One of the most important, yet often a neglected, website pages is the FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions). Most local businesses spend a good percentage of their time answering the same questions over and over again. These calls will never be eliminated yet having a comprehensive FAQ section on your website can save a great deal of time by answering the most important and frequently asked questions.
Often when I suggest this to a client they tell me that they like talking to their customers. They feel that talking to the customer often increases loyalty and, to some extent I agree. On the other hand, in today’s busy world where every adult is trying to cram more activities into their work day, many times the customer would rather pick up their smart phone and quickly go online rather than call. Having a place on your website where they can get their question answered saves both you and your customer time.
Let’s have a look at some of the top tips that can come in handy for you when creating a FAQ for your website.
Use Simple Language
The first rule you need to follow when writing a website FAQ is to use simple, short, easy to read language. The general advice for any website content is to target an 8th grade reading level. Using unfamiliar business or industry terms in this section will, quite possibly will lead to more frustration, not less.
Write from Audience’s Perspective
The easiest way to know what to put in the FAQ section is to keep track, on paper or in your head, of the questions you and your staff are frequently asked. Another tip, something most of us forget to do, is to listen to your answers to those questions as you are talking to your customers and prospects. If you have a short memory like me you could record your phone call and listen to it later or have it transcribed. This is a quick and efficient way many businesses use to create website content. Lastly, remember to write from the perspective of the audience. Use the words ‘you’ and ‘your’ instead of ‘me’ and ‘our’.
Avoid Irrelevant and Unnecessary Questions
Never write FAQ just for the sake of writing. Make sure all the questions that you have written in the FAQ section are relevant and serve a purpose. Irrelevant and unnecessary questions in the FAQ section will fill up space on your website for no purpose.
Maintain a Flow
It is important to write questions in an organized manner. Again, think about when you are speaking to a new customer or answering questions about a particular type of product or service. What does the customer ask first, second, third? Put the questions asked first and most often at the top. You should also sort the questions into categories and give each one a sub-title on the page. One subsection can have questions related to placing an order another section related to the delivery of products. This will make it easier for the user scan through the questions and quickly find the answer they are looking for.
Search Feature
When there are a number of questions on the FAQ page, make sure there is a “Search” feature. This gives your users a way to save time by going straight to the answer they need without having to go through all the other questions that are not relevant for them.
To sum it up, the FAQ section of your website deserves as much attention as other parts of your website. This will save time for both you and your staff, and just as importantly, your customer and prospect. Following the top tips mentioned above will help you decide on the appropriate questions to include and an easy style of delivery that your customers will appreciate.
