You probably have an FAQ page on your website. Most businesses do, whether large or small or somewhere in between. An FAQ page is integral to good customer service. Customers expect it to be there no matter the time of day, even if they land on your page while browsing at 2 a.m.
With a good Frequently Asked Question page, customers save time by accessing a central location. It will answer the most common questions about your business, including business hours, return policy, product usage, pricing, and more. And, of course, you – the business owner – and your employees save time because the FAQ page often eliminates the need for excessive calls or emails that a human must answer.
But every FAQ page is not created equal, and you can certainly make sure yours stands out and does what it’s meant to do by giving it a little extra attention. It’s important to recognize that you can do much more than post a list of a few dozen questions with short answers. To make that page truly effective, consider some of these ideas as you build or tweak it.
Make your page easy to scan
– Just like with your content pages, your FAQ pages should be easy for a customer to scan quickly. It’s a rare website visitor that reads an entire page! That’s why you want to employ simple techniques like putting the questions in bold type or sizing them so that they’re slightly larger than the rest of the content on the page. This makes the page extra user-friendly and helps customers avoid frustration caused by a hard-to-navigate page.
Use language that’s easy to understand
– Remember that your customer doesn’t have the same knowledge of your products and services that you have. That’s why questions AND answers need to be written in the vernacular. (Okay, that was a joke. Don’t use words like “vernacular”.) Seriously, make sure you are using lingo that is not too technical, sophisticated, or complex but can be easily understood by the customer. FAQ pages are no good to your customer if they can’t grasp the answers.
Use some photos/graphics
– If visual elements apply to your Frequently Asked Questions page, use them to create more interest and visual appeal. However, don’t just paste random pictures or graphics to the page if they don’t relate to the content or the questions you’re addressing.
Carefully curate your FAQ page content
– You’re not going to be able to answer every question your customers might have via the FAQ page. There will be times when customers/clients need to be in touch with you in some other way. So, don’t try to include every question you can think of on your page. You should be addressing only the most frequently asked questions, hence the page’s name. To do this, you and your staff can keep track of customer emails and calls and compile a list that truly hits the mark.
Employ clear navigation
– Your FAQ page shouldn’t be a lesson in futility. It needs to be a spot where finding answers is easy, so clear navigation is necessary. If you’re using WordPress, you can employ tools such as “jump-to” links that allow you to click on a question listed at the top of the page, which will then let you jump to the answer further down. You might also consider collapsible windows for your FAQ page or separately linked pages. In the latter, you’ll create separate pages for each question or category and link them all to the FAQ page.
Don’t let your FAQ page remain stagnant
– Have you ever landed on an FAQ page to realize that it’s outdated? That happens frequently! Remember, as your business changes (new products, new services, change of location, etc.), your FAQ page also needs to be amended. However, it’s often the last page that business owners update. That’s not a wise idea! Keeping your FAQ page up-to-date will keep your customers satisfied and save you time in the long run, even if it takes extra work hours to re-do it when necessary.
Make sure your FAQ page is seen
– Finally, an Frequently Asked Question page does no good if your customers can’t find it. Make sure the link is displayed prominently on your website and isn’t just a tiny afterthought at the bottom of your page.
Need help drafting or recreating your FAQ page? Our team at Watershed9 can assist you in creating a concise, easy-to-understand page that keeps your customers happy and returning to your site repeatedly. For more information on how our experts can help you tweak your FAQ page and the remainder of your website, call us at 604-337-1449.