How To Write An Effective FAQ Page

 by: David Coyne

Websites that have multiple pages usually have a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)page. There are several good reasons why you should have one.

1. An FAQ clears out any confusion your prospect might have about buying product. Remember, a confused mind always says no.

2. It lets a prospect grab key information quickly.

3. It creates a positive impression with your prospect because you’re acknowledging that their time is precious and they want answers quickly.

4. An FAQ saves you time. The more answers you provide at your website, the less customer emails you’ll get asking the same questions over and over.

Before you write an FAQ, do some research. Think about your favourite websites and formulate some questions you might ask about their products or services.

Now surf to those websites and review their FAQ pages. Were you able to find answers to your question quickly? Or did you have to scroll or click through pages to find what you were looking for? Were the questions separated into logical categories or were they put in random order?

This should give you an idea of the “do’s” and “dont’s” of creating an FAQ.

Another valuable research technique is to ask good friends or customers to give you feedback on your products or service. What questions popped into their minds when they visited your website. (You might offer a small gift or discount to your customers in exchange for feedback.)

After getting everyone’s comments, assemble the questions and group by category. For example, questions about how quickly you ship products would be under your “Shipping” category, etc.

Write your FAQ in a “Question & Answer” format.

Organize the questions in each category so the most important questions appear near the top.

Create a “Table of Contents” at the top of your FAQ page and put the most asked questions here.

Hyperlink them so your customer just has to click to get to the answer. Or hyperlink your categories at the top of the page.

Here’s a few more tips:

• Keep your FAQ updated. Are the answers still relevant? Review monthly.

• Keep your questions and answers concise. No more than a paragraph. If the question requires a long, detailed answer, have a link to a separate webpage.

• Don’t create your FAQ as a file that a prospect has to download to read. Most people won’t bother, and they’ll leave your site frustrated.

• Include info and links at the bottom of each FAQ page so that a prospect can contact you if they still have unanswered questions.