Published
June 23rd, 2012 by
Roslyn Garavaglia 
Do we need FAQ’s?
Firstly, FAQs should start with not using the word FAQ! Lots of people still don’t understand this acronym. Use Frequently Asked Questions instead or be inventive. We call ours the Bonza Help Centre. over atBonzawebsites.
If I’m in a rush and want an answer to the most common questions, I go straight to the FAQ page on a website. If there’s no Frequently Asked Questions page I may abandon that site and search elsewhere rather than sift through the site’s content to find the information.
Having said that, if the site architecture of the website is designed well and the content thought out very carefully, the information might be right in front of me and that site will not have or need an FAQ Page. That’s ideal!
How to tell if you need an FAQ
When you start hearing the same questions repeated over and over in emails, during phone calls and face-to-face with your users, is a good indication they’re not finding answers in your site content. You could look at your site content and address the issue there, and, or, start developing an FAQ page.
A dynamic FAQ page can be a valuable part of your web site, particularly if it’s considered a knowledge asset and maintained with the same care as the rest of the material on the site. Key word here is, “dynamic”, keep it up to date and useful like you regularly update the rest of your site.
Design an Effective FAQ Page
Most businesses throw what they deem to be likely questions and answers on the page and call it a day. Others continue to dump random badly written information which is not customer focused. A “great” FAQ page should be designed to make life easier for your visitors.
Craft answers to questions carefully, don’t just write down the quickest, first thing that comes into your head. The key to a successful faqs page is to provide information that not only informs, but helps your visitor to take action instead of hitting the back button. A good way to get feedback or have users interacting, make it easy for them to ask a new question. If someone can’t find the question, it’s likely they’ll want to ask it. You could include a question form or just make sure your contact details are easy to find from that page.
Summary
FAQ pages can be one of the most useful parts of any website, but without proper thought they can also be a pile of junk. Make sure you think about how your visitors will actually use your FAQs, and make sure you consider their needs throughout the design process.
Take the time to turn your answers into something that keeps your user reading and intrigued. Write something that causes them to feel you offer something no one else does and then write an action phrase that helps your visitor to click on the “take action” link”.
