5 businesses that turn the humble contact page into a star

Our #WriterInResidence, Sam Whitlock, turns his attention to what in many cases is a much neglected part of a website – the contact page. Read on to find out which brands are doing it well and why. 

For the most part, contact pages fall on the functional end of the website spectrum. Like the exhaust pipe on your car, or the lace on your shoes, the words on your contact page might not register on the “give a damn” scale. As long as the phone number is correct, as long as the contact form doesn’t insult the user – as long as it works – it’s fine. 

But here’s the thing… it could work better. For the most part visitors who click through to your contact page are primed to dial a number or fill in a form but you can’t guarantee that. This could be the moment they glance at the details and think “maybe another time” or “actually, I’m not sure about this.” The role of your copy is to get them across the line.

Some well-placed details and brand personality can go a long way to encourage a site visitor to take action. So without further ado, let’s look at some websites that pull it off.

Spark Data

“We’re waiting to talk to you. If you have any enquiries, pick up the phone and get straight to the experts… “

Spark Data manages to pull off the difficult balance of revealing humanity and serious expertise. They’re not achieving personality with a masterful pun. Nor are they being chatty in their word choice. In fact they’re not obviously saying much, except for one key point of value…

You’re getting straight to an expert. As lovely as administrators can be, Spark Data’s audience wants to talk technical. They need to speak to someone who understands the intricacies of the project they have in mind. And so Spark Data assures them that they will.

The flourish that seals the deal here is that Spark Data don’t present a contact form (as useful as those can be sometimes). Instead they give the names and numbers of three team members who oversee particular departments. This drives home the message that you will speak to an expert and you will get hold of them instantly.

Hullo Creative 

“Whether you’re ready to start your project or you just want to throw some ideas around…”

Our friends at Hullo Creative are a genuinely and effortlessly friendly team with a warm, collaborative approach. And their contact page’s invitation to get going or “just throw ideas around” reveals those qualities in a single sentence. “You’re going to feel like we’re a part of your team,” Hullo says, without saying it. 

They also succeed in taking the pressure off. If there was any doubt as to whether you should contact them, Hullo makes it clear that they’re happy to chat no matter what stage of planning you’re in. 

Even if the conversation is going to come to nothing, they’re happy to hear from you. That’s the kind of reassurance that hits the spot for an audience that might not know what they’re looking for.

[Editor’s note: In the interests of full disclosure, we should probably mention that we wrote Hullo’s website copy…!]

Let’s Travel Somewhere

“If you don’t get an answer immediately, I might just be travelling through the middle of nowhere. I’ll get back to you as soon as I can. That’s a promise!”

Let’s Travel Somewhere sparks a sense of adventure without the standard travel slogans. By positioning themselves as the kind of mad-hat explorers who might at any time be mid-way up a mountain or half-way across a desert, they communicate that you can do this too.

Their contact page also strikes the ‘we’re human’ chord like someone playing roots music on a beat-up guitar. It’s not generic. It’s not inauthentically inspirational. And it also – and here’s the real trick – doesn’t sound like it’s trying too hard to be human. It’s simply the appropriate tone for a photography collective-movement-magazine spearheaded by a single woman. 

Secret Swan

“Let’s make a guitar! Just pop your details in the form below and we will contact you within 24 hours.”

Secret Swan doesn’t have anything flashy going on. But they do succeed at getting to the point with enthusiasm and simplicity. 

The beauty of this is that it evokes a sense of “this is going to be simple.” The custom guitar you want will be made and the only thing you need to do is pop – not even write, just pop – your details in the form below. 

Then we’ll get back to you in the same amount of time it takes to watch Kiefer Sutherland take down another terrorist group. Simple.

Boston Tea Party

“Whether it’s gushing praise, a grumbly rant or you just want to say hi, please do get in touch by completing the form below.”

If it suits your brand, humour can add just the flourish you need to make your audience smile. Since Boston Tea Party doesn’t depend on their contact page for custom, they can get away with a bit more irony than organisations looking to win over a client.

The highlight of their contact page is actually just below their witty opener. “But in case you were wondering…” they say, before addressing some frequently asked questions. It’s a nice variation on writing FAQ and evokes the sense they genuinely care about their customers’ concerns, no matter what they said about grumbly rants earlier.

Of course, your contact page is not the only one that matters, just one that is often overlooked, along with these 3 forgotten webpages that can make all the difference.

As for what will work for your website… that depends on your brand tone of voice, your audience and what stage of their buying journey they are on. 

If you’re a small business we’ve got a free website audit guide that will help get the words on your website working harder for you. Or if you’re considering updating your website content, check out how the website copy we wrote for SR2 helped grow their business. 

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