If you know you need to update your website content and you’re looking for an easy win, let’s start with your Contact Us page content. Writing and improving your organization’s Contact Us page content is pretty straightforward, so it’s something you can complete quickly today. And in this post, I’ll guide you through the update by walking you through a few easy steps.
Note: this post is for those organizations that publish some version of a list of contact information. If your nonprofit offers a single contact form option, you’ll just need to write some brief introductory or explanatory text: check out these examples from Heart & Stroke, and Kids Help Phone.
Here’s my mini-guide to quickly updating your nonprofit’s Contact Us page content:
Step 1: Verify accuracy
This is pretty straightforward. Review the contact information you’ve provided on this page to make sure it’s correct. Update any outdated or otherwise incorrect information.
Step 2: Streamline
While you’re reviewing your existing Contact Us page content, decide what really needs to stay. Are there any extra details that can go? If there are so many options that you might be confusing visitors, it’s time to streamline.
Step 3: Prioritize and re-order
Prioritize and re-order the contact information that you’ve decided to provide. Consider:
- What are the most frequently needed and used contact details?
- Where would you like people to start? How would you prefer to be contacted?
- How best can your organization offer a timely response? What is the most effective and efficient way for an individual to contact your organization?
Use your answers to these questions to determine the right order for the contact information you share. For example, if you want callers to start with your 1-800 number instead of your Executive Director, put it first and make it prominent.
Bonus points for adding a note about business hours or anticipated response times!
Step 4: Remove jargon
Get rid of internal jargon or lingo. If someone entirely new to your organization reads the copy on this page, will they understand the labels you’ve used to describe your contacts? Scan for any internal or industry jargon or lingo and replace it with clear descriptions. Which is related to…
Step 5: Add subheadings
Help visitors to scan the page and find the right person, phone number or email address by adding a few brief sub headings. For example:
- “For general inquiries”
- “To make a donation”
- “For questions about our programs”
- “For media requests”
Which leads to…
Step 6: Add a few useful links
In some cases, other content on your site might serve your visitors better than a phone number or email address. Or that content might help partially answer their questions before they contact you. Following the examples in Step 5, you might add links to your donation or programs pages and your online newsroom/media centre.
You might also consider adding a brief section featuring links that answer the top “general inquiry” questions your organization receives. For example, do you already have content on your site that answers questions about tax receipts or program registration dates? Frequently asked questions about admission fees or specific health issues? Add a couple of links to deliver instant answers to your website visitors – but don’t overdo it here.
BONUS Step 7: Write an introductory sentence or two
Rather than jumping straight into a list of phone numbers, emails and addresses, write a sentence or two of introductory copy that welcomes visitors to get in touch. Sound accessible and incorporate some personality – your organization’s brand personality. Make sure to include the word “you” in this copy!
Consider something simple like, “Do you need more information? Need us to answer a specific question? We’re here to help!”
Updating your Contact Us page content is pretty straightforward and easy to do, so make those updates now. And then maybe you can ride the feeling of accomplishment right into tackling more difficult web writing/editing work. 🙂
