Learn/Boost-Conversions-and-SEO-with-Contact-Info

Particularly if your website is selling something, getting someone to pull out their credit card is all about making them trust you.

For me, one of the biggest indications of a trustworthy website is the presence of contact information.

Security & Reputation

Contact information provides a sense of security for potential customers. They can know that if they buy that widget from you and it breaks, they can get in touch with you.

A website with no contact information -- or contact information that is hidden or hard to find -- makes me wonder why that website is trying to hide and I often assume the worst.

"I Just Have One Question"

It's also common for someone to be 99% ready to purchase, but they just want to ask one quick question to double-check one detail. If they don't see an easy way to contact the company, they will probably just vanish and take their business with them.

Let People Help You!

What if a link is broken on your website, etc.

SEO?

SEO possibility, in footer

What Kind of Contact Info?

I suggest including at least one of the staples that everyone should know how to deal with:

Phone number

Listing your business hours and time zone beside your phone number is a good idea.

Email address

I personally prefer the actual email address to an form, but a contact form with the actual email address listed is great.

And an alternative (or two) can be an added bonus:

Link to your company's Twitter or Facebook
Feedback tab, like GetSatisfaction

Where?

Visible in footer
Link in footer (If you're serious, make it say something obvious like "Contact Us")
Above the fold somewhere (preferably, not in an image)

If you want the reputation benefits of having contact information, don't bury or hide it.

If someone has to click "About Us" and then "Support" and then find it at the bottom of that page, they probably won't. And now you've probably turned them into a frustrated, non-customer.