Anytime I am in search of a phone number or address for a particular company, the first place I look is on that company's website. Many websites neglect the importance of having contact information in an easy to find place, and some websites *gasp* veto the idea of having contact information listed at all. This is a BIG no no. There are rules to Contact information, and even if there's not, there should be. So here they are.
1. You've got to have Contact Information on your site.
Having a website without contact information is just a waste of a resource. Sure, you are able to get your name out there on the web, but without proper contact information, there's a chance search engines would never pull your site up. Also, for the folks like me in the world who use the world wide web to look up phone numbers and addresses, there's also a chance people will decide to go with another company who has their contact information in an easy to find place on their site. That leads me to rule number two.
2. Your Contact Information has to be easy to find.
The footer of your website is the go-to place for contact information these days. It's almost like the signature at the end of a letter or your name and company information at the bottom of an email; it's just what you do. Naturally, this is a place people often look. This is also helpful because it can seamlessly be placed on every page in this position. That way, your contact information is always associated with the different aspects of your company that your website highlights.
3. A Contact Us page should be a given.
Almost all of the websites we design have a Contact Us page. This page is the hub for getting in touch with your company. It provides different methods of contact for potential customers, and is very easy to find. A typical Contact Us page should have your company's phone number, address, a map, and a "lead generating" Contact Form. This essentially gives potential clients the option of calling, driving to your store (with directions at their fingertips) and a form for them to email your company instantly. There are exceptions, it's possible that you would rather not have walk-in traffic at your company and in such case would not be needing a map.
It is important to tailor your website to your company's needs and provide good opportunities for people to contact you.