Online Contact Us Forms are a Digital Game Changer in Security
Whether your business exists in the brick-and-mortar world or strictly online, you need to provide your customers with an easy way to contact the firm. Making it easy for existing and potential customers to find you is an essential part of running a successful business, but how you provide that information can make a world of difference.
When it comes to online contacts, business owners have two basic choices. They can post their business email addresses on their websites, or they can design an online contact form. While both options are simple for customers, the online contact form is superior for business owners in a number of important ways. Here are six reasons you should be shielding your business email address and using an online contact form instead.
#1. It Protects You from Phishing Attacks
While there are no foolproof ways to prevent phishing and professional identity theft, an online contact form does provide a basic level of protection. By shielding your business email address from the outside world, you can protect your firm from not only basic phishing attacks but sophisticated spearphishing attempts as well.
#2. It Makes Lead Capture Easier
When you set up an online contact form on your website or landing page, you can capture valuable information on customers and prospects. Since the information on the contact form is in a standard format, it will be easy to import the data into a number of software packages. Your sales staff can then use that data to follow up on leads, close sales and create loyal customers.
#3. It Reduces Spam
Even the most sophisticated spam filters cannot stop all junk messages from getting through. Worse yet, an oversensitive spam filter could send legitimate messages to the trash. By using a contact form, you can greatly reduce the amount of spam and stop those junk messages from clogging up your business email box.
#4. It Provides a Consistent Point of Contact
By standardizing your customer contacts, an online form provides better consistency for everyone involved. As a business owner, you get a consistent stream of messages. At the same time, your customers and prospects get a consistent and simple experience.
#5. It Is Easy to Set Up
Setting up an online contact form is simple and easy, and once it is in place, you will not have to worry about it any further. There are plenty of DIY tools that can help you set up your online contact form in minutes.
#6. It Simplifies Email Address Changes
If you post your business email online, you are stuck with that address. If you change the address, you could have thousands of bounced messages and lots of unhappy customers. With an online contact form, you can change your business email address in a matter of minutes, with no worries about lost emails or disgruntled customers. You simply change the link in the form, and customers experience the same easy interface.
If your business is still posting its email address on its website, it may be time to make a change. Using an online contact form instead has a number of powerful advantages, starting with the six benefits outlined above.