• Frequently asked questions - put a link on your website to a page where you can list frequently asked questions by your customers together with the appropriate answers. This can save you time as you won't have to answer similar questions over and over. You should always include another link within that page so that the customer can still contact you if they can't find an answer to their question.
  
  
• Provide email support - place links throughout your site so that your customers can contact you when they have problems. Depending on how many questions you're likely to get, you may need to develop some sort of ticketing system so that enquiries don't get lost. You can set this up through a Common Gateway Interface (CGI) script or through other methods.

  Aim to respond to your customers enquiries as soon as possible. A commonly accepted turnaround time is 24 hours (weekdays), depending on the nature of your business. You should also set up your contact system so that the customer is contacted immediately to inform them that their enquiry has been received and to give an indication of when they can expect a response.

• If you have forms on your web site for customers to fill out, provide examples of how they are to be completed. Highlight any sections of the form that are compulsory to complete.

• If you're web site is large or contains many different sections, consider putting an internal search engine on your site. This will assist your customers to find what they want without having to navigate their way through the site - if they can't find what they want quick enough they may go somewhere else. A common way of setting up an internal search engine is through a CGI script.

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Disclaimer: This page is designed to provide information only and is not a substitute for advice that is specific to your business. Before acting on any of the information above it is important you seek further advice from a professional who has taken into consideration the nature and circumstances of your business.

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