Typically posted and left to gather dust, the FAQ page represents an outstanding opportunity to engage potential customers, as well as display your personality and score conversions for your online bookstore. Oh, by the way, adhering to these FAQ page best practices will also cut down on the number of disgruntled customers you have, relieve some the load on your customer service team and minimize email inquiries.
1. Make the Page Easy To Find
When a shopper is in a quandary about something, a surefire way to add to their frustration is make them look all over your site for help. The best user interfaces place a “Help” menu item on the main navigation bar, then repeat it in the footer. Another good idea is to include a link on each product page behind a button labeled; “Ask Us A Question” or “Need to Know More?” However, you approach it, make sure the user is taken to your FAQ page in one click when they need it.
2. Keep FAQs Short and to The Point
Populating your FAQ landing page with topic areas and a search window helps users get to specific information sooner. With a search window available, users can ask a question rather than scroll through every FAQ on the page. This minimizes the frustration factor, which helps them stay in a buying mood. Simplicity rules. One of the key reasons Google became the most popular search engine on the web is its home page is just a white field with a search window. Users could ask what they wanted to know with no other distractions. People like that. Give them a search window and key topic areas, they’ll love you for it. When shoppers find the questions and answers they seek, make your responses pithy, full of personality and get directly to the point in as few words as possible. Answer the question, but don’t go on and on and on.
3. Tell Them What They Want To Know
Too many ebooks online stores populate FAQ pages with what amounts to covert sales pitches. Instead of concentrating on what customers need to know, they tell people what the seller wants them to know. This disparity renders the page largely useless and disillusions the shopper. A well-curated page will satisfy their query and keep them on your site longer—ideally long enough to make a purchase.
4. Use The Page To Learn Your Deficiencies
If you’re consistently getting questions on a particular topic, that’s a sign you’re doing a poor job communicating that information. In some instances, rather than creating a new entry on your FAQ page, go the section of your site best suited to providing a more adequate explanation and rework the content to better deal with the confusion.
5. Direct The User Back Into Your Site
Include calls to action and links back to the appropriate product page to get the shopper back into buying mode as seamlessly as possible. These can be in the form of a button labeled “Back To Product”, or a menu bar offering them a variety of other options—each of which keeps them in the purchasing funnel.
6. Put Your Personality on Display
Your FAQ page is a great opportunity to give your customer an opportunity to bond with you. Humor (where appropriate) can be useful in this regard. Giving customers something to smile about when they’re worried relaxes them and makes for a memorable experience. Demonstrating personality in this fashion also makes your site more relatable.
Adapting your help pages to conform to these FAQ page best practices will make them more useful, while inspiring added confidence in your shoppers.