Enquiry Form

Chris-Bell wrote on 7/8/2020, 4:40 AM

I need to include an enquiry button on every page of a new website I am currently finalising for one of our main clients. I would like the form to automatically include the name of the page and, once completed, route back to a specific email address. Is there a standard template for this or can you help?

Comments

johnebaker wrote on 7/8/2020, 8:22 AM

@Chris-Bell

For web forms there 3 basic ways forms can be handled:

On the web server through scripting eg PHP, ASP or Java (not Javascript) - if the web hosting provider does not offer this capability, then the fall backs are
use a third party web form provider - Web Designer has widgets for this.
use a mailto: link and rely on the viewers email program to provide the necessary information and email it - this method is somewhat unsatisfactory and IMO is not very professional for a business.

HTH

John EB

emmrecs wrote on 7/8/2020, 9:10 AM

@johnebaker

Hi John

use a mailto: link and rely on the viewers email program to provide the necessary information and email it

Doesn't that process also require that the sender has a standard email client installed? IOW, if he/she uses a webmail service, like gmail.com, this actually will not work?

Jeff

johnebaker wrote on 7/8/2020, 11:49 AM

@emmrecs

Hi Jeff

The mailto: form of link should work any default email app in Windows.

For viewers using a web browser, it gets more complicated as the links have have to be URL's which specify the email provider eg for Gmail it has the format

https://mail.google.com/mail/?view=cm&fs=1&to=TO@EXAMPLE.COM&su=SUBJECT&body=BODY

and opens Gmail as shown below with the to, subject and body partially completed.

This is very much a last resort solution as you would have to have links for at least 3 of the main webmail providers Google, Outlook.com and Yahoo plus the standard mailto:

John EB.