What to Put on Your Inquiry Form (and What to Leave Off)

Your inquiry form is the last step between someone who wants your help and a phone call with you. They have already found you, read about your work and decided to reach out. The form's only job is to let them do that without giving up halfway.

Many forms ask for too much. Every extra box is one more reason to close the tab and call the next business on the list. Here is what to keep, what to leave off, and how to tell the difference.

Start with one question: what do you need to call them back?

Before adding any box, ask yourself what you need to reply well to this person. Not what would be nice to know. What you need.

For most local service businesses that is short:

• Their name, so you know who you are calling.

• One way to reach them, either an email address or a phone number.

• How they would like to be contacted, phone or email.

• A short note about what they need, in their own words.

That is often enough. You will learn the rest on the first call, where you can ask follow-up questions and they can ask you theirs.

Only ask for a phone number if they want a call

Many forms make the phone number required, even when the person would rather hear back by email. Some people stop right there.

A better way: ask how they prefer to be contacted first. If they pick phone, then ask for the number. If they pick email, leave the phone box out. You still reach everyone, and nobody is asked for something they did not want to give.

What to leave off

These are the boxes that most often make people give up, or that you do not need until later:

• Budget. Most people do not know it yet, and a dropdown of price ranges can feel like a test. Talk about it on the call.

• Full street address. Unless you truly need it to reply, the town or area is enough to know if they are in your service area.

• How they heard about you. Useful for you, not for them. Make it optional, or ask on the call.

• Company size, job title and similar details. Only ask if you need them to give the right answer.

• Anything sensitive. Health details, money troubles, insurance information or government ID numbers do not belong on a first inquiry form. Leave them for the right conversation, through the right channel.

• A second copy of their email address. "Please type your email again" mostly adds work.

A simple test: if you would not use the answer on your first call back, the box can go.

Tell people what happens next

People are more likely to send the form when they know what to expect. A short line near the button does the job. For example: "We will reply by your chosen method, usually within one business day." Only promise what you can actually keep.

The same goes for privacy. If you pass someone's details to another business, or store them with an outside service, say so plainly near the form and link to your privacy policy. If you want to send them marketing emails later, ask with a separate, unticked box, not a box that is ticked for them.

Make it easy on a phone

Many people will see your form on a phone. Check it yourself on one:

• Are the boxes big enough to tap?

• Does the right keyboard appear for the phone number and email?

• Is the send button easy to find without scrolling past a wall of text?

• When you press send, do you see a clear "thank you, we got it" message?

If any of those feel awkward to you, they feel worse to a stranger.

Test it like a customer would

Once a month, fill in your own form from your phone. Then check:

1. Did the message arrive where you expected it?

2. Did it go to someone who will see it and reply?

3. How long did the reply take?

A form that looks fine but sends inquiries to an inbox nobody checks costs you more than a form with too many boxes. If you are getting visits but few inquiries, our article on getting clicks but no calls walks through the other places they leak.

The short version

• Ask only for what you need to reply.

• Ask for a phone number only if they want a call.

• Leave budget, full address and sensitive details for later.

• Say what happens next, and be clear about privacy.

• Check it on a phone, and test it yourself every month.

Want a second pair of eyes?

Horizon Acquisition Group builds landing pages and inquiry forms for local service businesses, and runs the social media ads that send people to them. If you would like us to look at your current form and talk through what could change, book a free 30-minute call. There is no obligation.