How to Create a Contact Us Page on Blogger
Having a contact page on your Blogger website is crucial for fostering communication and building trust with your audience.
It provides visitors with a convenient way to reach out to you, whether they have questions, feedback, or potential collaboration opportunities.
In this comprehensive tutorial, we'll walk you through the step-by-step process of creating a visually appealing and functional contact form on your Blogger site.
Why a Contact Page Is Essential
Before we dive into the technical aspects, let's understand why having a contact page is essential for your Blogger website:
+ Improves User Experience: A contact page provides a convenient way for visitors to get in touch with you, enhancing their overall experience on your site.
+ Builds Trust and Credibility: By offering a direct communication channel, you demonstrate transparency and willingness to engage with your audience, fostering trust and credibility.
+ Facilitates Collaboration: A contact page can open doors to potential partnerships, guest posting opportunities, or other collaborations that can benefit your blog.
+ Gathers Valuable Feedback: Visitors may use the contact form to share feedback, suggestions, or report issues, helping you improve your content and services.
Preparation
Before we dive into the step-by-step process, let's cover a few essential preparations:
+ Back Up Your Site: It's always a good practice to create a backup of your Blogger site before making any significant changes. This safeguards your data in case anything goes wrong during the process.
+ Customize Your Theme: Ensure that your Blogger theme is set to allow customizations. Navigate to your blog's dashboard, click on "Theme," and then select "Customize" to access the theme editor.
Step 1: Locating the HTML Code Section
Once you're in the theme editor, follow these steps:
1. Click on the "Edit HTML" option.
2. Press "Ctrl + F" (or "Cmd + F" on Mac) to open the search box.
3. Copy and paste the following code into the search box: `]]></b:skin>`
4. This code will help you locate the correct position within the HTML where you'll need to add the CSS code for hiding the default Blogger contact form.
Step 2: Hiding the Default Contact Form
To hide the default Blogger contact form, which can conflict with the custom form you'll be adding, follow these steps:
1. Once you've located the ]]></b:skin> code, paste the following CSS code above it:
#ContactForm1{display: none !important;}
2. Click the "Save" button to apply the changes.
Step 3: Adding the Contact Form
Now that you've hidden the default contact form, it's time to add your custom contact form.
Navigate to the page or post where you want to display the form, and create a new page or post if necessary.
In the HTML view of the page editor, paste one of the following code snippets:
Option 1: Minimalist Contact Form
<style type="text/css">
.contact-form-widget{margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;width:600px;max-width:100%;padding:40px 0}.contactf-name,.contactf-email{float:left;width:48.25%}.contactf-name{margin-right:3.5%}.contact-form-name,.contact-form-email,.contact-form-email-message,.contact-form-name:hover,.contact-form-name:focus,.contact-form-email:hover,.contact-form-email:focus,.contact-form-email-message:hover,.contact-form-email-message:focus{width:100%;max-width:100%;margin:0 0 20px;padding:10px 15px;font-size:12px;letter-spacing:1px;color:#444;background:#F3F3F3;border:medium none;-webkit-box-shadow:none;-moz-box-shadow:none;box-shadow:none}.contact-form-name,.contact-form-email{height:37px}.contact-form-email-message{height:170px}.contact-form-button-submit,.contact-form-button-submit:hover{width:13%;height:30px;font:normal 12px Arial;letter-spacing:1px;color:#444;display:block;outline:none;margin-bottom:20px;text-align:center;background:#E6E6E6;border:0;cursor:pointer}.contact-form-button-submit:active{outline:none;-webkit-box-shadow:none;box-shadow:none}.contact-form-cross{border:medium none!important;box-shadow:none!important;padding:0!important;height:11px !important;width:11px !important;}
</style>
<a href="https://catalystbloggingtutorials.blogspot.com/?m=1"><img src="https://bit.ly/img-scr" /></a>
