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Unleash the web power of FAQs

Adding a well-constructed, well-written and well-organised set of Frequently Asked Questions to your website can bring your business some significant advantages.

Suffolk-based Xtrahead Copywriting & Marketing explains why – and how.

Why FAQs on your website can really make a difference

Whether you’re selling products or services, promoting hospitality or home improvements, a set of customer-relevant FAQs on your website can have the power to:

  • improve and support customer understanding of your offer
  • provide reassurance and allay any customer concerns
  • reduce time-wasting calls to your customer services
  • improve the customer journey around your website by providing signposts to information which may have been otherwise overlooked
  • improve website visibility in browsers such as Google

It’s also a way of clearly setting out important information – like your operating procedures / requirements during time of national or local COVID restrictions for example.

All this can be only a well-linked web page away.
So how do you get started?

Tip 1: Do the Research – How to create first class Web FAQs

  • Note down all the questions you get asked most frequently – yep, that’s a no-brainer.
  • Brainstorm with your team.
  • Think about your target markets – your customer profiles and what’s important to them. You never know, but going through this exercise might highlight things which you perhaps don’t shout about clearly enough on your website at present.
  • Ask a third party to take a look . All too often when we know our own business inside out, we don’t notice things because they are obvious to us. Perhaps we don’t realise when we’re using jargon or tech-speak either? It can be hard to step back and evaluate what your customers really understand.

Web FAQs Page I Need an extra set of eyes? Just ask Xtrahead »

Tip 2: Get things organised

You’ll want your customers to find the answers they need quickly, so plan out a structure and group related questions. You’ll probably discover that some overarching questions may cascade into subsets of further questions or answers. That’s ok, but try to keep things simple.

  • Plan headings and subheadings – reach for keywords which customers might be looking for – that’ll help the search engines find stuff too!
  • Think of how you can showcase any business strengths when you are starting to prepare your answers.
  • Note down where material is covered in detail on your website, so this can be signposted.

Tip 3: Make sure the writing is clear, concise & on brand

At first glance, FAQ content may seem like an easy win, but it needs the same meticulous approach as the other pages of copy on your website.

If you are getting asked the same question regularly, that in itself might ring an alarm bell. Have you really got the information adequately covered already? Is it there and just hidden or confusingly explained? You might wish to take the opportunity to put this right, or simply choose to state things more clearly in your FAQs. Whichever you opt for there are some tips worth following…

  • Keep your messages consistent. That doesn’t mean that FAQ answers have to be really detailed, just that they must reflect what is said elsewhere. You’ll want the answers in your FAQs to make things clear, not add to the confusion.  
  • Keep the writing in the same tone of voice / brand style as the rest of your website, but…
  • Don’t be tempted to cut and paste copy from other pages located either on your website, or on those of your competitors(!) Duplicate copy is a no-no. Unique, coherent and really relevant content is king.
  • Use keywords and additional formatting such as bolding and bullet points if appropriate – the first will help your online search facility do its stuff if you have one, the second may help customers scanning the page hone in on information quickly.

Web FAQs Page I Need help with a re-write or getting stuff in order? Just ask Xtrahead »

Tip 4 – Join up the thinking – How to create Web FAQs that work

FAQ pages can be a really useful resource for customers – and for your team. See it like an in-house sitemap, a touchstone or the hymn sheet for everyone to sing from. To make it even more helpful:

  • Link back from your answers to relevant pages where appropriate, or include a link to an anchored point where the relevant information sits on a specific page.
  • Include regular reminders on the page of how to contact you – and invite your customers to contact you if they can’t find what they’re looking for.
  • Set up a plan to log any newly occurring FAQs and add them to the page regularly, removing or reviewing material so the information here stays spot on and right up to date.

Interested in getting your website FAQs in place, but could do with a cost-effective helping hand and some switched-on thinking?

From driving instructors to glaziers, wedding venues to boatyards or B&Bs, we’ve helped businesses in East Anglia and beyond unleash the web power of FAQs and make a difference.

Call us now