How to create FAQ pages
What is an FAQ page?
A frequently asked questions (FAQ) page addresses common questions customers have about your business’ products and services. FAQs can be a useful and informative tool throughout any stage of the customer journey. They provide an avenue to share knowledge with users who visit your business website.
FAQ pages can play a pivotal role in helping you establish a robust online presence. And help you get the most from your business website. These pages can help answer customer queries and help boost customer experience.
Customer experience is vital for helping you generate new customers and encouraging repeat business. FAQ pages can offer an avenue for users looking to find the information they need when navigating your business website. This can help them feel confident enough to make a purchase.
Below, we'll delve into the importance of effective FAQ pages for businesses. This will include best practice tips for creating them. And we'll touch on the process of launching, monitoring, updating, and expanding your FAQ pages over time.
How FAQ pages can help improve customer experience
Customer experience is an integral part of running any business. Your FAQ pages can act as a customer experience assistant, providing instant and valuable information to customers even when you’re off the clock.
Well-designed FAQ pages mean customers can easily navigate and find answers to common questions quickly. They can enhance user experience by providing quick, useful and accessible information.
By proactively addressing your customers common queries, businesses can build credibility and trust. Learn more about ways to improve your customer experience.
How FAQ pages can help increase sales
FAQ pages can help increase your number of sales. Before making a purchase, a customer will usually research a business or product. If the answers to their questions are easy to find and appropriately answered, this can encourage the customer to proceed with the purchase. This in turn, can help increase the number of conversions you make.
Learn more about conversion rate optimisation (CRO).
Key elements of an effective FAQ page
Creating a successful FAQ page requires careful consideration. Most of all, it’s important to keep things simple. FAQ pages need to be clearly organised with headings, subheadings and categories. This will help the user easily find and digest the information they’re searching for.
The layout should facilitate easy navigation, with clear categories and concise answers. Searchability is also important. You could implement a search feature if your FAQs are particularly substantial. This way, the user can look up questions and find answers quickly, without the need to manually scan through each question.
Adding a live support element to your FAQs pages can help boost user experience. That way that if the customer has a more complex query, or can’t find the information they need, they can still opt to connect with a team member.
How to create an FAQ page
Below, we’ve laid out some best practise tips for creating FAQ pages.
Define the purpose and your goals
Different FAQ pages or sections will have different purposes. For example, you may have an FAQ page that addresses:
- Questions about your company
- A specific product or offering
- Questions about your industry.
By clearly defining the goals of each FAQ section, you should be able to align this with your business objectives. For example, an FAQ section detailing information around delivery timeframes, may help a potential customer feel confident when ordering online from you, therefore increasing sales.
Structure FAQ pages
FAQ pages are all about helping customers understand. The way the information is structured and presented is just as important as the language used.
You also want to structure FAQ pages in a way that search engines can understand. This will help boost search engine optimisation (SEO), improving your website’s visibility on search engine results pages.
Ordering questions by popularity is another strategy you can consider. This means the customer shouldn’t have to navigate too far before their query is answered. Alternatively, it may make sense for you to order your FAQ pages alphabetically for ease of navigation.
A long slab of text won’t be too helpful to customers who are looking for a specific answer. One good way of breaking them up is by organising the FAQs into different sections, defined by individual questions.
Another way to structure FAQs would be to use collapsible sections on your webpage. This is so it’s easier for users to find and reveal the answer they need, without having to consume too much extra content.
Structure can make all the difference when it comes to how customers and search engines interact with your page.
Optimise your FAQ pages
To ensure that both users and search engines will interact with your FAQ page, it’s important to optimise a webpage’s user experience (UX).
You can optimise UX in the following ways.
Increasing page loading times
You do this by making sure the webpage doesn’t have too much unnecessary code. Or that the images and video content is the right size and not larger than it needs to be.
Using schema
Schema is a type of code that makes it easier for search engines to understand your website content. Implementing it will help boost search rankings, and it might even help serve your answers at the top of the search engine results page.
Making your page mobile friendly
According to GlobalStats, 54.58% of website traffic comes from mobile devices. So, it’s important that when these mobile users get to your site, it’s optimised for them. This means improving site speed, ensuring correct image dimensions, and removing pop-ups.
