The Contact Us page is usually one of the shortest pages on a website. But don't mistake the brevity for insignificance; for many companies and businesses it's one of the most frequently visited pages on their website, and you can be sure the visitors that navigate there represent some of your most qualified traffic.
The Contact Page serves a specific functional purpose, and few companies bother to add anything beyond an address, phone number, email address, and call to action. While this might be all most websites need, taking the time to carefully think through who visits the page, what information they will need and how best to present that content is well worth it. We're giving you a head start by reviewing these website Contact Us page best practices you can apply when developing your own.
Why Every Business Needs a Contact Us Page
Despite the clear functionality of a Contact Us page, some companies don’t add the page to the navigation bar. Instead, customers may find themselves using the CTRL+F function to locate it somewhere on the page. In the worst cases, a company might not include a Contact Us page at all. So, why is it that every business needs a Contact Us page that's easy to find and easy to get to from any page of the website?
It Gives Prospects A Place and Call to Action to Convert
The number one reason businesses need a Contact page is so that their prospects can convert. While your business may have a product or service pages from which customers can initiate the sales process, you always need a Contact Us page as well. Individuals think differently when viewing websites, so giving your buyers different pathways to successfully convert when they're ready is required. For service-based businesses, it's not uncommon to see their contact page labeled as “Request a Quote” or “Schedule a Consultation.”
It's a Place for Customers to Find Customer Service Support
Another hugely important reason for having a contact page is so customers can reach out with their concerns and feedback. Failing to clarify warranty information, for example, could send a customer off to the competitor’s website. When customers cannot resolve complaints via email or phone, they are likely to take to social media to air their complaints. Your customers are the reason for your business and your single best referral source for new business so the importance of keeping them happy can't be overstated.
It's Important for Talent and Recruitment
Those engaged in job-hunting often proactively seek out potential employment opportunities with firms that interest them. When they visit these companies' sites, they will frequent the Contact Us page to look for the best way to get in touch. So if you want to hire motivated, savvy employees who've already selected your business as a great place to work, it's a good idea to have a contact page. In addition, even if a job ads ask workers to submit their resumes or cover letters via email, the person could lose the link but remember the business. This could cause the business to miss out on talented, high-demand applicants.
Media Queries Rely on Contact Us Pages
When journalists look for businesses to feature or need to get in touch with a business, they have questions. Regardless of the story, you'll want your business to have the option of commenting and answering questions. Adding appropriate contact info for such inquiries on your Contact Us Page makes the journalist's job easier and helps ensure you are aware of when your business is featured in the press.
Check out other common pages in our Website Design Best Practices series!
Website Design Best Practices: How to Create the Best Homepage
Website Design Best Practices: How to Create the About Us Page
Website Design Best Practices: How to Create the Services Page
Website Design Best Practices: How to Create a Resources Page
Website Design Best Practices: How to Create a Pricing Page
Website Design Best Practices: How to Create an Effective Blog for Your Business
How to Structure Your Contact Us Page
Keep the Contact Us page simple. You don’t want to bombard customers with new information when they get to the point of making a purchase or requesting a quote. Here are a few things to consider including.
"Get in Touch" or "Request a Quote" Form
Companies today often remove the work of copying an email address, opening your email account, starting a new message and pasting the email by using forms embedded on the page. All the customer has to do is enter information directly onto the webpage form and click submit. The simplest form usually requires a name, email address, and a message box for them to include details. For "Requesting a Quote" Forms, it's more common for companies to ask for some or all of the information they'll need in order to build a quote for the client.
Chat Box
Some companies have agents at the ready 24/7 (or bots that can answer FAQs or perform some level of customer service!) These professionals and bots offer their assistance via chat while visitors browse the website. If you have a chat or chatbot service, it only makes sense to include it on the Contact Us page.
Booking a Meeting or Scheduling an Appointment
Some companies gives visitors the opportunity to book a meeting or schedule an appointment directly from the Contact page. The meetings can be virtual as in a scheduled Zoom call, but can also be used for in person visits such as dentist appointments. Providing this opportunity saves countless hours in administrative time with back and forth communications.
Reach a Specific Person or Department
Some companies allow customers to choose the specific person or department they want to reach with on the contact page. This is common in municipalities where people hold specific roles and their titles are self-explanatory. It is also not uncommon at banks where people pick their mortgage officers, and for any business who believes that providing that information on the Contact page will save themselves and visitors time.
What to Include on Your Contact Us Page
While deciding what to include on your contact page, try to prioritize just a handful of items to avoid having a crowded page.
Summarized Company Information
Modern-day customers often have multiple tabs open and are known for multi-tasking. If they leave the desk or phone for a while, make it easy for them to pick up where they left off. Include basic company information on the Contact Us page. For example, a construction company might say, “At X Family Construction, we have served the Y Community for 25 years and look forward to bringing your remodeling plans to life. Contact us for a quote today!”
Frequently Asked Questions
Have you noticed a set of questions that most customers ask when they contact your business? Create an FAQ section to answer them. If customers find the answers they need in the FAQs, they might not need to contact you to make their final decision or get a product to work. An example you may already be familiar with is forms predicting queries with words starting to appear as you type. The technology is recognizing frequently asked questions or concerns and providing the response or method of moving forward automatically so the visitor has what they are looking for immediately. For larger businesses, it may make more sense to have a dedicated help page in which case a link to frequently asked questions on your contact page is a better fit.
Physical Address (if Applicable)
This is probably intuitive for businesses with brick and mortar locations, but if you have a physical address be sure to include it. Customers need the physical address of a business for many reasons including product returns, determining if a business is local to them, or for directions. If you have multiple locations or different addresses that serve different purposes (as in the product returns example above), be sure to add all of them.
Provide Contact Method Options
It has become common for companies to create an omnichannel experience for customers. This provides multiple avenues for customers to communicate with the company and vice versa, according to their communication preferences. The contact page should reflect this. Here are some common options:
- Social media
- Chat
- Phone call
- SMS
Provide Response Time Expectations
When getting in touch with a human representative at a company, it's a best practice to give response time estimates – no matter the communication method. Good Contact Us pages let customers know how soon they can expect a response to their inquiries. Note that one customer-care company reports that 98% of customers expect to hear back from a company in 48 hours or less, while 80% expect a response in 24 hours.
Need Expert Help Designing the Best Contact Page?
We hope these contact page best practices will help you, provide insight, or confirm what you already have for your Contact Us page. If you need more assistance, get in touch. We're proud of our record creating websites that convert visitors into paying customers. The Contact Us page is one piece of a complex puzzle we fit together with your specific business goals in mind.
