Contact Forms

What is the best way for a website user to instigate a contact?

There are normally five ways a user will contact you. By calling your phone number, filling out an online form, clicking a link which opens up their email system, sending you a fax or sending you a letter. We will discount the last three as the majority, on a website, either ring or use a contact form.

Our contact form survey
Motive9 has just completed a survey of 2815 online contacts over four separate websites which has been running for a year. Each of these websites had contact forms on all pages the website owner wanted to promote a product or service. (Two product catalogue sites and two business service websites. None were ecommerce).
Results:
75% of contacts came from contact form on the actual page of the product or service.
25% of contacts from the actual contact page.
Are you missing out because a website visitor has too many steps to contact you?

"Request a call back" or "ask a question" forms are simple and easy to complete. Online forms are pretty easy to build. If you request an email address, send an auto responder so the user has a copy of your contact details. Also incorporate a checkbox for "sign up to newsletter".

Phone numbers
The de facto standard for a telephone number on a website is the top right hand corner.
If your business has the ability to deal with calls then this should be on every page.