Monitoring your FAQ pages
Once your FAQ pages are crafted, the next step involves monitoring their performance. You can do this by checking your site’s analytics to see how much traffic and engagement the page is getting. If you see that the page has a lot of users entering and then exiting away with no interaction, there’s a chance that the page isn’t optimised correctly.
Update FAQ pages
As time changes, so can customer awareness of a subject. This means that you’ll need to continually be researching what questions your customers are asking.
For example, if your offering becomes well-known, people may have more questions around your company specifically or about what differentiates your product from other competitors. Or, the market may shift, creating a new audience for your business. This may mean new or different customer questions could arise.
You can track useful sources such as Google Search Console, competitor updates, trends in your industry, or on-site search behaviour to help give you more insights.
Undertaking keyword research in your industry can also give you more information on what your customers are regularly searching for.
FAQ page examples
- Microblog FAQs - These are short, blog-style entries that address specific questions individually. They enable detailed, easy-to-digest answers on a wide range of topics. Microblog FAQs are great for content-driven websites and any platform where detailed answers can enhance the user experience.
- Product-led FAQs - This format usually sits on a product page. Product-led FAQs typically address common questions related to product features, usage and benefits. They are great for eCommerce websites and businesses selling complex or high-value products.
- Single page FAQs - FAQs are consolidated on a single web page. They’re often categorised for easy navigation. This format is simple and convenient for users to browse through all the questions and answers in one place. Single page FAQs are great for service providers or business websites with a moderate number of common queries.
- Accordion FAQs - Accordion FAQs are listed with expandable sections, enabling users to click and reveal the answers. This format helps keep the page clean and organised while providing detailed answers when needed. Accordion FAQs can be great for websites who receive a large volume of common queries, such as eCommerce platforms or technical support sites.
- Tabbed FAQs - This format uses tabs to separate different categories of FAQs. They enable users to switch between sections easily. It helps organise extensive information in a user-friendly manner. Tabbed FAQs are great for complex business websites with diverse categories.
- Interactive FAQs - These FAQs include interactive elements like chatbots or clickable icons that guide users to the answers they need. This format can help enhance user experience. Interactive FAQs can be great for businesses looking to provide a high level of customer experience, interactivity and engagement.
- Video FAQs - These are FAQs presented in video format, offering visual and auditory explanations. Video FAQs can be great for educational websites and anytime visual demonstrations can significantly aid understanding.
- Downloadable PDFs - FAQs compiled into a downloadable PDF document. PDFs enable users to save and reference the information offline. This format can be useful for comprehensive guides, professional services or product manuals.
- Forum-style FAQs - Forum style FAQs empower users to post questions and get answers from both the business and other users. This format is great for communities, forums and platforms that benefit from user interaction, peer support and shared knowledge.
- Searchable FAQs - This type of FAQ format can include a search bar allowing users to type in keywords or questions and find relevant answers quickly. This format is great for users who know exactly what they’re looking for on comprehensive websites.
Elevating customer experience with FAQ pages
FAQ pages play an important role in customer support, especially for time-stretched businesses. They can offer a win-win solution, benefiting both businesses and customers.
By providing quick, accessible information, FAQ pages can enhance user experience, drive organic traffic, and help establish brand credibility. Embrace the potential of FAQ pages to help elevate your customer support and solidify your online presence.
Originally published January 2024, updated August 2024.
Frequently asked questions
FAQ stands for "Frequently asked questions". It’s a section on a website that addresses common queries users may have about a product, service, or topic.
The primary purpose of an FAQ page is to provide users with quick and concise answers to commonly asked questions. They help users find information efficiently, reducing the need for them to contact customer support or search through extensive content.
A well-organised FAQ page can enhance user experience by addressing common concerns promptly. They can also help reduce your customer support workload and contribute to improved customer satisfaction.
Yes, in some instances, a FAQ page may serve as an entry point for users seeking information on a search engine, for example, Google or Bing.
There’s no strict rule for the length of a FAQ page. It's important to strike a balance between providing comprehensive information and avoiding overwhelming users. You can regularly update and refine the FAQ page based on user feedback and evolving needs.
Design plays a crucial role in usability and accessibility. Make sure to present clear and concise content, searchable interfaces, and live support options. A well-designed FAQ page can contribute to a positive user experience.