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Attraction is one thing, and engagement is another. But once you’ve brought visitors to your website and had them interact, what’s next? Unless interaction with your website is the sole goal of your business, we still have much to do before we’ve made a sale. Your website has to be designed to connect.
Make The Call
Convincing potential customers to pick up their phone and make the call has a better return than an email or a contact form. Speaking person to person and handling objections as they arise, you can create a more human connection and provide a more tailored sales experience at the same time.
With that in mind, a key component to any website designed to connect is the layout and placement of the phone number call to action.
The phone number should not be hidden away, only to be seen in the footer or contact page. Rather, your phone number should be prominent. If you want customers to call, place the phone number at the top of the screen across every page.
On mobile, even more can be done to keep the phone number within reach. One option is to place a menu bar fixed to the bottom of the screen. This bar can include a “Call Now” button which when clicked will immediately open your visitors phone app.
Chat Widgets
Keeping connection immediate, chat widgets can also be fixed to the corner of your screen for brochure or e-commerce websites. These are buttons that when clicked connect your visitor with your sales rep to chat through instant messaging right on your website. Your visitors can have their objections or questions handled in real-time without having to pick up their phone.
Chat widgets can be especially useful in helping you implement continuous improvement to your website. If the same questions keep popping up, that’s a good reason to consider how your website can answer these concerns before the chat ever happens.
Be careful when implementing this feature, however, as it is not the best choice for every business. It is possible your visitors may find the floating button more annoying than helpful. Including a chat widget also means that you must commit to having someone on your team available to answer questions as soon as a visitor enters the chat. From the visitor’s perspective, nothing is worse than being asked to chat, only to find that there’s no one on the other side.
Chat Widgets are third party plugins that you add to your site. There are many providers with different models and prices. The most popular chat widget is Intercom, though it may be the most expensive, too. Some Chat Widgets, like Drift, get around the need of a sales rep by using a chatbot in their place. While other chat widgets, like Tawk.to offer a free widget with paid, third-party human sales reps available in place of your team.
Subscription Forms
To keep your customers connected for the long term, capture their interest by offering a sign up to your newsletter. This will warm up visitors who may not be ready to buy, and it gives you a chance to keep your business at the top of their mind with repeated engagement – meaning you can make the most out of your digital marketing.
Subscription forms should be loud and proud. Don’t hide them quietly in the footer of your website. Design subscription forms to demand attention with a clear call to action.
Contact Forms
If immediate, synchronous connection isn’t an option, contact forms are your next best shot. When designing a contact form, consider the context. Commitment required by your visitors to complete the form increases as you add more fields. Commitment required by your team to extract details in follow-up increases as you remove fields. Use the right form for the right job:
- Request a Quote
Typically the most complex contact forms, these require a large upfront commitment from your visitor, but they allow your team to respond easily since they have all the details. Best used for complex custom services or products. - Callback Forms
These have the lowest barrier of entry for your visitor, as there is no need for them to think of what they have to say just yet. A simple callback form may ask for a phone number, a name, and optionally a preferred callback time. - General Contact
If you’re not looking to call your prospects, and your offering isn’t complex enough for a request a quote form, stick with the standard general contact form that you see on most websites. This requires more effort for your visitor to connect than a callback form, but has a wider scope as the visitor may fill in their subject line and message.
Exit-Intent Pop-Ups
Pop-ups can annoy, especially when they’re the first thing that you see when visiting a new website. Exit-intent Pop-ups, however, can be just as effective in pushing for connection without all the fuss as visitors enter your site.
As their name suggests, these pop-ups only appear when we detect that the visitor intends to exit the website. A bit of a “wait…there’s more!” to connect through your design.
These can be used to place emphasis on elements previously mentioned such as newsletter subscription or callback forms, as well as to offer last-minute discounts, a free downloadable, or to link your social media – anything for one last shot to capture leads and connection.
Wrapping It Up
Forms might seem dull compared to the flashy design options we have to attract and engage, but designing for connection is vital for your business. Keep these options in mind for your next web design project and you’ll be a step ahead in strategy to meet your business goals.
Do you want to make sure your next website is designed to connect? Could you use some help, or want to know more? Stop by our marketing agency in Downtown Vancouver and let’s chat! (P.S. We always have chocolate.)