You don’t need an FAQ page. Here’s what you need instead.

You don’t need an FAQ page. Here’s what you need instead.

Do you really need an FAQ page?

This depends on two things:

  • How much time you spend answering the same questions over and over again [*]
  • Whether your audience expects you to have an FAQ page

[*] – Interestingly, the first criterion leads to the biggest misconception about having an FAQ page (or even an FAQ section within your sales page). Namely, that every frequently asked question qualifies as “FAQ.”

Yet, that’s not the case.

The biggest misconception about FAQ pages and sections

? Not every question you get asked often qualifies as an FAQ

Especially fundamental questions about your business, like:

  • What do you offer?
  • Whom are your services for?
  • Why choose you?
  • How much does it cost?
  • How long does your online course lasts?

…or any other information that has a major influence on your prospects’ buying decision should be present in your main website copy: Homepage, sales pages, and About page.

?? Examples of questions that qualify as FAQ:

  • What are the shipping costs?
  • Is there a money-back guarantee?
  • How do you get a refund?
  • How long will I have access to the course materials?
  • I’m (in this super-specific but common situation). Will this (offer) still help me?
  • Specific questions about a piece software (what’s the newest version, how to install, how to trouble-shoot, etc.)

…or any other information that is not a direct deal breaker but can ease a common uncertainty for a prospect and give them a final nudge.


In short:

? Does not belong to FAQ: crucial information about your offer that has a big influence on buying decision.

? Belongs to FAQ: additional information that is not a direct deal breaker for most but addresses a super-specific but common uncertainty/objection.

In most of the cases, it’s better to answer the questions your website visitors may have on the spot—on a specific page they may need this information.


FAQ page: Pros and Cons

?? Pros:

  • Weeds out the clients who won’t be a good fit
  • Reassures your ideal clients that you are what they need
  • Saves you time creating separate pages
  • Can boost your SEO

? Cons:

  • Not many people will visit it (based on my experience in analyzing website performance data of my clients)
  • When someone has a question on another page, they may not think of checking your FAQ page and may leave your website

You may think that there are more pros than cons. But if you look closely, the two cons cancel the first two pro points: if only few prospects visit your FAQ page, it won’t help you weed out bad leads or reassure your ideal clients that you’re a good fit.

What to add to your website instead of an FAQ page?

Instead of lumping all the questions about all of your offer(s) on one page, anticipate the questions your prospects may have on every page and provide the answers on the spot:

  • On your homepage
  • On your service / product pages
  • On the checkout page
  • Anywhere where you ask a prospect to take an action but anticipate particular reservations

Decided to have an FAQ page anyways? Follow these best practices:

  • Structure it for easy navigation
  • Make it scannable
  • List most often asked questions first
  • Don’t duplicate existing content
  • Make the answers succinct and to the point linking to the in-depth posts on the topic, if necessary.
  • Add a link to your Contact page at the end encouraging your visitors to contact you if they haven’t found the answer to their question

??Agonizing over your website copy?

Get a clear roadmap that shows you what to write on each web page (and how).

Not sure what to put on your homepage? Tired of rewriting your About page? Don’t know how to structure your service pages?

Building a website can be overwhelming. But it doesn’t have to be.

Use this website content checklist to fill every page of your website with content your audience will love and turn your business website into a business generating machine.

  • A handy PDF with 200+ checkpoints for the 9 most important pages of your website
  • Super-specific content creation tips
  • Checkpoint summary images to print out and track progress

Get the ultimate website content checklist >>

***

Gill Andrews is a conversion copywriter and a UX specialist who turns underperforming websites into lead-generating machines.

?? Want more actionable tips that will help you improve your website? Check out Gill's book "Making Your Website Work: 100 Copy & Design Tips for Smart Business Owners"

Lea Farrow

Clear messaging and marketing support for coaches, consultants, and service providers ?? I help you focus on simple, intentional, sustainable strategies that work – not what's trending ?? Marketing Mentor & Copywriter

7 个月

I love your breakdown on this, Gill. While I don't have a standalone FAQ page on my website, I do like to include little FAQ sections on service pages, if relevant. In my experience, some people like to muse over every word of copy on the page, whereas others are chronic skim readers and end up looking for the key info in the FAQs (on the same page). So I like to keep any type of reader engaged in the way they prefer to consume content!

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