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helpful tips

Copywriting: 3 tips for creating an effective FAQ

by brianlburns on 7 January 2009

in FAQ, helpful tips

The Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page is the red-hair stepsister of most websites… a place to cram all the information you couldn’t fit anywhere else (and that you want people to stop bothering you about). I’m here to say that if you do treat your FAQ page that way, you’re missing a great opportunity to communicate your message, and connect with your customers.

To write an effective FAQ page, treat it as another dynamic connection point with your customers - a place not only to disperse important information, but to get to what’s really important… communicating who you are, and what you do.

Here are a few tips to help you do so:

  1. When you give answers to questions, speak not only to to what, but why. For example, if you have a certain policy that effects your users, tell them what it is, and then tell them why you have it. If you do this, you’ll provide more context to not only help your customers better understand your policy, but also understand the company culture that produced it.
  2. Answer questions directly and casually. Just because you’re providing important information, and just because you’re answering questions that aren’t being asked right now, doesn’t mean you can’t answer them like you’re talking directly to a human. Answer them that directly, and your answers will be more clear, and you’ll establish a friendly, conversational tone (that will payoff on other pages).
  3. Have fun with it. People are expecting a dry, fact-based presentation. Why not surprise them? Go ahead and ask youself: “Jeez… it seems like you guys really rock. Is that correct?” Or go ahead and answer a Frequently Asked Question about your taste in Ice Cream (if not women). Let your personality shine through, and give your customers a chance to connect over a laugh.

Take another look at your FAQ page… and ask if it’s really serving your website (and not just dragging it down). If it’s the later, take a try at rewriting it, and try out some of the ideas here.

YOUR INPUT: Did you find this helpful? Do these tips apply to your FAQ… or is your company an exception in some way? Did I miss any important points here?

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