Introduction

You’ve got a website. Enquiries come through. But are you turning those enquiries into customers? Many small businesses lose potential customers through slow responses, poor follow-up, or unclear communication.

Here’s how to handle online enquiries so they become paying customers.

Speed Matters

The Reality of Response Time

When someone enquires online:

  • They’ve often contacted multiple businesses
  • They want answers quickly
  • They’ll go with whoever responds helpfully first
  • Waiting hours or days loses opportunities

Response Time Targets

Ideal

  • Within 1 hour during business hours
  • Same business day maximum
  • Out-of-hours: first thing next morning

Acceptable

  • Within 4 hours during business hours
  • Within 24 hours overall

Too Slow

  • Next day or later
  • “We’ll get back to you when we can”
  • No response at all

Why This Matters

Studies show:

  • Response within an hour dramatically increases conversion
  • After a few hours, enquirer has often moved on
  • No response = lost customer and potential bad review

Setting Up for Success

Check Enquiries Regularly

Don’t wait for notifications:

  • Check email multiple times daily
  • Monitor social media messages
  • Review contact form submissions
  • Check voicemails

Mobile Notifications

Get alerts on your phone:

  • Email notifications
  • Facebook page messages
  • Instagram messages
  • Website form alerts

Respond from anywhere.

Dedicated Email

If possible:

  • Separate enquiries from general email
  • Clear subject lines
  • Easy to track and prioritise

Team Responsibility

If you have staff:

  • Who responds to enquiries?
  • What’s the backup?
  • How are enquiries tracked?
  • Who follows up?

Clear responsibility prevents gaps.

The First Response

What to Include

Acknowledge

  • Thank them for their enquiry
  • Confirm you received it
  • Show you’ve read their message

Answer

  • Address their specific question
  • Provide helpful information
  • Be clear and concise

Next Step

  • What happens next?
  • When will you follow up?
  • What action should they take?

Tone

Be

  • Friendly and professional
  • Helpful and clear
  • Genuine and personal

Avoid

  • Corporate speak
  • Generic templates that feel impersonal
  • Being too casual for your industry

Templates (Used Well)

Templates save time but need personalisation:

Good Template Use

  • Standard information included
  • Personalised to their enquiry
  • Feels like individual response

Bad Template Use

  • Obviously copy-pasted
  • Doesn’t answer their question
  • Feels robotic

Types of Enquiries

Quote Requests

Respond With

  • Confirmation received
  • Questions you need answered
  • Timeline for providing quote
  • Alternative contact if urgent

Follow Up

  • Provide quote promptly
  • Follow up if no response
  • Ask if they have questions

General Enquiries

Respond With

  • Clear answer to their question
  • Additional helpful information
  • Invitation to ask more
  • Call to action

Complaints or Concerns

Respond With

  • Acknowledgment of concern
  • Apology for their experience
  • Plan to address it
  • Direct contact for resolution

Handle sensitively—complaints handled well can become loyal customers.

Spam or Irrelevant

Not every enquiry is genuine:

  • Don’t waste time on obvious spam
  • Be cautious with suspicious requests
  • Ignore fishing for competitor information

Following Up

When They Don’t Respond

Your first response didn’t get a reply:

Wait Appropriate Time

  • 2-3 business days typically

Send Friendly Follow-Up

  • Reference original enquiry
  • Offer to help further
  • Provide easy way to respond
  • Don’t be pushy

One More Try

  • After another few days
  • Brief and helpful
  • Make it easy to re-engage

Know When to Stop

  • Usually after 2-3 follow-ups
  • Don’t become annoying
  • Leave door open for future

When They Go Quiet Mid-Conversation

Conversation started but stopped:

  • Follow up once
  • Provide easy next step
  • Don’t assume the worst
  • People get busy

After Providing Quote

Quote sent, no response:

  • Follow up after 3-5 days
  • Ask if they have questions
  • Offer to explain anything
  • One more follow-up after a week or so

Tracking Enquiries

Simple Tracking

Keep track of:

  • Who enquired
  • What they wanted
  • When you responded
  • Status (new, quoted, won, lost)
  • Follow-up dates

Tools

Simple

  • Spreadsheet
  • Email folders
  • Notes app

More Advanced

  • Simple CRM
  • Enquiry management software
  • Email automation tools

Start simple, get more sophisticated if needed.

What to Track

Metrics

  • Number of enquiries
  • Response times
  • Conversion rate
  • Common questions

Insights

  • Where do enquiries come from?
  • What makes enquiries convert?
  • Where do you lose people?
  • What could improve?

Common Mistakes

Slow Response

Already covered—but it’s the biggest issue.

Incomplete Information

Not answering their actual question:

  • Read their enquiry carefully
  • Address their specific needs
  • Provide relevant information

No Follow-Up

One response isn’t always enough:

  • Follow up on quotes
  • Check on decisions
  • Nurture leads appropriately

Making It Hard

Creating barriers:

  • Requiring phone calls when email works
  • Complicated processes
  • Not being available when they’re ready

Giving Up Too Soon

Some customers need time:

  • Multiple touches often needed
  • Don’t write off after one try
  • Build relationship over time

Being Too Persistent

But also know when to stop:

  • Respect their decision
  • Don’t become annoying
  • Leave good impression for future

Building Systems

Standard Responses

Create templates for common enquiries:

  • Quote request response
  • General information
  • Service explanations
  • Follow-up messages

Personalise each time.

Response Schedule

Build into your routine:

  • First check: Morning
  • Second check: Midday
  • Third check: End of day
  • Weekend: At least once

Handoff Process

If you have staff:

  • Clear handoff procedures
  • Nothing falls through cracks
  • Customer gets consistent experience
  • Someone always responsible

Conclusion

Handling enquiries well is often where business is won or lost. Respond quickly, be helpful, follow up appropriately, and make it easy for customers to do business with you.

Set up systems that work for you. Track what’s happening. Learn from results.

For local Western Sydney businesses, being responsive and helpful stands out. Many competitors don’t do this well—there’s advantage in getting it right.

Every enquiry is a potential customer. Treat them that way.

Want a mobile app to go with your website? Our app development team at Awesome Apps builds native iOS and Android apps for Australian businesses.

Cosmos Web Tech is the web development division of Ganda Tech Services, specialising in website design, SEO, and e-commerce for Australian businesses.