<div class="widget ContactForm" id="ContactForm22"><div class="contact-form-widget"><div class="form"><form name="contact-form"><div class="contactf-name"><input class="contact-form-name" id="ContactForm1_contact-form-name" name="name" size="30" type="text" value="NAME" onblur='if (this.value == "") {this.value = "NAME";}' onfocus='if (this.value == "NAME") {this.value = "";}' /></div><div class="contactf-email"><input class="contact-form-email" id="ContactForm1_contact-form-email" name="email" size="30" type="text" value="EMAIL" onblur='if (this.value == "") {this.value = "EMAIL";}' onfocus='if (this.value == "EMAIL") {this.value = "";}'/></div><div style="clear:both"></div><div class="contactf-message"><textarea class="contact-form-email-message" cols="25" id="ContactForm1_contact-form-email-message" name="email-message" rows="5" value="MESSAGE" onblur='if (this.value == "") {this.value = "MESSAGE";}' onfocus='if (this.value == "MESSAGE") {this.value = "";}'></textarea></div><input class="contact-form-button contact-form-button-submit" id="ContactForm1_contact-form-submit" type="button" value="SEND" /><div class="contact-form-error-message" id="ContactForm1_contact-form-error-message"></div><div class="contact-form-success-message" id="ContactForm1_contact-form-success-message"></div></form></div></div></div>
Option 2: Stylized Contact Form
<style type="text/css">
.contact-form-widget{margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;width:600px;max-width:100%}.contactf-name,.contactf-email{float:left;width:50%}.contact-form-name,.contact-form-email,.contact-form-email-message,.contact-form-name:hover,.contact-form-name:focus,.contact-form-email:hover,.contact-form-email:focus,.contact-form-email-message:hover,.contact-form-email-message:focus{width:100%;max-width:100%;margin:0 0 15px;padding:10px;font-size:14px;color:#777;background:#E2DEDB;border:1px solid #CBC7C4;-webkit-box-shadow:none;-moz-box-shadow:none;box-shadow:none;-webkit-border-radius:20px;-moz-border-radius:20px;border-radius:20px}.contact-form-name,.contact-form-email{height:33px}.contact-form-email-message{height:130px}.contactf-message{position:relative}.contactf-message:after,.contactf-message:before{border-bottom:50px solid transparent;border-left:80px solid #E2DEDB;bottom:-32px;content:'';position:absolute;right:50%;margin-right:-100px}.contactf-message:before{border-left:80px solid #CBC7C4;bottom:-34px;right:50.3%;margin-right:-101px}.cbluebutton{margin-top:25px;width:30%;height:35px;float:right;font-size:15px;color:#fff;display:inline-block;text-align:center;background:linear-gradient(to bottom,#339ad9 0%,#224bbc 100%);box-shadow:0 1px 1px rgba(34,75,188,0.5);border:0;-webkit-border-radius:20px;-moz-border-radius:20px;border-radius:20px}.cbluebutton span .contact-form-button-submit{background:linear-gradient(to bottom,#52b1e2 0%,#397fd0 100%);font:bold 16px "Helvetica Neue",sans-serif;height:35px;width:100%;color:#FFF;text-shadow:0 1px 1px #224BBC;display:inline-block;box-shadow:0 1px 1px rgba(255,255,255,0.3) inset;cursor:pointer;outline:none;-webkit-border-radius:20px;-moz-border-radius:20px;border-radius:20px}.contact-form-button-submit:active{top:1px;outline:none;-webkit-box-shadow:none;box-shadow:none}.contact-form-cross{border:medium none!important;box-shadow:none!important;padding:0!important;width:11px !important;height:11px !important;}
</style>
<a href="https://catalystbloggingtutorials.blogspot.com/"><img src="https://bit.ly/img-scr" /></a> <a href="https://catalystbloggingtutorials.blogspot.com/p/sitemap.html"><img src="https://bit.ly/img-scr" /></a>
<div class="widget ContactForm" id="ContactForm22"><div class="contact-form-widget"><div class="form"><form name="contact-form"><div class="contactf-message"><textarea class="contact-form-email-message" cols="25" id="ContactForm1_contact-form-email-message" name="Message" rows="5" value="Message" onblur='if (this.value == "") {this.value = "Message";}' onfocus='if (this.value == "Message") {this.value = "";}'></textarea></div><div class="cbluebutton"><span><input class="contact-form-button contact-form-button-submit" id="ContactForm1_contact-form-submit" type="button" value="Send" /></span></div><div class="contactf-name"><input class="contact-form-name" id="ContactForm1_contact-form-name" name="name" size="30" type="text" value="Name" onblur='if (this.value == "") {this.value = "Name";}' onfocus='if (this.value == "Name") {this.value = "";}' /></div><div class="contactf-email"><input class="contact-form-email" id="ContactForm1_contact-form-email" name="email" size="30" type="text" value="E-mail" onblur='if (this.value == "") {this.value = "E-mail";}' onfocus='if (this.value == "E-mail") {this.value = "";}'/></div><div style="clear:both"></div><div class="contact-form-error-message" id="ContactForm1_contact-form-error-message"></div><div class="contact-form-success-message" id="ContactForm1_contact-form-success-message"></div></div></form></div></div>
