Someone who opens your contact page has already done the hard part. They found you, they read enough to be interested, and they want to talk. What happens next depends almost entirely on how easy you make it. A form that errors, a phone number you cannot tap, an address with no map, or a silent "thanks" with no promise about timing, and the visitor moves on to the next business on the list.
This guide covers what to put on a contact page, in what order, and how to check that it works. Most of the fixes take under an hour and need no developer.
What visitors are trying to do
People arrive on a contact page with one of four jobs:
- Ask a question before buying or booking.
- Get help with something they have already bought.
- Visit in person, and need the address, hours and directions.
- Check you are real, which means looking for a name, an address and a way to speak to a person.
Design for all four at once. The page should not make anyone hunt: the quickest ways to reach you sit at the top, the form comes next, and the facts that settle doubt, such as your address and hours, sit beside them.
If you are only changing one thing, make the best method for your business obvious. A restaurant should lead with a phone number and a booking link. A repair shop should lead with the form and a photo upload. A consultant might lead with a booking calendar. Pick what you can answer fastest and put it first.
Put the fastest ways to reach you at the top
Above the form, show every direct route you really answer:
- Phone number, written as a tappable link so a phone opens the dialer. Add the hours you pick up.
- Email address, written as a tappable link, not as an image or a form-only option.
- Messaging app number, if you reply there.
- Booking link, if you take appointments.
- Address, with a "Get directions" link that opens a map.
Rules that keep this section honest:
- Show only the routes you monitor. A dead inbox is worse than none.
- Put your opening hours next to the phone number, and say what time zone if you serve customers in other places.
- Use one format for the phone number so it is easy to read aloud, and include the country code if you take international calls.
- Match the details exactly to your business listing and social profiles. Different numbers on different sites make visitors suspicious.
Keep the form short
A form is a good option for people who do not want to phone, but every extra field costs you messages. Start with the least you need to reply.
Required: name, email address (or phone number if that is how you reply) and a message.
Optional, if it helps you answer: the topic, a preferred time, an order number or a photo.
Leave out fields you will not use, such as "company size" or "how did you hear about us", unless you read them every week.
Good form behaviour matters as much as the fields:
- Labels above the fields, always visible, not just placeholder text that disappears when typing.
- The right keyboard on a phone: an email field that brings up the email keyboard, a phone field that brings up the number pad.
- Autofill switched on, so a phone can fill the name and email in a tap.
- Clear errors. Say what is wrong and where, in plain words: "Please enter an email address so we can reply." Keep what the visitor typed, so they never have to start again.
- Large tap targets: buttons and fields at least 44 pixels tall.
- Benefit-led button text. "Send my message" or "Ask my question" beats "Submit".
- Spam control that does not burden people. A hidden field or a time check catches most bots without asking anyone to click traffic lights.
- A short privacy line under the button. For example: "We use your details only to reply and send what you asked for. We use privacy-friendly analytics. Email [email protected] to see or delete your data." Use your own address and say it in your own words.
Say what happens next
The moment after someone presses send is where many businesses go quiet. Fill that silence.
- On-screen confirmation. Replace the form with a message that says the note arrived, repeats what they sent and states when they will hear from you: "Thanks, Amy. We have your message and will reply by email within one working day."
- An auto-reply email with the same promise, a copy of the message and a phone number for anything urgent.
- A realistic timeline. Do not promise "within the hour" if you cannot. Stating one working day and replying in four hours builds more trust than the reverse.
- A holiday notice. During closures, update the confirmation to say when you return. Our website checklist before the holidays lists where else to change your hours.
If sending fails, do not leave an empty page or a vague "something went wrong". Say that the message did not go through, keep their text on screen and show your email address so they can still reach you.
Add the details for people who plan to visit
Visitors who plan to turn up in person need facts, not slogans:
- Full street address, written in text so it can be copied and found by search tools
- An embedded map or a directions link
- Opening hours for each day, including holiday hours
- Parking, public transport and step-free access notes
- A photo of the entrance, which helps visitors find you
- Any rule worth knowing before arriving, such as "by appointment only"
Keep your address text identical to the version on your business listing. Small differences, such as "St" versus "Street", are fine for people but confuse some directories. Our local SEO basics guide explains why consistency matters.
Route different questions to the right place
If you get several kinds of messages, a single inbox can bury the important ones. Add a drop-down for the topic, or separate short paths:
- Order help: a link to your order tracking, delivery and returns pages first.
- Sales or quotes: the form, with fields that ask for the details you need.
- Press and partnerships: an email address that goes to the right person.
- Jobs and suppliers: a short line saying where to send applications.
Put a short list of common questions beside the form; it cuts repeat messages.
Make it fast, safe and easy to use on a phone
Most contact visits happen on a phone, often with one hand and slow data. Check:
- The page opens in under three seconds on mobile. Remove heavy images and unused widgets. Our guide to website speed for small business lists the fixes that matter.
- No horizontal scrolling, no tiny text and no overlapping buttons. See how your site looks on a phone in the mobile-first guide.
- The page address starts with https and the form does not warn visitors about safety. Our explanation of security headers shows what a safe setup looks like.
- Keyboard and screen reader access. A visitor should be able to tab through every field and button in order. Labels should be read aloud with the field.
Test it like a customer, every week
A contact page can break without anyone noticing. Put a recurring reminder in your calendar and run this check in five minutes:
- Open the page on a phone, not a computer.
- Tap the phone number and the email link. Does the dialer or mail app open with the right details?
- Submit the form with a test message. Does the confirmation show? Does the message arrive in your inbox within a minute? Check the spam folder too.
- Does the auto-reply arrive, and does it match what the page promised?
- Submit the form with an empty field and with a wrong email address. Are the errors clear?
- Open the page in a private window with images turned off. Is your phone number still visible?
- Check the hours against your door.
Fix anything that fails the same day. If you want the page checked for speed, mobile use and security, grade it free and work through the list. If you would rather have a site built with a proper contact page from the start, Belmo Studio makes websites for local businesses and shows a free preview first.
Frequently asked questions
Should a contact page have a form or just an email address?
Offer both. A form suits people who do not want to open a mail app, and an email address suits people who want to attach files or keep a record. Show the address in text next to the form so it also works if the form fails.
How many fields should a contact form have?
Three is a strong starting point: name, email and message. Add a topic or phone number only if you use it. Every field you add lowers the share of visitors who finish the form.
Do I need a phone number on my contact page?
If you take calls, yes, and make it a tappable link. If you do not take calls, leave it off and say how you prefer to be reached. Never list a number you do not answer.
How quickly should I reply to messages?
Reply within one working day and say so on the page. A faster reply is a bonus, but a missed promise costs more trust than a modest one. Set an auto-reply so people know their message arrived.
How do I stop spam from the form?
Use a hidden field that real visitors never fill in, a short time check and a limit on how often one address can submit. These catch most bots without puzzles. Review what gets through every month and adjust.
Where should the contact page link live?
In the main menu, in the footer on every page and beside any call to action. Visitors who decide to reach out should never need more than one tap to find the page.