By Katherine Andes
Most commercial websites should strive to present a human, friendly presence.
You want your company to project a warm “personality” that will make your visitor eager to do business with you. You want them to be so convinced, that they won’t even bother to check out your competitor.
Let’s suppose you’ve been successful in that task. You have a charming, compelling, unique home page. Plus you have breezy interior pages; they keep your prospect clicking through for more information.
With each click, your prospect makes more and more of a commitment to your company.
Now imagine your prospect is almost ready to do business with you, but he or she needs just a little more information. So she clicks to your contact page. And what does she find?
Please contact us at “info@...”
or
Please contact us at “contactus@...”
Now how personal is that?
Who wants to write to “info” or “contact us”?
For heaven’s sake, put a name in the email address! When your visitor writes to, say, Anthony or Lauren, she immediately feels more confident that her email won’t end up lost in cyber space.
If you want to have a bit of fun, come up with a quirky name. A mattress company could have contact us at SleepyHead@ ...
Or a school desk company might go with Shakespeare@...
Or how about PeterPan@... for a window replacement company?
Putting a smile on a prospective customer’s face is always a good way to help clinch a sale.
Easy Web Tip #62: Ban “info” from your company’s email name address. Instead, make it personal by using a real person’s name or make it fun by using an iconic fictitious name.
Katherine Andes is a consultant who specializes in web content development, including search engine optimization, and online marketing — especially in the home improvement market. You can phone her at 559.589.0379 or email at kathy@andesandassociates.com.