11 essential features every Contact page should have
The “Contact us” page is an integral and indispensable part of the website. Previously, this page was made with a simple design and business information such as phone number, address, and email. Today, the “contact us” page also bears the impact of different design styles. A properly formatted contact page has a great impact on user experience and conversion. Take a look at the essential features of the “contact us” page that our Alpha Efficiency experts implement in its landing page best practices.
Accessibility and easy to find
As the header and footer contain many links, it can confuse users about which link is the one that provides contact. Placing the “contact us” page on the heather or future can be challenging to decide, especially since both places have their advantages and disadvantages. Many users instantly consider a footer as a sure place to find the “contact us” page while the header appears to be a visually more prominent place. Even though the header seems to expose your contact page more, the link in the footer is considered easier to find. After all, the decision of placing a contact link depends on many factors such as the size of the homepage, the priority of other features, and the available place. Whatever the place the best practice is to implement a contact page in a recognizable and easy-to-locate area.
Contact page content
The contact page should display basic information related to your business such as email address, phone number, and business physical address if it has a physical location. Also, If your online business is home-based, it is perfectly understandable not to reveal the address.
Another important content of your contact page is social media links. Also, Displaying the icons of social media platforms where your brand is active helps users get in touch with your business, provides opportunities for collaborations, reaches new customers, expands brand awareness, and establishes a long-term relationship with users.
Implying normal language
Contact us pages varies in names on different website the most common are “Contact us”, “Support” and “Help”. If your business domain is suitable for the more informal language you can also use phrases such as “Get in touch”, “ Let`s chat”, “ Talk to us” or others.
Humanizing your contact page
Users often find it frustrating and inconvenient to communicate through emails and text chat. By displaying pictures, names, and specialties of your team responsible for contact with customers; you are providing a human touch to queries. Pictures of the real customer’s agents make users more confident and comfortable asking questions as they are assured that there are real people on the other side that users can actually talk to about the subjects. This approach upper hands the customer support and interaction with users.
The “adaptive” design of the contact us page
As every customer entails a contact us page for a different reason and various subjects many websites decide for a non-standard page design and settle for an “adaptive” one. This contact page style addresses unique users’ questions by asking the users to categorize the issue; and offering a few different forms to select the one that closely defines the question domain. Further, users can browse for more details about their query.
Additionally, adding the pictures, working hours, and phone numbers of the customer support agents save the effort and time of your customers.
Incorporate different contact options
Implementing all your contact options on the same page makes it users easier to find the solution for their issues. Cross-linking provides needed FAQ forms and documentation. Additionally, you can add helpful prerecorded videos, links to support forums, training options, and other relevant links. Using the contact page as a hub for all platforms that can contribute support; you provide users the options to determine which alternative is most suitable for their issues.
Contact page design that directs users to particular channels
As the adequate support option depends on customers’ questions, practical design is a sufficient way to direct users to the proper channel in order to efficiently help and save customer agents time for priority and more important issues. This is the way to guide where and how users go for support leading them to various suitable channels such as documentation; community forum, or other resources.
Structure the future questions
The point of structuring a contact page to meet incoming questions is to save time; and effort for both customers and your support team members. This refers to creating standard answers for basic questions. However, if the particular questions are not enough accurate to understand and precise the customer issue, the standard replies undergo. Structuring the content page to identify and directs users to an adequate support agent provides valuable quality to the support team.
Setting the expected time for response
In cases when customers seek answers in another way than real-time support, waiting for the answer can be frustrating. Providing approximated time gives users the idea of when to expect the response which gains the customer confidence in your support team. Many users tend to seek the solution in FAQ or other resources while waiting for the service team to answer. Providing a timeframe and not the exact time you avoid bringing pressure on the support agents while telling your customer that the answer is on its way.
Adding fields to the contact page
Allowing your support team to have insight into customer account history; and internal data can largely help support agents quickly resolve the issues. While adding the fiends where customers can self-categorize the type of subject, screenshots, files; and other relative material can shorten solution time. All their features help in support efficiency and customer service.
Adding an option to customers leaves feedback
Asking customers to leave feedback and providing the fields where users can leave their opinions; and impressions about customer support is a great way to improve further customers’ experience. Additionally, customers feel valued as their opinion matters to your company.
Final Thoughts
Designing a “Contact us” page is a process that requires predefining the customer service quality; and quantity that the business is able to provide; preferable ways in directing customers to the appropriate channels, and determining how you prefer to communicate with customers. After determining these elements, we can create a contact page that would be efficient; and effective and provide a shortes and fastes way to solutions.