Have you tested your contact form lately?

I rarely think about the contact form on my piano studio website. I had set up a new one several years ago, tested it extensively, then just left it alone. I’ve received many inquiries and new students via that form.

But last summer and through the following school year, I noticed I wasn’t getting as many piano lesson inquiries as usual. I was still able to fill all of my teaching slots for the school year, but it didn’t happen in early June as it usually does. What I failed to notice was that none of the inquiries I did get came through my website.

A few weeks ago, a gentleman interested in piano lessons left a voice message via the SpeakPipe widget on my contact page.

“I sent you a message a few days ago,” he said, “but I haven’t heard back, so I thought I’d try a voice message.”

I had not received his earlier message, so I went to my website and tested the contact form.

Fail!

Messages sent via the Contact Me form were not reaching me! Aaack! How long had that been going on? It could have been for an entire year or more.

Boy, did I feel stupid. I wonder how many potential student families have written me off for being a jerk because I failed to respond to their inquiries. I’m embarrassed; but, like always, we have to learn from our mistakes and move forward, so that’s what I’m doing. I’ve set a reminder in my Google calendar to test my contact form on the first day of each month going forward.

I thought if I shared this little story, someone might avoid making the same mistake I did. Please don’t just assume the contact form on your website is working. Test it periodically!

And maybe it wouldn’t hurt to include a second method for contact, like the SpeakPipe voice message widget. I’m just using the free plan. If I hadn’t had that, who knows how long my contact form would have remained broken before I discovered it?