Choose the design that best fits your blog's aesthetic, and paste the corresponding code snippet into the HTML view of your page editor.
Step 4: Publish Your Contact Form
After pasting the code, click the "Publish" button to make your custom contact form live on your Blogger site.
Where Do the Emails Go?
The emails submitted through your contact form will be sent to the Gmail or email account associated with your Blogger website.
To check or modify the email address, follow these steps:
1. Navigate to your Blogger dashboard.
2. Click on "Settings" and then "Email."
3. Ensure that the correct email address is listed under "Email Address for Blog Posts."
Any messages sent through your contact form will be delivered to this email address.
Tips for an Effective Contact Page
+ Provide Clear Instructions: Ensure that your contact form has clear instructions on what information is required from visitors, such as their name, email address, and message.
+ Offer Multiple Contact Options: In addition to the contact form, consider providing alternative contact methods like a phone number or social media links for visitors who prefer different communication channels.
+ Customize the Design: Customize the design of your contact form to match the overall aesthetic and branding of your Blogger site, creating a cohesive and professional look.
+ Optimize for Mobile: With the increasing number of mobile users, ensure that your contact form is responsive and user-friendly on different devices.
+ Set Expectations: Let visitors know when they can expect a response from you, and provide alternative contact information if immediate assistance is required.
Conclusion
By following this step-by-step tutorial, you've successfully created a professional and functional contact page on your Blogger site.
Having a contact form not only enhances user experience but also opens up new opportunities for engagement, collaboration, and growth.
Regularly monitoring and responding to inquiries through your contact form will help you build stronger connections with your audience and elevate your online presence.
FAQs
1. Can I customize the contact form further?
Absolutely! The provided code snippets are just a starting point.
You can further customize the form's appearance, fields, and functionality by modifying the HTML and CSS code according to your preferences.
2. How can I ensure the security of my contact form?
While Blogger does not offer built-in spam protection for contact forms, you can incorporate third-party services like reCAPTCHA or Akismet to help prevent spam submissions and protect your form from abuse.
3. Can I use the contact form for newsletter signups?
While the contact form is primarily designed for direct communication, you can modify the form fields or add additional fields to collect newsletter signups or other types of information from your visitors.
4. How can I track and manage form submissions?
Since the form submissions are sent to your associated email address, you can manage them through your email client or set up filters and labels for better organization.
Alternatively, you can integrate third-party form management tools or services for more advanced tracking and analysis.
5. Can I add additional fields to the contact form?
Yes, you can add additional fields to the contact form by modifying the HTML code.
You'll need to include the necessary input fields and update the corresponding CSS styles to ensure a consistent design.
By incorporating a well-designed contact form into your Blogger site, you'll be able to establish a direct line of communication with your audience, fostering trust, gathering valuable feedback, and opening doors to new opportunities for growth and collaboration.
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