Communication is an important step in running and maintaining a successful business. Being able to quickly and efficiently answer current and potential customers’ questions is crucial for both acquisition and retention. Visitors will have questions, and it’s our job to answer them.
That makes the contact page the unspoken hero – most advisors’ best means of communication. This page holds the information that any curious consumer hopes to see in their dreams. Contact numbers, emails, and even faxes.
The Importance of Contact Pages
When running a business or brand, potential and current customers will always be inquisitive. Want to know what the prices are, how long it takes to receive a service or product, are there any locations near them, etc? The incredible thing about the internet is the potential to spread information; from word of mouth, virality, and contact pages. Leading most to ask, are contact pages important? Absolutely, they are pivotal as they make it easy for a client to contact you and for you to swiftly respond to them.
Quick responses are required in the service industry, where speed is king. The faster you can exchange messages with a consumer, the better chance you have to bring them on as a customer. Having a shorter contact form allows faster responses. According to research done by Dan Zarrella at HubSpot, contact forms with 3 or fewer fields improve the conversion rate. If you still question the importance of a contact page, try to think back to a time when you had a question about a product or service. It was, in all likelihood, answered thanks to a phone number or email found on a contact page.
Contact Page Best Practices
Creating a contact page can be simple, but that doesn’t mean it’ll function well. Having easy-to-use features and certain practices will lift it to the highest level of usability. It’s important to make sure your contact pages house certain aspects, along with offering a contact form for easy messaging.
This article from HubSpot highlights some of the best practices for creating a contact page/form, including:
- Make sure the page is easy to find so visitors can quickly get in touch.
- Have an explanation for solving an issue or problem or how to contact you.
- Include an email and phone number.
- Have a contact form so that the business knows who’s messaging them, why they’re messaging, and what needs to be done.
- Have a call-to-action for other options of contact.
- Link to any social media, including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.
Along with some of FMG Suite’s own best practices:
- Always give feedback, whether that be a pop-up that thanks them for their submission or an email that lets them know their message was received
- Don’t be scared to show your creativity. While contact pages have to be easy to use, they don’t have to be boring.
- Keep your contact page straightforward. Make it easy to understand.
- Make it stylish, visitors want to see a visually pleasing contact page, so let your design skills show.
Why These Features Are Important
Streamlining and making things easy for the visitor is why these features are so important. Contact pages were created with the consumer in mind. The Contact Us page is even considered to be one of the most visited and valuable pages on your site. It’s all to give support and make their experience the most seamless and efficient it can be. Answering their questions and making them comfortable with their purchase is why companies have contact pages and support teams. Features such as contact forms and easy-to-find pages make it so that anyone and everyone can find the information they need. At the end of the day, accessibility is what guides a contact page to be successful.
Time for a Call-to-Action
CTAs or Call-to-Actions are an important part of marketing and advertising anything. An example of a CTA is an online store having a “Buy Now” button or news sites suggesting to “Subscribe so you don’t miss out.” It’s a move taken to encourage visitors to take certain actions. But it doesn’t just work for purchases or subscriptions. CTAs are great for linking to contact pages or forms. Having a simple “Contact Us Here” with a link encourages visitors to fill out forms and ask questions. It’s important to have CTAs for your contact page because companies want to create a line of communication with potential customers. It allows them to directly market to a consumer that already has an interest in the service or product.
Location! Location! Location!
Just like real estate, the location of CTAs affects the impact they have on the visitor. Put it somewhere out of the way or off to the side, and it might not be seen. But having it in the wrong places could be just as counterproductive, which makes finding the right location essential. Two of the most common spots are on the top of the page, usually as a tab/link, and then at the bottom of the page as a footer. These spots are out of the way but still accessible. The top link makes it available right away, while the footer is for visitors who read through the page but still have more questions.
For example, FMG Suite uses the header on their site to link their support/contact page:
The support link takes you right to their contact page with their phone number, email, and even a chat function:
FMG Suite makes use of the footer to link their social media:
Using different locations on a webpage is key when linking to your contact page. It never hurts to have more than one way to access the page as long as it’s distributed around the site. Think of it as choosing your own adventure. Along with having different link locations, some firms have varied support channels. Several sites will have one general link, while others have a slew of different connectors. This depends on your range of services/products and the size of your firm. What works for some might not work for others.
For example, Apple’s contact page has four different options for product support, services, resources, and direct contact:
Come Connect With Us
Creating a good contact page can be easy as long as you know what you’re looking for. Knowing what you want and where you want allows you to design and create a contact page you can be proud of. Some firms like to keep their contact page simple, while others like to make it more complex and interactive. It’s up to you to decide what path you take, depending on the needs of your visitors and clients.
6 Contact Page Examples to Inspire Your Own
The following sites have done a great job creating a contact page that fits their company’s needs. Crafting a contact page that allows their visitors and customers to easily get in contact is what these business sites do well, be inspired, and get building:
1. Henderson Financial Group
Henderson Financial Group gave its contact page a simple and clean look.
Why We Love It:
The page includes their contact number, email, and fax. Along with an easy-to-read contact form allowing for quick messaging. Henderson makes it easy for visitors to get what they need to be done. Their current and potential clients will have no problem getting in contact with them.
2. Loring Advisory Group
Loring Advisory Groups has a more personal page.
Why We Love It:
A lovely photo of the group is included, along with their contact information. Making the page more personal by adding human connectivity is a great way to make visitors feel comfortable. The page also includes a map with interactive directions allowing you to locate them from wherever you are.
3. EF Financial
EF Financial combines the best of both worlds.
Why We Love It:
Creating a contact page that includes both a contact form and a map to allow for easy navigation. The page is slick and boasts a simple yet efficient design. Since viewing is done from left to right, the page layout is great, having the visitor first see all contact methods and then the contact form.
4. Aurora Capital
Aurora Capital keeps it straightforward so you know exactly what you’re getting.
Why We Love It:
A call-to-action requesting visitors to get in contact. The streamlined contact form is trouble-free and allows visitors to send their messages at lightning speeds, including contact information and a built-in button to send you directly to their LinkedIn, adding more means of conversing.
5. Gateway Financial
Gateway Financial allows visitors to directly schedule a call with their advisors.
Why We Love It:
Supplying a calendar with built-in scheduling allows current and potential clients to see what dates are available for conversing with their advisors. This ease of access is great for those who don’t want to wait for a callback. They’re able to schedule right then and there, which is wonderful for those wanting to get things done.
6. Associated Financial Consultants
AFC is all business, but that’s never a bad thing.
Why We Love It:
The contact page makes it easy to get in contact while also supplying all the contact information needed. They tell you exactly what the form is for, “Have a Question?” If you have any inquiries, AFC invites you to fill out the form, and they’ll be sure to get back to you as fast as they can.
Don’t Be a Stranger
Contact pages are the first point of communication between a client and you. Ensuring your page is easy to navigate, and houses all the information needed is crucial to acquiring and maintaining that link between business and consumer. Customize your contact page to how you feel it would best fit, but always remember to look back on this article if you’re ever lost and need inspiration to make your page amazing.
Create a Gorgeous, Traffic-Driving Website
Your website should reflect the same attention to detail as your office space. It’s your prospects’ first impression – a virtual welcome. We can help you make sure it’s a great one.
