This post is covering tips, tricks, and strategies to create your most effective and strategic contact page ever. We are getting into the details so you can have an amazing contact page that converts. If that sounds boring, hear me out that this *might* actually be one of the most important pages on your website. For service-based businesses, this page is what stands between someone learning about your services and starting the booking process — that definitely matters.
Creating a more strategic contact page doesn’t require redesigning your website or any crazy design skills. Little changes will go a long way!
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Are you service-based or product-based? This affects the purpose of your contact page.
I first want you to identify and get into the mindset of what time of business you have — are you mostly service based or product based? Your contact page will need to look slightly different depending on which one you primarily are because the path to purchasing will be different.
For a service-based business, your contact form is typically the “next step” in the process when someone is serious about working with you or has questions. They aren’t going to be buying directly from your website, they have to contact you and get a custom quote then book via paying an invoice. But, the contact form is the first step towards that.
If you’re product-based, a contact form is actually what either stands between the person buying (because they have a question first) or it’s the form people use infrequently to contact you about other things like podcast interviews. This is a totally different function. So, know which one you are as you read this post. You also might be a mix of the 2 like I am! Now, let’s dive into the tips!
1. Your contact page should have a contact form and email address listed.
These are the most important things on the page. You always should have a form AND your email address listed. Give them both options for how to contact you. Nothing is more frustrating than a website with no email address, and this problem is more common than you might think. This is especially important if you’ve made your contact form really specific to what you do.
For example, if you’re a life coach and your contact form is assuming the user is filling it out to book you as a coach, and I’m wanting to contact you for a podcast interview, I need your email to bypass all the irrelevant questions on your form. So, please put both!
2. Must-Have Contact Form Questions (and what to definitely leave off)
Ask the least amount of questions you need in order to get the user started in your process. I think a good rule of thumb is that the more questions you’re asking, the least likely they are to fill out the form. Keep that in mind with every extra question you’re choosing to add! No one wants to answer a thousand questions just to know your pricing or availability. And, many people filling out your form are doing so on a mobile phone, which is not a great place to be answering 15+ questions. I think around 5-8 questions is ideal.
Must-Have Questions:
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- First and last name
- Email address
- What this is regarding (or what service they are contacting you about)
- Message box
- How they found you
That’s really all you generally need. You can save the other questions for the next form after they’ve initially reached out. I really love the “how they found you” question. This is so insightful to see what’s working in your marketing. I have mine to where people type their answers directly, and I ask them to be specific. And the answer to this is really telling! Sometimes people will tell me they’ve been following for a long time on Instagram and finally need a website, or they are being referred from a past client, or they found me on Google search. It’s helpful to know this, so don’t skip that question.
Here are some things I’d recommend not asking for on the main contact form:
- Phone number: Unless they are scheduling a call with you specifically, but don’t do this on the main form. People do not want to be called unexpectedly.
- Why they want to work with you: This isn’t about you. And at this point, they might not even know you yet. They are just getting started.
- What their budget is: Again, assume that they don’t know you yet. This is too soon, and in most cases, I don’t think this question is ever good to ask. Listen to the podcast version of this post for more details on that!
3. How to Set Up Your Contact Form
Most website builders will let you build a form within your site using just their tools — Showit and Squarespace both will let you do this. If you want to automate what happens after the contact form, I’d recommend using a CRM such as Dubsado. I use Dubsado for all of the forms on my website. So, if you want an example of what I’m talking about, just go to my contact page (or any pages with forms) to see.
I like Dubsado because depending on what someone says as their answer to my question of what they are reaching out about, they will get a different follow-up email automatically from me. This helps me stay top of mind in their search and often times my automated follow-up email will move them closer to what they were initially wondering about. What happens after the contact form is super important, so something like Dubsado is good to invest in for that. Also, if you get a lot of contact form fill outs, then Dubsado will help you keep them all organized and make sure you don’t miss anything important. In my Dubsado account, every contact form fill out goes into a folder of “new” and then I will reply to them and then sort their question where it needs to go. And then, as the conversation continues, I can keep track of everything we say in Dubsado!
If you want to check it out, click here and you can use code “elizabeth30” for 30% off and a free trial. But, if you’re brand new to your business (or your contact form isn’t used much because you’re product-based), a basic form within Showit or wherever you do your website will work. Regardless though, you need a contact page with a form on it.
If you have more questions you have to ask for something more detailed, you can do a form specifically on that sales page, but still, keep your contact form brief. For example, if you run a mastermind, put the application for it directly on the sales page (or link to it from the sales page). Let that ask everything you need to know, but then leave the main contact form brief.
The Must-Haves for Your Contact Page:
In addition to a form, these are the other things you need for your contact page.
- Email address: I already said it, but you need your email address. I cannot stress this enough. You will miss leads if you don’t put an emailing option too.
- Photo: A photo of you smiling at the camera or a photo of your work. A drab, photoless contact pages does not make you want to fill it out. This isn’t a page for a ton of photos, but a couple great ones are a must-have! Putting your image reminds them of the person behind the business name that they are specifically talking to, which is good to see while they are filling it out.
- Location: Not your physical address, just where you live generally. For me, it would say “Nashville, TN” or “Greater Nashville Area”. This might seem silly if you’re not a physical location business, but people want to know where you live. It’s also what someone might expect to find on a contact page. If you live somewhere really small or don’t want to share specifics then put your state or put “Greater Nashville area” or something like that.
- Links to your social media: This is especially important if you haven’t linked to your social media anywhere else on your website. Your contact page is a place people will expect to see that information. I typically like to do icons for the main ones the person uses and then you’ll just link that icon to the corresponding social media site.
Also, just to point out if you’re looking for a great website with an excellent contact page, my website templates all have all of these things on them already, right there for you. You just have to add your own content and publish!
Other things to add that are helpful:
- How they can join your email list, free Facebook group, whatever it is that is another way to connect with you
- Links to other things outside of your website (like your podcast or YouTube channel)
- Your office hours
- FAQ section with just a couple questions you’re commonly asked where you can link out to the page that answers the question or tell the answer right there
Product-Based Business Contact Form Tips:
If you’re product-based that means someone can buy directly from your website without contacting you for a quote first. Your contact form is either the hindrance to them buying from you or the way they contact you about something else. Often times for these businesses, you may not even want the contact page in your main navigation because it’s literally less important than the other pages. You could just link to it in your footer navigation if it’s not something people are using frequently.
I recommend putting a couple of common questions you get directly above the contact form. This will likely help you get less contact form fill outs. Because again, for you, if someone is contacting you with a question about your product, you should already have it answered elsewhere and you can try to point them there. If you’re constantly getting the same questions over and over again, I’d recommend reevaluating the way you’re sharing the content on your website regarding that question. Is the answer as easy to find as you think it is?
I want to close out with reminding you that what happens AFTER the contact form matters just as much as this page does. It needs to be a smooth, professional process on your website, but also afterward. This is why I love sending the automated emails after to create a buffer time between when they fill out the form and when I’ll respond.
Always be asking yourself when you’re working on your website, “How can I make this as easy as possible for the end-user?” and “How can I make the user taking that first step simpler?!” Having a well-designed contact page is one way to do just that! Ok, that is it you guys, now go fix up your contact page. These tweaks really will help you grow your business and get more leads.
If you’re new here, be sure to listen to this episode as a podcast! I go into much more detail and you can learn on the go. Just search for the Breakthrough Brand Podcast wherever you get your shows.
