Ten Tips to a Useful FAQ Page

Garrett Moon reports:

"The first rule of FAQ pages is to avoid them as much as possible. Ironic, right? Sometimes FAQ pages can become a dumping ground for the things that we can’t put anywhere else. This leads to many problems. For example, it can prevent the FAQ page from having a focused purpose. If you are just pulling a bunch of random questions, the page will be hard to navigate and understand. The other reason to avoid FAQ pages is for consistency of information. Usually, with websites we group pages by related content. Sometimes FAQ sections can feel like a grab bag, which might cause a visitor to miss other vital information...Organization is key. Many great FAQ pages are useful because their questions are well[-]grouped and categorized. Questions should be broken down into common categories so that visitors can easily find what they are looking for...Similar questions should be grouped together, even if i[t] makes the page longer. If your page is [well-]organized, your visitors won’t mind a little scrolling...Sometimes FAQ pages get used as a place to share those questions that we never get to answer, rather than the ones that everyone wants us to answer. It is important to remember that these are your customers['] most common questions, not just the things that you want to tell them. Keep your questions on-topic and customer[-]focused...Customers and business owners talk differently. You should be writing your page in a way that resonates with your customer...This means you need to use their language and their slang...Providing an example image, or screenshot, can be a great way to add more value to your page. Make sure your visual element is applicable and sized reasonably for the page. It is just another way to add some value to your site...Visitors tend to scan the page, rather than reading everything. Making sure your headlines and questions are sized properly can make a big difference in the usability of your page...If your FAQ page starts to exceed a handful of questions, adding a search option can be a very good idea. This will help your customers and visitors find things quickly and easily. I don’t know how many times I have watched a web visitor frantically scan for a search option when the site gets overwhelming. Make it easy on them...If you overload your FAQ page with too many questions, you will overwhelm your readers and prevent the[m] from finding value in the page. Be a careful curator of content. Only give them what they want and need...A simple way to gain some search engine value from your FAQ section is to create dedicated landing pages for important questions. This can especially be important for long-tail searches, such as when a user searches for an entire question...If you create individual landing pages for common questions, Google will link your site to relevant Google searches. Now, that’s good for everyone!...As always, the key to a great website or FAQ page is to keep it customer[-]focused. Just like your products and services, your website needs to be built around your customers and the problems you solve. If you keep customers in the middle, you will always do just fine."