This post was originally published on DigitalGov.
If you write clear web content that is easy to navigate and answers your readers questions, you will not need to create a FAQ. FAQs often cause your readers more frustration.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) can be overwhelming and leave your customers searching through a sea of content. Before creating a FAQ, think about what you are trying to say, what you want people to do with that information, and the most effective way to convey that information. Often your best solution is a clear, well-organized main content page explaining a process.
How to write better FAQs
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Supplement your main content with FAQs, but don’t try to replace the main content. Do not use FAQs to explain an entire process; a landing page should explain the basics.
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Use real customer feedback. Do not assume what kinds of questions people will have. Monitor customer calls and emails to create helpful FAQs.
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Use language that non-experts will understand. Use plain language when drafting FAQs. Do not burden your reader with insider jargon or undefined acronyms.
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Provide unique content with your FAQs. When a FAQ has the same content as other Web pages, it usually means that the FAQ content is redundant and can easily become outdated, especially when content to the website is updated but the FAQs are not.
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Limit the volume of content. When there are too many questions, searching through them can overwhelm the reader. They may never find an answer to their question.
Designing and editing FAQs
If your agency is using FAQs, the order, length, and content is critical in providing a good user experience. When editing, Catania uses the following process:
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Read through all of the FAQs first. Then, go through and group them by topic/subject.
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Develop headings for each section and organize the content in a way that would make sense to the reader.
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Read through each section and edit the content.
- Focus on steps in a process. Think about what the reader is trying to accomplish.
- Eliminate redundancies. This often helps with organization.
For a good agency example, see the Transportation Security Administration’s Frequently Asked Questions about travel. This page:
- Highlights real questions from flyers
- Uses clear headings to chunk the FAQ into sections and accordion files to keep the page short
- Has short, conversational questions
Turning FAQs into web content
Whether you are trying to eliminate your FAQ section or make certain pieces of information more visible, you may find yourself turning FAQs into web content. Consider the following:
- How many questions are in the FAQ?
- Who will be looking at this content?
- Is the current format helpful to the reader?
- Is this information already available on the web in another format?
- Is the current format easy for readers to navigate and understand?
At USCIS, the Form Filing Tips page began as a lengthy FAQ. Kathryn Catania’s team turned it into web content by adding jump links and headings for people to find their answer.
Resources
FAQs
FAQs are convenient for writers - they put everything in a long list; it's all neatly organised and the 'Q' does a lot of work for you. But they're more work for readers - questions take longer to scan and understand than simple headings and you can't take any meaning from them in a quick glance.
Why avoid FAQs? ›
They are not a helpful way of structuring and providing information. People don't navigate websites looking for FAQs. They scan a page for words or links that work towards their aims. For instance, they look for the term 'Planning applications' rather than 'Frequently asked questions about planning'.
Are FAQs still relevant? ›
Just because FAQs aren't displayed as much in rich results doesn't necessarily mean we should do away with them entirely. Many site visitors do read FAQs and find them helpful and informative. Instead of doing away with FAQs entirely, make sure that your FAQ page is relevant and useful for customers.
What is the disadvantage of FAQ? ›
FAQ sections are not user-centred because a user has no way of knowing if their question is “frequently asked”. They are easy for writers to create, but inconvenient for readers to use. They are often used not as a way of answering users' questions but as another dumping ground for PR propaganda.
What to use instead of FAQs? ›
What is another word for FAQ?
| frequently asked questions | common questions |
|---|
| help section | online guide |
| questions and answers | docs |
| documentation | commonly asked questions |
| answers to common questions | |
How many questions should a FAQ page have? I suggest at least 10 for a full FAQ page. Most businesses can find at least that number to answer concisely. The exact number is less important than being organized and concise.
What is the main purpose of FAQs? ›
It stands for frequently-asked questions, and it's a page on a website that gives quick answers to customer questions. The idea is to keep the answers short and direct so that people find info quickly. We write it as “an FAQ”…
Do FAQs have to be questions? ›
However, FAQ pages don't need to be entirely made up of customer service questions. Helping your customers navigate your site and make decisions is more than just addressing common questions. You can compile all the need-to-knows and make sure your customers are informed.
Should you use FAQs? ›
If you write clear web content that is easy to navigate and answers your readers questions, you will not need to create a FAQ. FAQs often cause your readers more frustration. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) can be overwhelming and leave your customers searching through a sea of content.
What are some good FAQs? ›
Some common examples include questions about service hours, shipping and handling, product details, return policies, etc., depending on the industry. You can have different FAQ sections for different pages of your website. Your FAQ page demonstrates how well you understand your customers.
A frequently asked questions (FAQ) list is often used in articles, websites, email lists, and online forums where common questions tend to recur, for example through posts or queries by new users related to common knowledge gaps.
How to optimize FAQs? ›
How Do You Create SEO-Friendly FAQ Pages?
- Compile the most common questions users have.
- Provide complete, concise answers to those questions.
- Format your FAQ pages for user experience (UX)
- Optimize the title tag and meta descriptions for your FAQ pages.
- Markup your page with FAQ schema.
The 13 best FAQ software and tools
- Zoho Desk.
- SupportBee.
- HelpScout.
- Groove.
- Helpjuice.
- CloudTutorial.
- KnowledgeOwl.
- Stonly.
Make it searchable
Include a search bar on your FAQ page to help users quickly find the answers they need. Plus, include relevant keywords and phrases throughout the page to optimize it for SEO.
Is a FAQ page a good idea? ›
FAQ pages aren't only beneficial for customers; they're a game-changer for your business. Take a look at the benefits they bring to the table: They serve as an indispensable resource for addressing common queries, significantly reducing the influx of repetitive customer inquiries.
How do FAQs work? ›
The purpose of an FAQ page is to provide quick answers to common questions that your business can anticipate. Companies should continuously expand this resource as they acquire more data. “Having an FAQ page is a way to be more proactive and predictive with what your customers or clients are going to need help with.
Should I use FAQ or FAQs? ›
FAQ can be pronounced as an initialism, "F-A-Q", or as an acronym, "FAQ". Web designers often label a single list of questions as a "FAQ", such as on Google Search, while using "FAQs" to denote multiple lists of questions such as on United States Treasury sites.
