How To Reply to Website Inquiries For House Cleaning Services

Jean Hanson

When people are actively searching for house cleaning services and they land on your website, it's a perfect opportunity for you to gain a new customer. Now that you have their attention, be sure to make it easy for them to contact you. After all, they came to YOU so you don't want to be hard to reach!

First, make sure your phone number is easy to find. Some may call, but not everyone who visits will pick up the phone; so provide a simple form that doesn't ask for too much personal information.

What is the most effective way to reply to inquiries made through your website? It partly depends on what information you ask for. Assuming you have a contact form on your website, consider the information you are asking for and whether or not you are requiring that they fill out every field. Some people won't fill out a form if you ask for too much personal information. Here are the fields I recommend you have them fill out:

1. Name - you don't necessarily need first and last name at this point, so leave it up to them to give you their last name.

2. Phone number - by asking for their phone number you will weed out some of the "lookie loo's" who want information but have no intention of buying.

3. Email address - you need to capture their email address so you can stay in touch and perhaps send them a coupon or your newsletter.

4. Location - definitely ask for the city because you may not service their area and you don't want to waste each other's time. You may also ask the area of the city or subdivision to narrow it down. Don't ask for their address however. They may not want to divulge this just yet and you really don't need this information until you get them on the phone.

These are your "Required" fields. It is also helpful to have a form that asks for information about their home. Asking for information like square footage, how many stories, how many bedrooms and bathroom, are all helpful in preparing a price estimate.

Now that you've received the information from them via email, what do you do next -- reply to their email or call them on the phone?

There are varying opinions from cleaning business owners on what to do next. Here are a few of your choices:

• Reply to their email and give an approximate price based on the information they gave you. The problem with this approach is that you may never hear from them again.

• Reply to their email as above, but follow up with a phone call.

• Reply to their email and let them know you need just a couple more pieces of information in order to give them a more accurate estimate. Then let them know the day and time you'll be calling. Also let them know that if there is a more convenient time for you to call, be sure to let you know.

• Don't bother with email -- call them on the phone and give a phone estimate.

• Call them on the phone and try to set up an in-person appointment.

Think about which one of these options feels most comfortable to you. If you find it's not getting the results you want, try another approach.

If you can't reach them by phone and they don't return your calls within a couple days, try this. Call a second time, about 3 days later. Wait a couple weeks and try one more time. If you haven't been able to connect with them by this time, they probably weren't serious in the first place. At least now you have their email address and you can contact them occasionally with specials or your newsletter. (Just be sure to give them the chance to opt out of any emails you send).

By asking for the right information on your website and using various follow up methods, chances are, you'll have the opportunity to connect with your website visitors and gain them as new clients!

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Jean Hanson helps owners of residential cleaning companies build a more profitable and successful cleaning business through her online community at MyHouseCleaningBiz.com. Read inspirational cleaning success stories at http://www.cleaning-success.com, and sign up for House Cleaning Profit Tips at http://www.MyHouseCleaningBiz.com.