5 steps to creating a contact page that inspires connection
As a web designer I do a lot of website audits. And because I love website design, I look at a lot of websites just for fun. And one of the most common things I see when looking at websites is a boring and uninspired contact page. Even on the most beautiful of websites, the contact page is often just blah. So today I thought I would share my secrets for step by step contact page design.
Contact pages are for making connections
A really good contact page, one that inspires action, feels warm and inviting, and it is strategically designed to balance the right functionality for you and your dream clients.
Unfortunately, what I most often see is something like this…
Contact Us
If you have any questions, please fill out the form below.
Be honest… if you landed on this contact page would you feel inspired to connect or even welcomed? Would you feel confident your message would even be received? Probably not.
That is how your potential clients feel when they see something similar on your website. Even if every other page hits the mark, this lackluster contact page designed as an afterthought is going to diminish all the hard work the rest of your website has done.
The Strategy Behind Contact Page Design
I have no doubt that you have spent a lot of time thinking about how to create connections with your potential clients. There are the hours you spend coming up with clever, attention grabbing social media posts. And let’s not forget all that time spent writing emails, hoping they inspire the reader to finally book that discovery call.
Your contact page deserves the same attention, and bonus… you only have to do it once!
Okay, maybe you’ll want to freshen it up every once in a while, but a really great contact page is going to serve you for years to come. Those social posts and emails are fleeting, and will be forgotten quicker than it took to write and share them. Your contact page is always there, ready to make connections!
Every great contact page makes your visitors feel like they are in the right place. And it answers key questions, before they are even asked.
Questions like…
- What is the best way to contact you?
- Where are you located?
- How quickly do you respond?
- What’s the first step in working with you?
- When are you available (aka hours of operation)?
- Where else can they connect with you? (social media, email list, etc.)
A Great Contact Page Makes a Connection
One of my biggest pet peeves on contact pages is the passive invitation to connect. If I had a dollar for everytime I came across a website that said something like…
“If you have any questions fill out the form below”
I could retire to the beach!
That statement doesn’t answer any of the key questions, and it really doesn’t inspire confidence. Which means, more often than not, your dream clients are leaving your website without ever reaching out.
Imagine you're at a networking event, or even just a friends party and you meet someone new that you feel an instant connection with? Conversation flows easily and you have so much in common, you can’t wait to connect again. Would you invite them to connect at a later date by saying,
“If you want to get coffee some time you could call me.”
Of course not! And if you did, things would probably start feeling a little weird and awkward. So don’t treat your website visitors like that either. Instead take a look at these steps to make sure your website is making the connections that matter most.
Step 1: Assure them they are in the right place…
This is your chance to share once again what you can do for them, and how they can easily get started. The key here is to greet them with confidence, and make the first step extremely clear.
Here are a few ideas to help get your own creative ideas flowing…
- Tell me about that big idea you’ve been losing sleep over And if forms aren’t your thing, feel free to email me at…
- Are you ready to turn your “someday” into a start date? Tell me more about your project on the form below or DM me at…
- Let’s design a space that finally feels as good as it looks. Where should we start? (followed by a short and informative contact form)
- Your home should be your favorite place to be. Let’s make that happen! (embed your discovery call calendar)
- All of my projects begin with a discovery call. Let’s get that scheduled (embed your discovery call calendar)
These are so much more action inspiring than a vague, “You can reach out if you want to” statement.
Remember, you want to make your website visitors feel confident in their decision to reach out, comfortable connecting, and you want them to feel like the valued person they are.
Step 2: Make Communication Easy for Them and For You!
There is no “one way” to communicate with clients and potential clients that businesses have to follow. We all work a little bit differently. Some business owners like my friend Emily are email ninjas, replying to an email within minutes, others (like me) avoid our inbox and only check things once or twice a day, and only on work days.
The secret here is to structure your contact page around what works best for you, so that you can respond as the best version of yourself.
Share the BEST contact method first…
If you want to make connection easy for everyone involved, I recommend sharing only methods that work well for you, and always start off with your BEST contact method.
For me, booking a coffee chat with me is best, for one of my clients it is calling her directly, and for another it is messaging her through Instagram. Whatever works for you is what you should share first.
Offer more than one method…
Not everyone will fill out a contact form, and some who reach out just have a question and aren’t ready for a discovery call. That’s okay!
