Every business owner knows that a sale isn’t over until the contract is signed, and the invoice is paid.
And ya know what? Just because someone reads your whole website and falls in love with you does not mean they are going to become a client of yours.
What’s the one, last, commonly overlooked hurtle that could prevent them from paying you the big bucks?
That’s right: your contact page.
On the majority of websites, the contact page is severely overlooked.
You’ve probably seen dozens of websites where the only thing included on the contact page is just a “contact me!” generic message form.
That’s not good enough for you, though. And for the sake of your ideal clients, we can do much better.
Here’s everything you should include in your contact page:
1. Start with a “hype them up” header
Can we just take a moment to appreciate someone actually making it to your “contact” or “inquire” page??
It’s a big deal for someone to find you on Google or social media and then actually reach out to work with you.
And if you’ve invested all this time and effort into explaining why your services are so great, don’t leave them hanging with a contact page that falls flat.
That’s why I always start with a “hype them up” header on the contact pages I write for my clients.
(If “hype them up” doesn’t really fit your brand, substitute this idea for something that is equally encouraging and on-brand.)
The purpose of this header is to keep them engaged while they are still going through the process of inquiring. The copy here should help them feel confident that they are making the right choice in hiring you.
Here’s an example of my “hype them up” message:
And some clients of mine:
(A bit of a longer option here.)
(And a more succinct option here.)
You can also write some body text to really drive home the message here.
2. An optimized inquiry form
Ok, you are now NOT ALLOWED to have a basic “send me a message” inquiry form EVER.
Why? Because your inquiry form has a job to do.
Your inquiry form is there to both make your job easier for vetting a client and preparing to work with them, and also set expectations for your leads.
This is not to say that your inquiry form needs to be really long, but you will get better, more qualified leads if you make them jump through at least a couple hoops in order to inquire with you.
Here are a few things you might want to include on your inquiry form:
+ First name
+ Last name
+ Brand / company
+ What service(s) they’re interested in
+ What their desired timeline is
+ Why they’re reaching out to you / want to work with you
+ What their budget is / confirming they have the budget for you (big one!!)
+ How they heard about you
Make adjustments here based on your brand and business, but this is the gist of it.
Take a look at mine as an example:
Now, you’re able to set some expectations with leads before you’ve even gotten on a call. People won’t try to haggle on the price with you or squeeze in a last-minute project if your inquiry form is already bringing up these topics before they’ve had a chance to speak to you.
If you take nothing else from this blog post, please let it be this: optimize your inquiry form.
3. Relevant FAQs
Chances are, when people inquire with you, they will have a few other questions that can be easily answered on your contact page.
Some of these questions might be:
+ How far are you booking out?
+ How long will my project take?
+ Do you offer payment plans?
If you’re a service provider, it might make sense to include an FAQ about other services your leads will naturally be wondering about.
Are you selling interior design? Include an FAQ where you can recommend your favorite contractors or architects.
Are you selling wedding planning packages? Include an FAQ to recommend your go-to photographers, venues, or caterers for your area.
Are you selling brand and web design? Share your recommendations for website copywriters on your contact page (feel free to drop my link there ✌️)
4. Additional resources
Who says that just because they’ve inquired with you, that they are done learning about how helpful you can be to them?
It’s a good idea to include some links to other resources they might find helpful, such as your blog, a freebie, or additional items that can help them out.
5. A quick overview of who you are
Huh? But shouldn’t they know who you are if they’ve inquired with you?
Yes, good question, however, have you thought of all the different ways you use your contact page?
→ You might share it as a link in your stories for people to inquire about a project.
→ A friend might send it in a text as they are referring someone to you.
→ You might link it in your newsletter as an easy way for people to inquire with you.
Point being, not every person who lands on your contact page has gone from your homepage → about page → services → inquiry.
It makes sense to give people more context about who you are on such a crucial page of your website. It helps drive home what an authority and awesome resource you are.
A couple other things to consider adding to your contact page, depending on your business
Now, this is just a general formula for writing a contact page, but there are a few other items that I would consider adding to a client’s contact page, depending on their brand:
+ Physical address and hours of operation (for brick and mortar businesses)
+ Newsletter opt-in (if not adding in the resources section)
+ Social media links (if you want people to follow you there)
+ Disclaimers (if you need them for legal purposes)
Of course, this isn’t an exhaustive list, but just a couple things to consider depending on your business.
TL;DR — write a better contact page, get better inquiries (and more of them!)
Ok, now you’re probably seeing how RIDICULOUS it is that so many businesses include so little on their contact pages, when you could make it soooo helpful for your future clients who want to work with you.
Of course, I say all of this, assuming the other pages of your website are doing all the heavy lifting they possibly can. If they aren’t quite there yet, I can help you.
Need help writing the other pages of your website?
+ Take my free homepage writing course here
+ Get my services page formula right here
+ Read this blog on writing your about page
And if you’ve already done all of those things? Book a website copy audit here so you can get an expert set of eyes on your copy, making it ready to convert.
Want me to just do it all for you? Check out my copywriting services here to learn how to work with me 1-on-1.
