In the age of early morning Internet surfing and immediate gratification, people expect to have their questions answered as soon as they are asked. They don’t care what time it is and they don’t want to be put on hold to wait their turn for a customer service representative. Some don’t even want to wait for a chat representative to type. A solid and honest list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) can go a long way towards building and keeping a client base and towards fostering a high level of customer satisfaction.
Strategy Beam explains that high-quality FAQ content helps viewers quickly understand your products or services. These question lists are a go-to destination for many readers. Clear and concise presentation and content will not only provide peace of mind to potential customers but also can drive other traffic to the meatier pages in your site. The key is to provide supportive responses in simple language that is written to address customers in all parts of the sales funnel.
Experts agree that bite-sized information is essential. Information should be current and complement content in other areas of the site. Answers can include visuals to support the text or video tutorials. All language should reflect positively on your business while portraying a level of transparency that builds trust and improves perception of the brand. The Nielsen Norman Group recommends that answers to FAQs be factual and frank versus filled with marketing hype. Creativity counts and patronizing language hurts. But don’t be afraid to include questions with obvious answers. The FAQ page IS a selling page and can be used to highlight operational details , communicate the vocabulary of your business, and manage customer expectations at an early point in the client relationship.
The FAQ page should be simple to navigate. Wix suggests it be easily skimmed – all questions listed with links to answers. If more in-depth information is available or necessary as part of the answer, an entire page might be dedicated to that topic. Categories, separating font differences and images may be used to create an at-a-glance FAQ list. As explained by Phaseware, questions may be categorized by product, concept or department. It is agreed that FAQ lists, especially lengthy ones, should be searchable to shorten the time necessary for a reader to find the desired information. It is also suggested that feedback opportunities be part of a FAQ page with either a rating system or an opportunity to communicate a question that couldn’t be found.
There are differences of opinion as to the best placement for a FAQ list. Some would recommend it be part of the navigation menu or support page while others suggest it should be prominently available on every page – especially the pricing/ordering page. There is a general consensus that there should be multiple opportunities within the FAQ to easily link back to content and purchasing pages to increase conversion rates of undecided clients.
The benefits of having a FAQ list are not only for the customer. Key words within the FAQ answers help with rankings within search engine results. Random visitors to your site are more likely to read your FAQs than any other content. The FAQs are an opportunity to incorporate standout features of your business and to overcome common objections and misconceptions held by underinformed readers. Your FAQ list can also save you money. Sizing information will reduce returns, process information will reduce confusion, and content from the list is easily copied and pasted into email responses from your business. The more authentic your list of FAQs, the more your customer service staff will be able to focus their efforts on the complex issues. On the back end, analytics of the length of time viewers spend on the page, information regarding which questions are viewed and where readers went after the FAQs will allow you to adjust your page and website to better serve your clientele.
FAQs are an essential self-help function of a website and offer timely resolution to common questions. Conversational tone and active voice will go a long way towards building relationships with current and potential clients and creating a comfortable forum for exchanging information. The FAQ page provides a quick source from which viewers can find out more about your business and firmly establishes you as the expert. It reduces customer anxiety about using your product or service, removes obstacles that impede your conversion rate, and improves customer satisfaction by providing immediate information to your site visitors.
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