For many sites, the contact us section gets more views than any other page. But too often, web owners neglect their contact us pages in favor of a fancy homepage.
Ok, yes, an engaging homepage is vital. But if the homepage is the captain of the ship showing off its flashy features, the contact us page is the rower – the one whose work truly matters but who often gets disregarded.
What all this means is that an engaging, attractive contact us page can be a huge difference between a successful site and a quickly-forgotten page. By giving your audience as pleasant a customer service experience as possible on your WordPress contact page, both your customer acquisition and retention will improve.
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What is a Contact Us Page?
A contact us page is the middleman between a company and its customers. It’s a web page containing all the contact information of a company or individual, including phone number, email address, and any social media links.
These pages may also provide data fields for readers to fill out with their own personal details and message, so companies can contact them at a later date with a response to their proposal or query.
Sadly, the contact us page is often the first point of call for complaintive consumers, so larger companies tend to hide it in small writing at the very bottom of their homepage.
But shying away from the contact us page is never productive; it only serves to make your dissatisfied customers even angrier. Let’s not dwell on this, though, because the contact us page isn’t just for unhappy folk out there.
By putting your details out there, your audience can contact you in regard to business transactions. A contact us page, like that of a freelance blogger, may be used to drum up work and create new customers. A restaurant, for instance, may use the contact us page to take reservations and drive business.
There are many uses for the contact us page. To be effective in these endeavors, however, a contact us page should possess several key elements and traits. Find out what these are below.
Contact Us Page Essentials
An effective contact page should feature a number of core elements and characteristics. Without these, a contact us page cannot hope to flourish in the unforgiving world of the internet, and a site’s traffic will diminish.
We’ve listed the main features the contact us page should possess and illustrated these with exceptional examples that showcase these elements in action.
Simplicity
This is arguably the most important element a contact us page should contain. Simplicity is everything in the digital world because the minute something gets too complicated or unclear, or overwhelming, the interest in your site ends.
This contact us page from Code Quest simplifies the process immensely.
With inoffensive, on-brand colors and just four simple fields, the company makes it so simple for its customers to reach out to them. You simply enter the bare minimum personal information and whatever it is you require from them. Easy.
A good contact us page will combine simplicity and clarity to create an experience that’s outright easy for the user and one that will require the least physical and mental effort possible.
Convention
This ties in with simplicity in the sense that you want to make the reader’s life easier. Utilizing conventional practices on your contact us page can improve the user experience and ensure a higher chance of retaining the customer.
Take a look at this contact page from Tune, a prominent partner marketing platform.
This site uses a hierarchical selection that appears in alphabetical order, instantly giving readers the ability to find the option they’re searching for easily.
This is especially relevant for a long list. Imagine if you went to select the country you’re from, and each one was in random order. What a waste of time that would be, scrolling through all 195 countries of the world!
Style
Naturally, a contact us page has to look good. And for first-time visitors to your site, much like aliens to Earth, first contact is important. A consumer won’t stay on your site if your page looks dreary, haggard, or outdated.
In fact, according to Tony Haile, CEO of Chartbeat, you only have about 15 seconds to capture the reader’s attention. If they’re not enticed after that, they’ll head somewhere else.
The following contact page from Robby Leonardi, a software developer and coder who developed his own interactive online resume, showcases a perfect example of a fun, original contact page.
This page comes at the end of an animated journey the reader takes through Leonardi’s resume, which culminates in a contact form. The page is unique and well-suited to his brand identity as an animator.
So, if you’re looking to capture your prospective customer’s attention, make sure your contact page is engaging and interesting without deviating from your brand identity.
Detailed and appropriate information
If a person arrives at your contact us page only to find one suspicious-looking email address that isn’t recognized when they try to send a message, you are failing your customers.
Offer your customers multiple ways of contacting you, including an email address, a phone number, and any links to your social media. A live chat option would be great, too. For a great example of suitable contact details, check out Danny’s Cleaning Services.
They provide their email, physical address, contact form, two phone numbers, and four social media links. By doing so, companies can reassure their customers that by booking with them, they’ll be able to talk to a human easily if they ever need anything.
Privacy
Highly recommended to include a checkbox or consent statement on your contact form where users can agree to your Privacy Policies and/or Terms of Service. This helps to ensure that users are aware of and consent to how their personal information will be used. By incorporating this checkbox, you demonstrate your commitment to protecting user privacy and complying with relevant data protection laws. Since multiple privacy laws require consent for the collection of personal information, a checkbox to agree to a Privacy Policy is essential to avoiding fines or lawsuits. In addition, since consent must be given through an affirmative act, you should ensure that the boxes are not pre-checked and that the individual needs to check the box to submit their personal information. In addition, if you plan on using the personal information submitted through your contact form for marketing purposes, note that you may need to get additional consent from the user to send them marketing materials.
