How to set up a lead follow-up bot
Make sure every website enquiry gets a fast, friendly reply, even when you're on the tools.
Someone fills in your website form at 7pm. You're on a roof, or at dinner, or asleep. By the time you reply tomorrow afternoon, they've already booked the business that answered first.
Step by step
- Find where your website form sends enquiries today.
- Write an instant reply: thanks, what happens next, when they'll hear from you, and a link to book a call if you have one.
- Set it up as an autoresponder in your form tool or CRM.
- Create a follow-up task for yourself in your CRM for the same day.
- Add a second automated email at day 3 if there's been no reply from them, checking if they still need help.
- Track how many enquiries turn into jobs so you know it's working.
Watch-outs
- Don't send more than 2-3 automated follow-ups.
- Check your autoresponder doesn't land in spam: send a test to Gmail and Outlook addresses.
- Under the Spam Act, marketing messages need consent and an unsubscribe; replying to an enquiry is fine, ongoing marketing needs consent.
A worked example
A Geelong bathroom renovator's website form sends enquiries to HubSpot's free CRM. An instant email goes out: thanks, here's what happens next, we'll call within one business day, and here's a link to book a time. HubSpot creates a task for him to call that day.
If the lead doesn't reply or book within three days, a second email asks if they still need help. He tracks how many enquiries turn into site visits. Within a couple of months he knows which suburbs and services bring the best leads, and he's stopped losing the 7pm ones.
What it costs in Australia
HubSpot's free CRM covers basic forms and contacts; its paid Starter plans add more automation (check HubSpot's AUD pricing). Many form tools have free autoresponders. For SMS follow-ups, ClickSend is pay-as-you-go with top-ups from A$20 and free inbound replies. Zapier's free plan gives 100 tasks a month and two-step Zaps; Professional starts at US$19.99 a month billed yearly (approx. A$29) or US$29.99 monthly (approx. A$43) for 750 tasks. Make has a free plan with 1,000 credits a month; check Make's site for current paid prices.
Prices are approx., October 2026, converted at about A$1.43 per US$1 where the vendor charges in US dollars. Your bank may add a foreign transaction fee. Check the vendor's pricing page before you buy.
The legal bits
An instant reply to someone who just enquired is generally fine, because they asked you a question. Follow-up marketing is where the Spam Act bites:
Spam Act 2003: emails, SMS and other commercial electronic messages need the person's consent (express, or in limited cases inferred from an existing relationship), must clearly identify your business, and must include a working unsubscribe or opt-out that's actioned within five working days. The ACMA enforces this and the penalties are serious, so keep a record of how each person opted in.
Privacy Act: if your chatbot or bot collects names, emails or phone numbers, that's personal information. Tell people what you collect and why, link your privacy policy, and know where your vendor stores the data (APP 8 covers sending personal information overseas). The Australian Privacy Principles apply to businesses turning over more than $3 million and to some smaller ones, such as health providers. Following them anyway is good practice and builds trust.
Need the AI prompts? On our sister site: Write a follow-up email after a quote · Prepare for a sales call.
Questions
Should the first reply be from AI?
A well-written template is usually better. Use AI to help you write it, then keep it fixed.
SMS or email?
For trades and urgent services, an SMS reply often gets seen faster. Check your SMS provider's costs.
Should I follow up by SMS?
It works well for trades and services, but only if the person gave you their mobile for that purpose. Keep it short and identify your business.
How fast should the first reply be?
As fast as possible. An instant automated reply buys you time to call properly.
Do this today
Fill in your own website contact form right now and see what happens. If nothing comes back, set up an autoresponder today.
Related guides
- How to set up an FAQ chatbot on your website
- How to set up a social media posting bot
- How to set up a review request bot
Need prompts for the AI steps? See 40 AI use cases with copyable prompts. Want a hand? Get in touch.