Everyone moves at their own pace. When you make it easy to connect without a heavy commitment, you’re showing that you respect their timing, and that you're ready whenever they are.
Step 3: Set Clear Expectations
If I were to say, “please email me and I’ll respond within 24 hours.” I would be lying. I only have so much time to sort through emails some days so a response may take two days, and I don’t check my email at all Friday through Sunday.
When someone is interested in working with you they want to know when you’re available and how soon you will respond to their inquiries. So tell them what to expect…
Share your response time…
Think about how quickly you respond to inquiries. If you are an email ninja, who always responds quickly then “I’ll respond within 24 hours” will work for you, but if you aren’t, be clear what will work.
Also rather than saying “hours” why not say “business days.” Stating…
“I will respond within 2 business days”
is much more clear than saying…
“I will respond in 48 hours.”
Let people know when you’re available and when you aren’t…
The easiest way to do this is to share your business hours or hours of operation. When your website visitors know you aren’t open on the weekends, they won’t expect a response from you on the weekends.
Step 4: Offer a CLEAR Call to Action
Your contact page is most likely the most interactive page on your website, whether you have a contact form, or a booking link, this is the place where your website visitors can take action to start working with you.
It is up to you to make sure they take the best action to get started working with you. Here are a few ways to make that action step easy…
Make Contact Links Clickable
Most website builders make it easy to turn your email address and phone number into a clickable hyperlink. But just in case your website doesn't, here is the html code you can use to make this happen…
- Phone Number Hyperlink: <a href="tel:1234567890">123-456-7890</a>
- Email Hyperlink: <a href="mailto:hello@yourwebsite.com">hello@yourwebsite.com</a>
This is especially helpful on mobile devices, as calling or emailing you is as easy as one click!
Include a Booking Link/Embedded Scheduler
One of the best ways to share availability is to share your calendar and scheduling opportunities on your contact page. This gives potential customers the opportunity to schedule time directly on your calendar, eliminating the back and forth of emailing each other.
If you can, I recommend embedding your calendar directly into the website, rather than taking them off of your website to schedule. If you can’t embed it, then make sure the link opens in a new tab, so they are still connected to your website.
A word of caution here… if you plan to use scheduling software such as HoneyBook or Calendly, make sure that your calendar is kept up to date. If you don’t have set times for discovery calls or don’t keep your calendar up to date, this is going to create more frustration than ease for you and potential clients.
Building Your Contact Form
If booking software isn’t the right fit for you, you can still make reaching out simple by designing a strategic contact form, and the secret to building a great contact form is by asking the right questions.
Don’t ask too many questions
Gathering all the project details on a basic inquiry form is going to stop a lot of people from reaching out. Yes that information is important, but only if they hire you. So keep your form simple, and stick to three to five questions, seven questions max, but only if those questions are really necessary.
Only ask what you need to know to get started
When you start asking personal questions such as address and budget can feel intrusive and really isn’t necessary to start the conversation. All of those details will come out when it is time, so skip them for your basic contact form.
You also also want to avoid being redundant, like asking them to re-enter their email address, or separating their name into too many fields. That’s just annoying.
Finally I recommend keeping the required fields to a minimum. Name and email address are the only fields I typically require, because sometimes that is all that is really necessary.
There are times when you need to gather more detailed information, but the initial contact isn’t often that time. Plus, no one wants to feel like they have homework before they even get started, and the more questions you ask the less likely someone is to fill out your form.
Step 5: Test Functionality
Now that you have strategically structured your contact page, the last step (that most people skip) is testing to make sure everything is working as planned.
- Test out your email and phone number hyperlinks.
- Fill out and submit your contact form.
- Book an appointment with yourself.
And make sure everything is working as smoothly as you imagined. If someone has to struggle to connect with you, they won’t struggle for long, and most will leave without making a connection at all.
Your contact page isn't just a place for people to leave their names and email addresses
It’s a place where connections happen, and work flows in. When you add a personal touch and strategic functionality, you are doing more than capturing leads.
You’re showing your future clients that they are important to you, that you value their time, and that you want their experience in working with you to be just as seamless as your contact page.
Want a second set of eyes on your contact page?
Sometimes all you need is someone else to take a quick look, and let you know if things are working as they should. Shoot me an email at theperfectblend@caffeinecreative.io, and let me take a look at things for you.
