A contact form looks simple. Someone fills it in, presses send, and the message lands in your inbox. Most of the time you never think about it again.
The trouble is that when a form stops working, nothing tells you. The customer thinks they have been in touch. You think it has been a quiet week. They ring someone else. Here are the common reasons enquiries go missing, and how to keep yours coming through.
Why enquiries go missing
Form emails end up in spam
This is a very common problem. Website forms send emails automatically, and email providers are suspicious of automatic messages. If the form is not set up properly, Gmail, Outlook and others may quietly send it to spam, or block it altogether.
Proper set-up usually means sending form emails through a trusted mail service, with the right settings on your domain. These settings have technical names, such as SPF and DKIM, but in plain words they are a way of proving the email really came from your website and was not faked.
It goes to an old email address
Websites are often set up once and forgotten. The form might still send to an address you stopped checking long ago, a former employee, or the person who built the site. Changing your email provider can also break things if nobody updates the form.
The form broke after an update
Websites built on systems such as WordPress get regular updates, along with their plugins. That is a good thing for security, but sometimes an update stops a form from working properly. The form still appears on the page. It just does not send anything.
Spam protection is too strict
Most forms have some kind of spam filter, such as a box to tick or a hidden check. Set too strictly, these can block real customers along with the junk. On a phone, a fiddly check can also make people give up before they press send.
Nobody tests it
Many owners test the form when the site launches and never again. Months can go by before someone mentions they sent a message and heard nothing.
The customer gets no confirmation
Even when the form works, the customer often sees nothing after pressing send, or just a tiny line of text. They are left wondering if it went through. Some will send it again, and some will give up and call someone else instead.
How to fix it
Check where messages are going
Find out which email address your form sends to. If you are not sure, ask whoever looks after your site. Make sure it is an inbox you check every day, on your phone as well as your computer.
Look in your spam folder
Search your spam or junk folder for anything from your website. If you find enquiries there, mark them as not spam and add the sending address to your contacts. Then get the set-up fixed properly so it does not keep happening.
Show a clear thank-you message
After someone sends the form, they should see a clear message saying it worked, and when they can expect a reply. Something like "Thanks, your message has arrived and we will reply within one working day" is plenty. Only promise a time you can stick to.
It also helps to send the customer an automatic email confirming you have received their enquiry. If that email does not reach them, it is a sign something is wrong.
Offer a backup route
Not everyone likes forms. Put your phone number next to the form, set up so it can be tapped to call on a phone. If you use WhatsApp for work, add a WhatsApp button too. That way, if the form ever fails, customers still have an easy way to reach you.
Test it regularly
A simple routine will catch most problems before they cost you work.
- Once a month, fill in your own form from your phone, using a personal email address.
- Check the message arrives in your inbox within a few minutes, and not in spam.
- Check the customer confirmation email arrives too.
- After any website update or change of email provider, test again straight away.
- Ask a friend to try it now and then, from a different phone and email account.
Put a reminder in your calendar. It takes two minutes and could save you a job you never knew you lost.
Signs you might already be missing enquiries
- The form has gone quiet, but phone calls are steady.
- A customer mentions they messaged you and heard nothing.
- You cannot remember the last time you tested it.
- You changed email address and are not sure the website was updated.
If any of these sound familiar, test your form today. It is one of the quickest checks you can do, and one of the most worthwhile.
A form that actually reaches you
Every website We are Graft builds comes with a contact form that actually reaches you, plus your number one tap away. On our monthly plans, small fixes like updating a phone number are included, and you get a real person when you need something.
If you are worried your current form might not be working, get in touch or WhatsApp us on 07459415807. We reply within one working day.