Does your website have a Frequently Asked Questions Page? If not, then you’re missing out on an incredible marketing opportunity. There are many reasons why you need an effective FAQ page ranging from helping your customers to improving your SEO. Figuring out exactly how to make a FAQ page, though, is another task.
You’ll need to collect information, figure out your content strategy and understand how your FAQ fits in with that. Then you go through the process of designing and testing whether your page is effective.
Read on for insights on how to create a FAQ page, what NOT to do and some of the reasons why it will help your business.
Here’s what we’ll cover:
Writing A well-written FAQ page is essential for both your business growth and brand positivity. Here’s how to execute it.
5 Steps For Creating Your FAQ Page
1. Collect Data
The first question you need to answer when you’re wondering about how to make a FAQ page is data.
Having a FAQ page requires knowing what questions your users are actually asking in the first place. It won’t be very useful to make a FAQ page with questions that are not frequently asked. Talk to your customer service team – ask them for the most commonly asked questions, issues and complaints to get into the mind of the customer.
If you don’t have a CS team, a design feature you might add is a feedback indicator at the bottom of each answer asking, “How helpful was this answer?”
Facebook has implemented this feature as you’ll see above. If the majority of customers’ feedback is suggesting your answers are not useful, use this knowledge to improve the page with what your customers really need to know.
In addition, look at what questions or topics are frequently covered in your contact forms and what questions are asked on other similar websites. Conduct polls and surveys on your social media channels and ask your customers directly what pieces of information are missing on your website. All this data will ensure your FAQ page contains purposeful content with solutions.
2. Design mockups
To maximize clarity, engagement and information for your customers, there are a number of design practices you should follow. Avoid gimmicky layouts and elements that distract from your content – after all, you want to make the reading process as easy as possible for visitors.
Going through the process of a design mockup is crucial for ensuring that your FAQ is well-presented and easy to navigate. Don’t just take the first idea that comes to mind; look at several mockups and choose the best. Sometimes the question of “how to make a FAQ page” is the same as “how to design a FAQ page.”
Take design marketplace website, 99designs. This FAQ page has clear main categories which are further broken down into subcategories for new users and designers. They also list their phone number and a specific request form if you can’t find exactly what you’re looking for. Giving these extra details exhibits a willingness for the team to help in any way possible, making the experience special for the customer.
FAQ page design can range from industry to industry. Find out how to design a FAQ page for every sector here
3. Fits to your content strategy
Clearly, a FAQ page is another piece of content, and it should fit in with your overall content strategy. Write clear answers to all your FAQ questions and figure out the tone and style of these answers and how they fit in with your overall brand and message.
For example, the Cards Against Humanity game (a humorous and offensive card game) web store has their FAQ page titled, “Your Dumb Questions”, to fit in with their purposefully offensive brand.
4. Include a search function
On top of bad design, not having the option to search the page for what you’re looking for and spending time scrolling through a list is frustrating.
Payment platform, Payoneer, offers “fast help” with a search bar so people can get immediate answers. You can also search by topic as well as click the most frequently asked questions. This is definitely a feature to consider.
If you have a lot of questions and answers on there, that amounts to a lot of extra reading for a visitor. Including a search function will speed up the entire process and reduce frustration for the user.
5. Decide where to store the FAQ page
You’ve collected customer data, completed a design mockup, written killer copy and considered including a search bar. Now for the final step – where is the best place to house the FAQ page on your website?
This is an important strategy decision because if visitors can’t find it then what’s the point? Place the page prominently in your website’s menu, sidebar, or footer area to instantly see it.
Sherwood Eyewear, for example, has placed the FAQ page in the footer right next to all the potential categories you might need including the account login page, warranty, returns and order tracking details.
Are You Making These Fundamental FAQ Page Mistakes
Already have a FAQ page? How is it working for you? Check that you’re not making these fundamental errors so that your FAQ Page is working for you rather than against you:
- The FAQ information is outdated. You haven’t removed old questions or added new concerns that have come up since the page was created.
- Answers include complex marketing or industry jargon rather than plain language. You find yourself defining terms when you’re meant to be providing a solution. If you find yourself doing this, you need is a glossary, not a FAQ page.
- Answers are basic and leave you with more questions than answers.
- The information is badly organized, links take you in circles and it’s difficult to sift through to find the answer you’re looking for.
- You leave no way of being contacted if you don’t answer their question. This may leave the reader frustrated with a bad impression of your company.
If you answered yes to any of these points, the challenge, then, is to update the FAQ page you have so that people find it easy to use.
Read on for some adjustments you can make today.
Already Have A FAQ Page? How To Improve It
Just because you have a FAQ page doesn’t mean there isn’t any room for improvement. Remember – this page serves the customer and is supposed to replace a real-life customer interaction they might have had with your staff. Take another look at it in line with the following points:
- Keep the information updated. If you’re still getting the same questions asked over and over, then you may have old information up there. Regularly check the content on your FAQ page to make sure that it’s accurate and up-to-date whether that’s to keep up with seasonal changes or new problems that form over time.
- Break up questions and answers so they’re direct and simple. Is your content text heavy and difficult to scan? Split questions up so that they don’t cover too many topics at once. If your answers are becoming long and detailed, consider whether the question can be split into smaller sub-topics.
- Use social buttons to link your customers with support and extra information. For example, you can include a Contact Us section at the end. “If we didn’t answer your question, you can Tweet us or message us on Facebook and we’ll get straight back to you”.
- Reassess your navigation and design. How clearly is your information categorized? If it’s text heavy and hard to locate different questions, one solution is to include collapsible windows to demarcate individual categories.
- Edit all the copy to fit the brand: When was the last time you checked over what you wrote all those years ago? It might be time for another edit to proofread and also assess whether the tone of voice fits in with your brand.
Key Takeaways On How To Make A FAQ Page
Making a FAQ page doesn’t have to be complicated. By following the above steps your FAQ page will be helpful, well-designed and will fit in with your larger content strategy.
Remember to:
- Collect data on what questions your customers need answers to.
- Go through several design mockups to perfect the layout and make it as easy for customers to use as possible.
- Keep the tone and style of writing consistent with your brand.
- Consider using a search function to remove all potential for frustration.
- Locate the FAQ page in an easy to find spot such as the header or footer.
- If you already have a FAQ page, reassess the design and content.
Make sure you check out our design tips and templates as well for more FAQ page creation ideas. For more on everything digital marketing related, stay tuned to our blog and follow us here to keep in touch.
