{"id":139672,"date":"2016-01-27T11:01:43","date_gmt":"2016-01-27T17:01:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/getflywheel.com\/?p=15166"},"modified":"2023-03-09T16:25:46","modified_gmt":"2023-03-09T22:25:46","slug":"why-you-should-use-a-contact-form","status":"publish","type":"resource","link":"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/resources\/why-you-should-use-a-contact-form\/","title":{"rendered":"Why You Should Use a Contact Form"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s probably no surprise that the contact page is among the top three most important pages of any website. Being reachable is critical when you\u2019re trying to connect with your particular audience. When there\u2019s no way to reach you, there\u2019s no way to have a dialogue\u2014which leaves needs unspoken, insights unseen, and ultimately money on the table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Not exactly the goal, is it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Contact Info is a \u201cMust\u201d<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That\u2019s how you get work, right? You get contacted! And many times, that contact comes through your website. It could be generated by a sales page, a Google search, a referral link, or any other method. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But more often than not, your market gets in touch with you via your website, where they\u2019ll then look for a way to contact you. (Though a strong referral network may also send work directly to your inbox, bypassing your website altogether!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/getflywheel-images.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2016\/01\/use-contact-form-must.png\" alt=\"a red landline phone on a white backdrop, the cord runs off the right side of the photo\" class=\"wp-image-15170\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ultimately, being reachable means your potential clients have access to you, and they need this access before they\u2019re going to buy. If you\u2019re hard to reach, you leave lots of doubts about you unaddressed in a prospect\u2019s mind. And most people aren\u2019t inclined to hire you if they have doubts about you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why You Should Use a Contact Form Instead of an Email Address<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There are opposing schools of thought about whether to use a contact form or an email address (including a clickable one) on your contact page. There are some very real advantages to using a contact form, though:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>It keeps visitors on site.<\/strong> A contact form allows your prospective client to stay on your site. Simply posting an email address requires the visitor to open up their email, copy\/paste or type in your email address (or click the link you provide), and then write their message there. They\u2019ve gone off your site and into their inbox, which is setting them up to get distracted and possibly even fail to get in touch at all.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>It reduces spam.<\/strong> Putting an email address out on the internet is basically begging for spam. Protecting your email address makes it harder for spammers to find you, which reduces your email burden and saves you time. It\u2019s easy to share your email address with your new contact once they\u2019ve filled out your form, and you\u2019ll bypass clogging up your spam filters in the meantime.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>It allows you to vet new prospects.<\/strong> A contact form allows you to request, or even require, specific pieces of information before the form is sent. This sets up filters that are working for you before the new inquiry even comes to your inbox. Ask about what type of work the prospect is interested in (e.g. a redesign or a new site from scratch), when the best time to reach them is, and what their phone number is (though <a rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"http:\/\/blog.hubspot.com\/blog\/tabid\/6307\/bid\/6748\/3-Form-Fields-That-Kill-Landing-Page-Conversion-Rates.aspx\" target=\"_blank\">research shows<\/a> that requiring a phone number dramatically reduces the conversion rate of the contact form, so be careful).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>It\u2019s easier for the user.<\/strong> Contact forms can often sync up with the visitor\u2019s browser autofill features, making it even easier and faster to fill out. It\u2019s simple, it\u2019s straightforward, and it\u2019s less clunky than shifting to an email, figuring out what to say in that email, sending it, and then coming back to your site. &nbsp;In my experience, I\u2019ve found that many web users prefer a contact form rather than sending an email to an email address, but you may find that providing both your email address and a contact form is the best option for you. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/getflywheel-images.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2016\/01\/use-contact-form-address.png\" alt=\"contact form for Ashley Gainer site\" class=\"wp-image-15172\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Final Thoughts on the Contact Form<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you plan to use a contact form and you aren\u2019t interested in coding one, you\u2019ve got plenty of options using plugins, including <a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/ninja-forms\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ninja Forms<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/contact-form-7\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Contact Form 7<\/a>, and WordPress\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/jetpack\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jetpack<\/a>. Many of these plugins allow for easy customization and will fit seamlessly into any design.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you aren\u2019t convinced about the merits of using a contact form instead of an email address for your contact page, that\u2019s fine. It\u2019s a long-standing debate that likely won\u2019t resolve anytime soon. Follow your personal preference, and if that doesn\u2019t reduce the number of inquiries you\u2019re getting, you\u2019re probably doing fine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ultimately, the goal is to be easy to contact, and the method of how you\u2019re reached isn\u2019t as critical as simply being reachable in the first place. Not being reachable puts up a barrier, quite literally, between you and your market, so make sure your potential customers can find the best way to reach out with ease!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It\u2019s probably no surprise that the contact page is among the top three most important pages of any website. Being reachable is critical when you\u2019re trying to connect with your particular audience. When there\u2019s no way to reach you, there\u2019s no way to have a dialogue\u2014which leaves needs unspoken, insights unseen, and ultimately money on<span class=\"tile__ellipses\">&hellip;<\/span><span class=\"tile__ellipses--animated\"><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":141337,"template":"","resource-topic":[908,904],"resource-role":[1397,906,903],"resource-type":[916],"class_list":["post-139672","resource","type-resource","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Why You Should Use a Contact Form<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"If you\u2019re hard to reach, you&#039;re probably losing customers. Contact info is a must, and a contact form is even better. 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