Web Wise: Why Your 'Contact Us' Page Is So Important

Impeccable customer service is priceless to consumers, especially in the automotive repair business. That's why it's so important to provide visitors to your Web site with basic contact information for your business, and an easy-to-complete form that sends a message directly to your office.

Providing a form on your Web site that captures basic information - a name and a means of contact - and provides a space for someone to ask a question is much more inviting for new customers than simply providing an e-mail link. The key, say experts, is to gather enough information to resolve the customer's issue in one response while keeping the form simple enough that it doesn't scare people away.

Visitors don't mind giving their names, but they become increasingly resistant to providing additional information if too much is "required" on the form. It's best to require only one form of contact, such as an e-mail address. You can provide spaces for other methods of contact, but only require one. When completing online forms, studies show people are more willing to provide an e-mail address than a phone number for follow-up contact.

Other staples for your "Contact Us" page include emergency numbers, such as towing services and car rental agencies visitors can contact when your shop is closed. Customer service phone numbers, your mailing address, and, if applicable, your street address, should also be prominent on the page. If you have a "Frequently Asked Questions" page on your site, it's a good idea to provide a link to that page, too; if you don't have one yet, start collecting those questions your customers ask you all the time.

Last, be sure your form doesn't become a black hole. Someone on your staff should be designated to answer messages as soon as possible. The purpose of this page is to instill confidence in new customers, and replies should be made within 48 business hours, if not sooner.

Do you have a question about ASA’s online features? Send it to me at angiek@ASAshop.org. Perhaps your question will appear in a future column!

ASA Web Ways: Don't Miss a Minute of CARS, NACE

Automotive Service and Repair Week (ASRW) is fast approaching, and the AutoInc. staff will be reporting from the show floor with the official online show daily, ASRW Now. Each morning, you'll receive fresh news right in your e-mail inbox from the Congress of Automotive Repair and Service (CARS) and the International Autobody Congress & Exposition (NACE), which will be co-located at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nov. 5-8. Sign up for ASRW Now at www.ASAshop.org/news/news.htm.