Marketing Momentum: Making Contact

By Katrina Olson

Next to the home page, the “Contact Us” page is the second most important page of your website because it allows visitors, current and potential customers, vendors and even the press to get in touch with you.

Instead of using a basic “fill in the blank” form, create an attractive and inviting page that reinforces your brand, provides a benefit and sets the tone for your future relationship. Following are five tips for improving your “Contact Us” page.

1. Keep it clean and uncluttered.
2. Include a logo, photo or other visual element.
3. Add some “sell” copy.
4. Limit the number of fields on a form (or they may not respond): name, email, message.
5. On the confirmation page, say more than, “Thank you for your message.”

Here are a few examples of highly functional yet attractive “Contact Us” forms:

This simple but effective page includes all necessary information with friendly copy inviting the reader to respond: “We would be pleased to hear from you.  Get in contact—let’s talk about projects or just say hello and have a coffee with us.” (http://wearefo.com/contact)

With a clean design and full menu at the top, this page offers several forms depending on the type of contact. Each form goes to a different person or department in the organization, which helps manage inquiries internally, but also tells the reader who will respond to their inquiry. (http://www.bang-olufsen.com/en/contact)

This “contact us” page for a brewing company reinforces their brand both visually and verbally by illustrating their quirky personality, commitment to sustainability, and love of beer. (http://www.motherearthbrewing.com/page/contact.html)

The background illustration adds depth and visual interest while reinforcing the personality of the website and brand. A background photograph or abstract design would have the same effect. 

The “Contact Us” page is often your last chance to convince a potential customer to respond, so make it work for you!

NEXT WEEK: What makes you so special? How to make your brand heard above the noise.

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Olson is a veteran marketing and public relations consultant. She has written for tED magazine’s print edition since 2005, judged tED magazine’s Best of the Best Competition since 2006, and emceed the Best of the Best Awards ceremony for a total of seven years. Reach her at katrina@olsonmarketing.net.