My foolproof guide to optimizing your contact page

Picture this: the dreamiest of dreamy ideal clients is visiting your website. They read your about page and think, “Wow, this photographer totally gets me. I want to be her friend!” They visit your weddings page and think, “Yes, totally in my budget!” They click around a bit more, get distracted, and…leave.

What the heck just happened????

Your contact page is the “closer” on your site. It’s the page that magically turns visitors into leads. Even if the rest of your website is amazing, if your contact page is lacking, you could be losing potential leads in that precious last minute.

Read on to learn how to avoid this tragedy and create a contact page that’s a conversion machine!

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Tips for your contact page

1. Test your form!

The only thing worse than no contact page at all is a contact page that doesn’t actually work! Whether you take advantage of Showit’s built-in form capabilities or embed a lead capture form from Dubsado or Honeybook, be sure to test your contact page form to make sure it’s working correctly! Check that there are no error messages and that the test message lands in your inbox safe and sound!

2. Tell ’em what to expect

Don’t leave users guessing what’s going to happen after they inquire with you. Tell them exactly what they can expect after completing your inquiry form. On my site, I say, “Complete the form and I will get back to you within 1-2 business days.” And then, of course, live up to your promise! If you say they will get a response within 24 hours, you should be prepared to do so!

The button users click should also tell them exactly what’s going to happen when they click it. I like to use “send” or “send your message” so they are very clear that this is a message you will be receiving in your inbox. Make sure people know where to click to submit their form!

3. Create a “thank you” screen

When a visitor submits their form, reassure them that their message was sent and when (and how) they can expect a reply. For example, you could say, “Thank you! I’ve received your message. Please check your inbox for my response in 1-2 days.”

Once users are on your “thank you” screen, it doesn’t mean they are necessarily done with your site. Let’s imagine a case in which they simply submit their inquiry and move on. What are they probably going to do next? Research and inquire with your competitors! Keep your visitors’ attention by inviting them to visit your blog!

4. Keep it short & sweet

Studies have shown that conversion rates increase with the fewer form fields there are. That’s why I encourage my clients to include no more than 5-7 items in their form. Some information you actually need: their name (so you know how to address them), their email (so you can respond to them), and their wedding date (so you can see if you are available). Potential clients know how necessary this information is and they will be happy to tell you! 

Everything else is information you want: their number of guests, their proposal story, their wedding colors…you get the idea! Many of the wants can wait until you are a little farther along in the inquiry process. At best, your clients will give you an answer that may or may not be accurate, and at worst, you risk confusing or annoying them. It’s not worth the risk! A couple of extras I do like including are asking who referred them and a more open-ended question where they can tell you as much or as little about their wedding as they choose!

5. Consider the structure

Make your form design clean and simple. Ensure that visitors can quickly and easily select the next form field using the “tab” key. In Showit, you do this simply by putting your input fields in order from first to last in the left panel. Here’s a more detailed explanation if you need it! It’s also a good idea to order your form fields from easiest (your name) to hardest (tell me more about your wedding). This makes users more likely to complete the form—by the time they get to the harder questions, they’re already mostly done!

6. Design for mobile

Don’t forget that many clients may be visiting your site from their phones! It’s a good idea to make your form fields and submit button a little larger on mobile so they are easily clickable. Keep in mind that on an iPhone, iOS automatically zooms to focus on form text smaller than 16 px. If you don’t want the form to focus zoom, set the font size to 16 px or higher.

7. Include alternate contact info

This could include your address or phone number if that’s something you’d like to share, but DEFINITELY include your email address on your contact page. On the off chance that your form isn’t working, this gives folks a way to get in touch! Plus, some visitors might have questions that aren’t necessarily an inquiry, but that you don’t want to miss! I’ve heard from wedding photographers who want to send galleries to other vendors but can’t find their email addresses ANYWHERE on their site. Your footer and contact page are two places you’ll always want to include your email address so you don’t miss out!

8. Add some personality!

Clients are more likely to reach out to service providers who they know, like, and trust. Show some personality on your contact page—a picture of you is a great place to start, plus a couple of sentences about how PUMPED you are to get to meet your new client over your favorite beverage (Coffee? Rosé? Topo Chico?).

9. Answer the FAQs

Tired of low-quality leads who have zero intention of booking with you, or ask super obvious questions that, hello, you already answered on your website? Avoid this headache by popping a short FAQ section on your contact page. The key is to include things people actually ask on a frequent basis. Sick of leads asking if you’ll come to their wedding for just an hour when your minimum package is 8 hours? Include it in a FAQ and answer it before they get a chance to ask!

10. Give it the real estate it deserves!

Your contact page should most DEFINITELY be linked from your main navigation. Don’t try to be clever or cutesy—”contact” is about as clear and straightforward as it gets! Make your contact page the last item in your navigation, because it will stand out more and be easier to remember. Incorporate CTAs to the contact page throughout the other pages of your site—remember that this is where you ultimately want people to end up!

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In conclusion

Your contact page is such an important page for your business. It turns website visitors into leads (who eventually turn into clients, aka the people who pay you!). So it’s definitely worth your time to make sure your contact page is just right.

I’d love to hear about your contact page in the comments!