Dialed customer service lately? Yep, menu after menu, then that crazy message about "unusually high call volumes," like it's your fault for calling with a problem.

Truth is, people call your business these days only when they're already good and upset. But you can defuse a lot of that, and cut back on call center costs, by meeting them halfway on the Web.

It goes beyond a simple contact page and the obligatory "About us" bios. A good small business site should be a voluminous resource for your customers and vendors.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Write a decent FAQ page

Q: What's a FAQ page. A: Questions followed by answers, with the goal of reducing unnecessary customer contact. Frequently-asked-questions pages are best done on a single page using HTML coding to allow readers to navigate quickly top to bottom. They can save your more savvy online customers a lot of hassle, and build business.

I recommend: The HTML Writers Guild offers this guide to writing FAQs that includes a template. Google's general FAQ page is good example to model on.

Got a highly technical product? Consider a knowledge base

Beyond the plain vanilla (and often beautifully simple) FAQ is the more daunting 'knowledge base' concept, which is more like publishing a manual online than a few common questions. Still, they can be a good idea if your customers need in-depth guidance

I recommend: If a knowledge base is the answer, consider integrating it into your systems (your own people will use it as much as vendors and suppliers). Some providers of knowledge base programming including Interspire, FAQ Manager Pro, Talisma, and Fuze.

Get chatting with them

It might seem a bit cutting-edge, but younger customers will be absolutely comfortable chatting with an agent before dialing a phone. Chances are, they are among the cellphone-only generation, and won't want to waste minutes on your hold music.

I recommend: Some providers of this service, which integrates a chat screen with your Web site, include Boldchat, 123LiveHelp, LiveChatNow, WebsiteAlive and Helponclick. Some companies are experimenting, too, with simply letting agents talk with customers via popular free instant message programs like AIM, MSN Messenger (rechristened Windows Live), Yahoo! Messenger and Google Talk. Look for Skype, an Internet phone service with messaging owned by Ebay, to matter in this space.

Don't keep them on the line

Technology is racing ahead of robotic menus and 'dial 1' for sales, 'dial 2' for service. Get back to your customers directly with click-to-call services: They enter a phone number on your site, you call back as soon as an agent is ready.

I recommend: Most are highly programmable, too, allowing the customer to designate when to call and what number. Some venders of click-to-call services include Clixme, LivePerson, RingCentral, ZiffTalk, and Estara.

Grow your customer base with your business

Once you get well past the start up phase, you will at some point likely have to consider a full-fledged customer relationship management system. Advantages: Intergration from back office to sales and out to customers and suppliers. Disadvantage: Money, this is for businesses where each contact churns big sales.

I recommend: Some of the major-leaguers in this space including Salesforce.com, SAP, Oracle, Microsoft, and IBM. Read, too, this FAQ on CRM at CIO magazine, if you're not sure your company is truly needs this much software power.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  A weakness of FAQs is confusing them with a knowledge base. Put in your FAQ the truly repetitive stuff, the really frequently asked questions. That will keep it simple and manageable for your site's visitors.
• •  Make your contact page more obvious and more useful. Many times, people come to your site just to try to find your business. Full address, switchboard numbers and a contact phones for sales, service, etc. are absolutely essential.
• •  Don't go overboard on Web design. Lots of perfectly good company Web sites are ruined by overuse of Flash, Java and other goodies designers love but busy customers hate.