing, or sign up for a free informational packet.”
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Digital Contact Information
Whether you’re a millennial, Gen X’er, or a baby boomer, the truth is that we’re in a digital age. You want customers to have a convenient way to contact you. If they’re already on your site, there’s a good chance they prefer digital communication.
Your digital contact option could be a contact form on your website. It could be an email address instead, or you could include both. Regardless, make sure you check these channels on a regular basis.
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Old-School Contact Information
While many of your customers prefer digital communication, plenty prefer other methods too. In fact, it often depends on why they want to contact you. 63% of consumers want digital contact for simple issues while 60% want phone contact for complex issues.
The key is making both digital and non-digital options available. List a phone number where customers can call you.
It’s a good idea to include your mailing address too. Not many customers will use it, but it will help your local search engine optimization.
Business Hours
Have you ever called a company and spent five minutes navigating their call menu only to find out that they were closed? Your customers have too, and they’re over it.
Transparency goes a long way. List your business hours on your contact page so customers know when they will and won’t get a response. When you’re out of the office for a holiday or event, it’s a good idea to include that information too.
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Email Sign-Up
We’ll spare you the lecture about how important email marketing is. You might already know that it’s 40 times more effective at acquiring customers than Facebook and Twitter. Still, you need actual contacts for your emails to be effective.
On your contact us page, include a simple sign-up form for your email list.
It could be as simple as a box where a customer can enter their email address. In addition to that form, add your email sign-up to your contact form. Offer a clickable box that invites each person who contacts you to join your mailing list.
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Photos
How you see a business plays a powerful role in the way you interact with them. If customers see you as a faceless corporation, they won’t be as engaged as if they saw you as an organization of real people.
To create a more personal connection, include photos on your contact us page.
You can choose profile photos of your executives or owners. If you prefer, use a group photo of all your employees. Whatever you choose, this gives customers an idea of who they’ll be contacting. It sets the tone for a more positive and engaging experience, which tends to drive more conversions.
Social Media Links
You don’t want customers to reach out to you once and forget about you. You want them to get to know you. You want to become a part of their ongoing lives.
One way to do that is to get in touch with them through multiple channels. If a customer is getting emails from you and following you on social media, the chances of continued purchases are higher.
For that reason, link to your social media pages on your contact us page. You want to make it as easy as possible for them to keep you in their minds.
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A Response
When a customer contacts you, it shouldn’t be a one-way street in the short term or the long term. They want to know that you’ve heard them.
If your contact us page includes a form, redirect customers to a “thank you” page after they submit the form.
Thank them for reaching out and tell them when they can expect a response. You can do something similar if you don’t have a contact form. Include the same “thank you” message and response timeframe below your contact information.
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Simplicity
Large companies tend to have many departments, each with their own contact people. They sometimes solve this by sending customers through several steps on their contact form, narrowing down their topic each time.
The problem is that every click is an opportunity for your customer to get frustrated or run out of time and leave. Instead, keep it simple. It’s better for their contact form to land with the wrong person and get transferred internally than for them not to contact you at all.
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Mastering the Contact Us Page
As you’re building your website, the contact us page could seem like a minor piece of the puzzle. After all, it doesn’t need the detailed and well-written content of your other pages.
In truth, that contact us page is a critical point when a customer decides whether or not to reach out to you. The checklist above can ensure that your contact us page is helping your chances for success, not hurting them.
To get more hands-on help with your contact us page or the rest of your site, reach out to our web design professionals.