Another important aspect to consider is the use of third-party services, such as embedding Google Maps on your contact page. While Google Maps can enhance the user experience by providing location information, it’s crucial to be aware of the potential privacy law implications. Depending on your jurisdiction, embedding Google Maps may require specific Privacy Policy disclosures regarding the collection and processing of location data and may even require you to have a cookie consent banner.
To address these privacy concerns, it’s recommended to review and update your Privacy Policy accordingly. Clearly communicate how and why you collect location data, how it is used, and whether it is shared with third parties and include the disclosures required to be made in your Privacy Policy by the privacy laws that apply to you. Additionally, provide users with the option to disable or opt out of location tracking if possible.
Security
Implementing security measures is vital to protect user data and maintain the privacy of your contact form. Here are two key tips:
- Use secure, encrypted connections (HTTPS): Employing HTTPS ensures that data transmitted between your website and users’ browsers are encrypted. This prevents unauthorized access and safeguards sensitive information shared through your contact form.
- Update security plugins regularly: Security plugins add an extra layer of protection to your website. By regularly updating these plugins, you stay up to date with the latest security patches, effectively addressing vulnerabilities and minimizing the risk of data breaches.
These measures demonstrate your commitment to data security, reassuring users that their information is safe. Remember to stay informed about evolving security practices to enhance your website’s protection continually.
Best Tips for Creating a Contact Us Page
To really create a contact us page you can be proud of, you’ll want to take heed of these best practices. Producing a high-end, high-quality contact us page isn’t hard, so long as you pay attention to the fundamentals.
There are certain things you can do to enhance your user experience without having to break your back trying to come up with innovative ideas. Often, just doing the simple things right can go a long way. Take a look at our recommendations below.
Make it easy for people to reach you
Ever had trouble with bills or problems with your broadband? Ever tried reaching out to the company for help? I can almost guarantee that it took you a good age to find any sort of contact number for them and another lifetime to actually get through to a real-life human being.
If you make your contact us page easy to find and easy to use, you’re winning. You’ve no idea how much customers appreciate a company who doesn’t shy away from contact.
So, make it easy for people to get in contact with you. It’s so simple, yet it makes such a big positive difference to your company’s image.
Use automation and auto-completion
Automation is a great place to start; there’s nothing more attractive to a consumer than efficiency. Minimum effort is the name of the game here, as consumer habits get quicker and more instinctive by the minute.
As such, you might want to utilize auto-completion software in your forms, to make the form-filler’s life just that bit easier. Address autocompletion is one way of doing this because there’s nothing worse in the digital age than having to type out your full address.
By allowing the user to select their address from an autocompleted option, they’ll have a much smoother time on your contact us page.
Get your spelling and grammar right
Nothing says unprofessional and careless, like a misspelled word or a misused apostrophe. Spelling and punctuation can make or break your business, as many people are quick to judge when it comes to poor grammar.
In fact, a BBC study has revealed that spelling mistakes in online websites can cost companies millions in lost revenue. People simply don’t want to engage with companies that exhibit such unprofessionalism.
So, as a top tip for web designers, get your grammar right!
Wrapping Up
No matter what industry your business operates in, every website should have a solid, impressive contact page that’s as functional as it is attractive.
Customer service and user experience are key to building a reputation, and a good reputation will bring more traffic to your website. Never underestimate the power of word-of-mouth.
So, to build the best contact us page possible, it’s important to remember the key elements listed above: simplicity, style, suitability, and privacy. Here are 5 quick tips discussed in the article for maintaining privacy in your contact form:
- Include a checkbox for users to agree to your Privacy Policy and/or or Terms of Service.
- Include a separate checkbox for email marketing if you plan on using the personal information for marketing purposes.
- Be mindful of privacy law implications when embedding third-party services like Google Maps and ensure compliance with relevant Privacy Policy disclosures and a cookie consent banner.
- Review and update your Privacy Policy to clearly communicate the collection and use of location data if you embed Google Maps.
- Keep the contact form fields concise and relevant, only asking for necessary information.
- Implement security measures such as using secure, encrypted connections (HTTPS) and regularly updating security plugins to protect user data.
We hope you’ve found this guide useful, and we’re sure that you’ll now have the tools and knowledge to create enticing, striking contact pages with caring about user privacy.
