As always in web design, the website inquiry process starts with some research and planning. In my last post, we looked at this – you can see it here. This post deals with your answers.
The general aims of a website inquiry process are:
- Give them the important information they want
- Highlight your knowledge & experience
- Make them feel special and make you stand out from your competitors
‘Hidden’ information pages
Consider setting up new web pages which deal with the questions: what are you asked about the most and/or repeatedly have to send to people. These pages will be “hidden” in that they are not on the menu or linked to elsewhere on your website.
For example, I work with a lot of photography clients, and one question they get asked a lot is about their pricing. Even if it is already on their website. So I design a ‘hidden’ pricing page for them which they can then link to in their emails. Often a wedding photography client will want to see a full gallery of a photoshoot and not just highlights so I create a hidden page for that as well.
Another hidden page to consider is a testimonial page or a “wall of love” – which is also hidden. If you want to keep your header menu simple and uncluttered then a great idea is to sprinkle a few testimonials on your general web pages and then create a hidden “wall of love” where they all are showcased. Make sure your very best ones are at the top.
Thank you page – the cornerstone of a website inquiry process
A web page that is crucial to improving any website inquiry process is a “thank you” page. Where someone gets automatically redirected to after they have submitted your contact form. This is the first thing they’ll see and many of your competitors won’t do this so it’s a chance to really make yourself memorable and stand out. When guiding clients for this I suggest:
- Set expectations – tell them what to expect next – how long until you get in touch, etc.
- Give them a link to the important information – eg pricing page
- Highlight your knowledge & experience – including a section that links to a couple of blog articles or sections on your website which summarises pertinent information.
Automated email
There are many ways you can set up an automatic email but by far the easiest one is to link your website contact form to your email marketing service (MailChimp, MailerLite etc). Tag anyone who enquires this way and let that trigger an automated email response.
Again this is another opportunity to stand out and shine
You can include your pricing in your email or link to your ‘hidden’ pricing page or even attach a pdf if your email service allows you to.
Just remember to tag them so you don’t send marketing emails to them as they haven’t given you permission.
After your first initial automated email then the sky really is the limit on what you can do to nurture your lead into a client. We’ll look at another time but this first email sets the tone and starts the process for you both.
More information & ideas
In case you want even more details and ideas, especially about your contact form, then check out this blog post.
Today’s blog post tune is Junkers Blues by Hugh Laurie.
