Hey Reader,

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​Clever learnings—send me your questions!

Many of you will have read about the Austrian legal decision a fortnight ago declaring Google Analytics illegal. Following on from that, a case in Germany last week declared Google Fonts to violate Europe's data protection laws. I'm going deep on the ins and outs of how this affects Studio Clvr clients, with a focus on businesses in Australia, the US and the UK. The impact of the privacy avalanche is only rolling faster, so brace yourselves! Tune in in two weeks' time to get the lowdown.

►► If you have any privacy-related questions, shoot me a reply and I'll get answers for you as part of my research.

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Now for this week's topic: Autoresponders

I've been filling in a LOT of online forms recently. And it's got me thinking how bad so may of them are. The forms themselves are one thing. But then the autoreply that comes in to my mailbox is an underwhelming "We'll get back to you ASAP".

So I thought I'd talk a bit about autoresponders and how we can all be using them for good instead of to push potential clients away.

First, let's dispel a myth around autoresponders: automatic email replies don't need to 'sound' automatic.

In fact, autoreplies can be:

• Personal and can take advantage of personalisation to enable that. A simple 'Hi Reader' can go a long way. The personalisation you use can all be gathered from the info the user provides to you on your online form, so there's nothing spammy about this. It's just another way of being human.
• Authentic. Just because your email is being sent automatically, doesn't mean it can't be written by you in your natural language and style. Just be yourself and you'll avoid sounding like a robot.
• Helpful. 'We'll get back to you ASAP' is not helpful. In fact, I get downright annoyed when I get that non-response in my mailbox. A good autoreply can let people know when they can expect to hear from you; where they can get help in the meantime; and give people actionable steps so they know what to do next.

Example: automatic email response to 'contact us' form submissions

Here's just one automatic email response you can set up right now. Building a high quality email reply to your online contact form submissions can help to build a stronger relationship with potential clients AND boost sales conversions at the same time. Win.

The simple on-screen notification most website contact forms provide is ok, but it usually means you're ending a conversation with a potential client when it's only just begun. In an ideal world, you'd be phoning that lead immediately to boost your chances of a sale. But unless you have a dedicated sales team responding to your form submissions, the likelihood of your availability allowing that phone call to happen is slim. An automatic email can fill the gap and keep the conversation going until you're available to follow up.

The email could include content that genuinely helps your leads get what they're looking for, such as:

• Answers to questions. You could include your most common questions and their answers, followed by a link through to your website Frequently Asked Questions page; your knowledgebase; or to popular articles that are helpful to your clients.
• Your availability. If you don't straight up have this available online, hook your calendar up. For leads who just really want to talk to you, 'Book a 15-min call so I can answer any questions you may have' will help the lead get the contact they want at a time that suits them — their immediate goal of teeing up a time is achieved.
• Booking your service. Some leads fill out the contact form to validate you prior to making a booking. What I've seen across a lot of my clients is that these leads are frequently ready to jump onboard, but want an extra layer of trust before making the leap. Redirecting these leads into your online booking process can often close that loop, without you actually needing to jump on a call; while your other option still gives the lead a fallback to book a chat if they need it.

What this actionable reply does is that it helps the lead take the next step. If they can get a decent response from you, they feel like they're being looked after and will stop searching for alternative solutions to their problem (i.e. solutions from your competitors).

Still not sure how this works? Feel free to test out the form on my contact page. Just write 'subscriber test' in the help field, so I know you don't really need help.

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Speak to you in a fortnight,

Nic

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Need some clever strategy help? Or someone to smash through your design and dev tasks? A Clever Hour or Clever Day might be just the ticket to moving your business forward! Clever, straight-up advice and list-smashing day work for quick wins.

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​Studio Clvr // Web design and clever online strategies