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:
- 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.
- 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).
- 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?
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
I just remembered a couple other things that might be helpful in creating an effective FAQ page - I figured I’d just drop them in here (and be the first to comment). They are:
4. ask repeat questions. Even though you want to write your FAQ with fluidity and flow in mind, you want to remember that most visitors aren’t going to read everything. Make your FAQ easily-scannable, and don’t be afraid to repeat yourself; offer the same important information (and the same brand experience) multiple times.
5. be humble. The idea behind the FAQ section is to give information, but no one like a know-it-all. Try to say what you need to say, while still leaving room for gray areas (and things yet to be determined). It gives your voice a feel of reality, and encourages readers to engage with you (about the things you left open).
I made ours part of our wiki so people could put the question in there themselves if they wanted to (nobody has yet), then I could go answer the question there as well. It is very dry though, so I think I will take your advice and add in my opinions on women and/or ice cream.
JAY: Thanks a lot for stopping by, man… great to see you here!
That’s a great idea, too - to make your FAQ a wiki (which only increases the chance for one-on-one conversation with your customers). I love it.
I just added “what’s your favorite Ice Cream Flavor?” to your Wiki. You shouldn’t have a problem spicing it up now.
And by the way, for all the readers here - Jay helps people get health insurance over at http://www.healthinsurancecolorado.net. I found him on google, he helped me out bigtime (getting my policy), and has become a friend on here.
If you’re looking for health insurance, call him - if he even charged for his service (he doesn’t), it would be worth every penny.
Brian - Thanks for the recommendation and adding to our FAQ page. Now every time I have good ice cream I can go to that page and edit the answer.
The most important questions “Why am I here and why do I care?” should be answered for users before they even have to look for an FAQ — it’s in a supporting role. Nonetheless, these are good stage directions.
Don’t forget to keep your FAQs up to date. Remove questions that are no longer an issue (ex: “When is version 2 coming out?” after it’s release) and add ones that crop up.
A good way to make an FAQ page that let’s people ask questions is with breezyfaq.com