What should a website say after someone sends an inquiry?
After someone sends an inquiry, the page or message they see should confirm it arrived, say when and how you will reply, explain what happens next, and tell them what to do if the matter is urgent. One useful link to read while they wait is a good addition. Promise only a reply time you can keep every day, and keep what they sent private.
What to include
- A clear confirmation: their message has arrived and a person will read it.
- When you will reply, as a specific time or window, and how. Reply the way they asked; call or text only with the person's consent.
- What happens next, in one or two sentences, such as a short call to understand the job before a visit.
- What to do if it is urgent, with a phone number, if you offer urgent help.
- One useful next read, such as how a first visit works or your About page.
- Nothing that asks them to start over, such as a second form or a sales offer.
A short example
- "Thanks, your message has reached us."
- "We reply to every inquiry within one working day."
- "If water is leaking right now, call [phone number]."
- "While you wait, here is what to expect at a first visit."
Keep the promise
The reply time you show is a promise; the related answer on handling inquiries that arrive after hours covers choosing one you can keep and what an automatic email should say.
When the form fails
If a message cannot be sent, the page should say so clearly, keep what the person typed, and give another way to reach you, such as a phone number or email address. A form that fails without a clear message can lose an inquiry with no trace.
Keep what they sent private
Do not show the person's details back in the web address or on a page others could reach. Send form messages to a business inbox that only the people handling inquiries can see, rather than to personal accounts, and remove access when someone leaves. The related answer on what a contact form should ask covers collecting only what you need in the first place.
Related answers
- How should a small business handle inquiries that arrive after hours?
- What should a contact form ask?
- How do you write a good first reply to a new inquiry?
Websites, upgraded or built
Most businesses do not need a new website. They need the one they have to load fast, say clearly what they do and ask the visitor to take one step.