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a FAQ has the same content as other Web pages, it usually means that the FAQ content is redundant and can easily become outdated, especially when content to the website is updated but the FAQs are not.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
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.
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? ›
Some FAQ pages are written by an organisation with little research done into what their customers are asking, and seem more like a marketing tool than providing answers to actual 'frequently asked questions'. A more refined customer journey and more relevant content on other pages could eradicate the need for FAQs.
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 | |
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.
Is FAQ necessary? ›
FAQs enable you to deal with specific queries that your customers have about your business. They also represent another way to reach out and connect with your target audience. Therefore, it is one of the most important elements of your website strategy.
Why questions should be avoided? ›
"Why?" questions tend to be followed by overly intellectualized or simplified answers rather than rich, descriptive narrative. They also pressure respondents to justify their actions or at least to provide a socially-acceptable answer.
What is the main purpose of FAQs? ›
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.
Is FAQ schema still relevant? ›
Yes, you should still use schema best practices when appropriate, including FAQ markup. Schema markup will not harm your website. While it's significantly less likely that you'll earn an FAQ result, it's still possible to receive them.
How many questions should a FAQ have? ›
That said, you want to find a nice middle ground. Fewer than five questions might indicate you haven't done your research… or that you didn't need an FAQ to begin with. Fielding dozens of questions isn't good either, but if they're all necessary, consider splitting your FAQ into multiple pages.
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.
How do you respond to FAQs? ›
How To Handle FAQs Effectively
- Keep the structure logical, clear, and simple.
- Make sure the answers are straightforward and concise.
- For detailed explanations, provide a link to a guide or article.
- Regularly update questions and answers with new information.
- Organize questions into categories.
- Provide a search bar.
On this page you'll find 3 synonyms, antonyms, and words related to FAQ, such as: common answers, common questions, and listed questions and answers. FAQ (noun as in frequently asked questions) Weak matches. common answers common questions listed questions and answers.
What is the difference between FAQ and Q&A? ›
In this schema type, a question can have multiple answers. This is the basic difference between Q&A schema and FAQ Schema. In FAQ Schema one question has only one answer but in Q&A schema, one question may have multiple answers.
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. FAQ pages streamline communication.
Should you spell out FAQ? ›
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”… (“an eff-ay-cue”) instead of “a FAQ” (a “fack”).
