When I talk about internet marketing, I am talking about improving the use of email and your website as marketing tools. The two should work hand-in-hand in building your business. Every email you send out should have a link to your website, and your website should provide a way to contact you through email.
While you probably don’t want to post your email on your website, as that will just draw spam, you do want to make sure that you have a contact form on your website. The contact form should be easy to use and to the point. Don’t try to collect too much information on your contact form, just enough to be able to get back in touch with your website visitor.
Too many contact forms try to collect all sorts of extraneous information like your address, or your fax number. When a form is too long, or requires the visitor to enter information they prefer not to give out, you loose the opportunity to continue building an internet marketing relationship with that visitor. Its just too easy to hit the back button, to try another search at Google, or just leave your site. Keep your contact form as short as possible.
Clearly identify which fields are required and which fields are not. Use asterisks or a bold font to indicate a required field. Offer a drop-down list when possible (such as a list of states) and provide formatting tips eg. [Phone: (###) ### – ####]. When using a drop-down, always give the visitor the option of choosing ‘Other’ or “I don’t know’.
Check the email inbox which receives the email and answer those queries quickly and politely. This may be your next best customer.
