How to write an effective and creative website contact page?

To dupe you and keep you reading, I could start this post on the contact page of a website by telling you that this is one of the most visited pages of a website and that you can't forget about it.

I could.

The truth – and here I apologize to the gurus and marketing gurus who pull grist to their mill depending on the situation – is that all the pages of a site must be treated and refined in detail, none excluded.

This is because every space at our disposal to communicate and interact with people is invaluable: it is an opportunity to define ourselves as a brand and as human beings, thank those who come to visit us and encourage them to write to us, make ourselves available and reiterate our promise to potential clients.

So? So even the text of the contact page of a website must be handled with care and designed with the same attention that we put in the other sections of the site: about page, sales page, home page and so on (we will also explore these in the next articles).

Let's see together how to create an effective contact page, with that pinch of creativity that makes it more welcoming and memorable, plus a few examples of information that I think should be added to give more value to our business.

Let's start.

Contact page of a website and navigation menu

Before diving into the central theme of this post, I would like to delve into a small aspect related to usability/user experience and which answers questions that I am often asked, such as: when building the navigation menu, where is the contact page entry? is there freedom of choice? Are there any conventions that should be respected?

The practice dictates that, in the navigation menu, the contact page is positioned in the last place , followed only in some cases by the search loupe on the site. My advice is not to invent new ways of doing things and leave it where it is, so as not to confuse people who expect to find a certain type of information according to the logic they know.

Another question: how creative can you go with the navigation menu item? instead of "contacts" can you use "write me" or "leave me a message"?

For me the answer is yes if the label we choose to give:

• is consistent with all content on the site;
• it is clear and does not generate misunderstandings;
• it helps to define the personality of the brand .

In my experience, I happened to replace the "contact us" item with "ask a question", "come and visit us", "get results", "ask us more", but these choices were dictated by a great design work of the upstream content and tone of voice definition.

Contact page, your brand data

We are real, true people, we have growing businesses who look to the future and who want to stand out. Let's say who we are, out loud.

For this reason, it is useful to reiterate the business data on the contact page: brand name, name and surname, VAT number, registered and operational headquarters , a valid email address, PEC, telephone number, Skype account or similar .

I remind you that some of the information mentioned above must also be included in the footer so, if your page is not very long and is well organized, you can omit this data and leave it only at the bottom because it is easily accessible.

But… do you really have to put all this information on the contact page? It depends on the industry, type of work, privacy issues.

However.

If you have a physical store, a workshop, a laboratory, an office open to customers, writing the address where you work is FUNDAMENTAL to be found; if you work mostly online or have a home office, your address is secondary.

The same goes for the telephone or cell phone. Some brands move very well via email, Skype, Zoom and do not need to leave their phone number to customers; vice versa for other businesses such as a restaurant or a plumber, sharing a telephone number is very important for the management of interventions, appointments and reservations.

An essential and personalized form

Inside the contact page we have to insert, at a certain point, the famous form in which those who fill it out can leave their data and tell why they need us.

Opt for a simple form, where you only ask for what you need : people are reluctant to fill out forms with a thousand data, plus if the contact isn't super motivated to write to you, asking for so many things can be scary and discourage you from reaching the end.

WordPress, Joomla and other CMS, to facilitate the process, set up standard contact forms that work and are very comfortable but lack personality.

Here I advise you to work on the microcopy, putting your voice and your personality into every single field, to properly welcome whoever is writing to you and immediately work on empathy.

Why put an aseptic "name" when we can change with "what's your name" or "what's your name"? Why leave the "message" field when we can warm up the communication with "why are you here", "tell me everything", "how can I help you" or "tell me better"?

We can add some flavor to the "send message" button as well; in the contact form of the new insight site we have replaced it with a "send" to be more friendly and direct.

Try experimenting with creativity, but remember that the ultimate goal is what people write to you, so go creative but don't neglect clarity and simplicity.

The Google map, the hours you work and other details

If you have a physical shop, then your contact page cannot fail to contain a nice Google map : you will help your customers know where you work and how to reach you. If your business is only open at certain times, here's the time to say it: you will avoid knocking on your door on Monday afternoon, your day off.

Speaking of maps and addresses, you can insert a small paragraph with additional details to make sure people get to their destination without freaking out. Two examples:

1. Do you have a studio in Naples, not right in the centre? Explain how to reach you by public transport, assuming the journey from the main railway stations.
2. Does your shop overlook a street with paid parking? Warn people that if they want to park super close, they will have to pay a specific rate (also indicate which one) or recommend free parking nearby.

These tips are fine even if you only work online but still like to indicate where your business is located. You will transmit professionalism, solidity and security.

Sparks and emotions

If so far I have told you what the basic information contained on a contact page should be, now I want to give you other ideas to enrich what you are going to write, to be there better and trigger something inside whoever is on the other side of the screen . As always, my advice is to model these ideas on yourself, evaluate which ones you feel are yours and push away those who are far from your being.

• Practice kindness . Many contact pages are cold, snooty, icy. Why not change your point of view? I like those contact pages that thank people for getting there. Who add information on the working method without presumption. Who welcome and put the potential client in a position to say: ok, I like you, I want to work with you because you are the way you are, with your skills and professionalism.
• Reaffirm who you are, what you do and for whom . A small recap on your work, perhaps written at the top of the page, can help people not lose sight of the focus and enter into communication with you.
• Tell the worlds you inhabit . Do you have a column on Instagram where you do a live broadcast on your work every Thursday? Have you activated a closed group on Facebook? Do you write in an online magazine and every Monday your article on photography comes out? Tell the reader where outside of your site they can find you and why they should follow you there as well.
• Share your working method to help people understand and understand you better . Dedicate a few lines on your contact page to explain, always carefully, a few things about your business. You have a very busy schedule and you only take jobs 4 months in advance: declare it, so those in a hurry can go elsewhere. You prefer exclusive contact via email: explain why. There are projects that you are passionate about and those you prefer to say no to, say it clearly, it's a way to tell how and with whom you love to work, discouraging people who are not in tune with you to choose you.

Get the most out of your site's pages

Now that you know how to create a contact page that invites you to write to us and explore what content can transform it into a place for dialogue and listening, you can start improving the one you already have with your own strength.

If, on the other hand, you need help, our text writing service is at your disposal. Together we will give more substance, fragrance and consistency to your brand communication, reflecting your characteristics and your personality.