Providing a simple e-mail address
For small companies who are looking for a simpler solution and do not need to store
information from the contact form in a database (such as for support tickets), a simple
e-mail address may work. The major disadvantage of plain e-mail is that the content is not
regulated??”you cannot require users to submit certain pieces of information, such as their
name or the product they have a question about. In this case, the best policy is to place a
polite note next to the link describing what information will help get their question
answered expeditiously, as shown in Figure 10-8.
Also, the support e-mail address should be generic, like support@yourbiz.com, or
help@yourbiz.com. Publishing a specific person??™s name is generally not advised because
that person could leave, making the address obsolete. Likewise, there is probably more
WEB DESIGN AND MARKETING SOLUTIONS FOR BUSINESS WEBSITES
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than one person in a support area, so highlighting a particular representative does not
make much sense.
Figure 10-8. This technical support screen represents several best practices. Customers are
encouraged to review the online documentation before making contact, but if they choose to
contact the technical support, they are provided with phone numbers, the fax number, and two
e-mail addresses based on geographic location.
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