Whether you’re an entrepreneur, run an online business, or have a blog, having a contact form on your website is one of the best ways to interact with your users. However, you may have wondered why a contact form is better than simply opting for a traditional email message. Well, to answer this question, we’ve compiled a list of key reasons why using a contact form is a better choice. But, first things first, let’s start with the basics.
What is a Contact Form?
Contact forms are short, web-based forms, usually with fields asking for general information. They provide a simple way for your website to receive messages from visitors without directly revealing your email addresses. In turn, these help you to receive feedback from customers and connect you with your users in a hassle-free manner, directly through your website.
Implementing a simple contact form without irrelevant fields can help make your website user-friendly. It also provides users with a heightened sense of trust in your business.
Seven Reasons to Add Contact Form to Your Website
A contact form is an essential element of any website. It adds professionalism and enhances your website’s usability. Moreover, if used strategically, it helps generate leads that turn into conversions.
Below is a list of seven critical reasons why contact forms are essential and why adding them to your website could be an optimal choice for your firm.
Spam protection
You cannot avoid spam entirely, unfortunately. However, that’s not to say that you can’t limit them. And, fortunately, one excellent way to limit spam is to avoid posting your email and phone number directly on your web page.
Most spammers use bots that crawl the net, searching for exposed email addresses to add to their mailing lists. Web pages that do not use forms and instead post their contact information are easy prey for them. To this end, contact forms add an extra layer of security, keeping spammers away from your information, especially if you add a ReCAPTCHA to your contact form.
This simple change ensures that only legitimate users are able to message you, keeping spambots at a distance.
Auto-responsive to users
The best part about having a contact form is that you don’t necessarily even have to reply! You can often set autonomous replies for frequently asked questions, such as those asking about prices or locations for the business.
What’s more, you can also send messages to users confirming that you received their queries and will get back to them as soon as possible. This gesture helps users to trust your website more and increases customer loyalty. In turn, this can help to keep them invested, urging them to reach out to you more.
24/7 Around the clock availability
No matter who you are, how much you work, and what you do, you can’t always be available. There will be days when it won’t be possible for you to reply to your users, such as if the internet goes down or if you are ill. Of course, this delay may cause you to lose out on potential customers.
However, by adding a contact form on your website, you provide your users with a simple way to interact with you at any time they want. In turn, this gives them a sense of assurance and makes your business more reachable. Plus, this allows you to reply to users when you have more time available.
Generate more leads
Adding a contact form makes it easy for new customers to get in touch with your website, creating new opportunities overall. In fact, while it might seem like a simple change, implementing a contact form can be one of the most potent sources of new leads for your business.
The email addresses your contact form gathers are from users who are genuinely interested in your work. These are new leads, and you could potentially use these to send offers and discounts, helping you generate more sales. What’s more, these leads can help you analyze your target audience, with whom you can share updates about your products and services.
The key here is to keep the form short and straightforward, so you can get the maximum conversions by collecting only relevant, valuable information.
Task management has never been easier
Sorting out contact form queries can be tedious, especially if you run a large organization providing different services. It is therefore valuable to only use those email notifications that you genuinely need to see personally.
You can achieve this by adding a small menu in your contact form, asking the user directly which specialist they wish to ask their query or which department their query relates to. In doing so, this removes the hassle of deciding which area of expertise each query relates to, and the question will naturally find its way directly to the most appropriate person. In doing so, this cuts out the middleman and makes your responses faster and higher in quality overall.
Enrich your mailing list
Email is one of the most powerful ways you can reach your audience. Whether you are running an online business or establishing a local restaurant, an email list is crucial to getting more sales.
At this point, you might be wondering: how can a contact form connect to sales? Well, let us explain.
Whenever someone fills in the contact form, it’s an opportunity for you to gather information and add them to your email list. A simple “Subscribe to our email newsletter” checkbox in your online form can add contacts to your email list without being intrusive. Moreover, an organized email list gives you a clear idea about the market to which you wish to sell your product or service.
But remember, do not forget to take consent to add an email to the mailing list upon form submission. Using emails or any other personal information without the user’s consent is against GDPR laws and can result in hefty fines.
Keep your users invested
Besides the fear of spam and security risks, using email instead of a contact form raises further hassles and complications for a user. To get in touch using the contact information provided, the user will have to navigate off the page.
That’s when the clock starts ticking, and there is a much higher chance that they end up leaving before completing their email. Not only do you risk losing that user as a result, but they could also navigate to another website that answers the questions they already have. As such, you may inadvertantly push them right into the waiting arms of your competitors! Not a great business model by any stretch of the imagination.
Wrapping Up
Contact forms are seemingly infinitely valuable for your website. They not only add an extra layer of security but also streamline your responses and enhance customer support. Moreover, they help uncover trustworthy leads and keep users interested in your site and your business.
We hope this article helped answer any queries you may have had about contact forms, but please don’t hesitate to contact our experts if you have any further questions.
How has the contact form helped your business? Let us know in the comment section below!
