The ATA Chronicle - January/February 2021 - 28

BUSINESS PRACTICES

By Madalena Sánchez Zampaulo

Why Your Website
Needs a Contact Form
and How to Get It Right

fact, with most forms, you

nothing new these

T

information you need from

be totally impersonal if you

especially if they allow for

days. But not all

set it up well. Done right,

different ways to get answers

you can make a contact form

to questions. One of your

that's beneficial for both your

options should be a contact

clients and your translation

form. It's easy, convenient,

or interpreting business. Here

and it's right there on the page.

Contact forms
on websites are

freelance translators
or interpreters take
advantage of them.

here are a lot of good
reasons to use a contact
form. It doesn't have to

website, followed by some
tips on how to get it right.

1

It's the most
convenient way for

the subject line of my contact
form appears in my inbox.
You can then gather the

clients feel the same way.
Everyone likes options,

2

There's little to no
room for error. If a

client has to copy/paste your
email address or dial your
phone number, there's a
chance they might not copy
the address fully or they might

you. When you have a way

accidentally dial the number

for clients to reach you

incorrectly. With a form, your

directly via your website,

clients can simply fill it out

you take away additional

and hit the " submit " button.

steps from the equation.

Easy peasy.
The form lands right in

hoops clients have to jump

your inbox with a subject line

through, the more likely it

of your choosing, and you

is that they will reach out to

can get back to them pretty

you about their next project.

quickly. In addition, a contact

If you've ever searched

28

to you. Figure 1 shows how

clients to get in touch with

The fewer the clicks and

Figure 1
Subject Line of Contact Form

something that stands out

provided more options. Your

are a few reasons you need
to use a contact form on your

can set the subject line to be

form gives clients a sense

a website and had trouble

of having taken immediate

finding how to contact

action once they submit their

someone, you probably got

request via your website.

frustrated rather quickly.

They very quickly check off

And if you did find the

one more item from their

information easily but

long to-do list. By making the

the only option to contact

process easy for them, you're

the business was one you

already helping to solve their

would rather not use (like a

problem, one step at a time.

customer service chat instead
of a phone number to call),
you probably wished they had

The ATA Chronicle | Januar y/February 2021

3

It's also easy for you.
When a new inquiry

the form to craft a friendly
email to the potential client.
While I do suggest making
every interaction with a client
specific and personal to them,
creating email templates to
have on hand will also save
you a lot of time!

How to Get Your Website
Contact Form Right

1

Keep it simple and
straightforward. It's

important to keep your
contact form simple and
straightforward. Don't take
up a lot of your potential
clients' time. Ask for the
pertinent information you'll
need to get back to them
quickly and get the ball
rolling so you can talk to
them about how you can help
solve their problems with the
services you provide. (Tip:
Ask for two ways to contact
them. If you contacted them
via email but didn't get
a response, you could try
calling them a few days later
to follow up.)
By the same token,
leave out any unnecessary
information. Remember
that you don't need to have
your entire preliminary
conversation with a client
through your contact

lands in your inbox via your

form. Just get the basics

website contact form, it tends

right and you can add and

to look a bit different than a

request information as the

typical email. You won't risk

conversation unfolds after the

missing it among all your

initial contact. Figure 2 shows

other email, as the subject

how my current contact form

line is always the same. In

appears on my website. It's
www.atanet.org
http://www.atanet.org
The ATA Chronicle - January/February 2021

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