Frequently asked questions about FAQs – including why your website should have one

A must-have for your eCommerce site

FAQ pages. We’ve all seen – and read – plenty of these handy pages before.

FAQ pages are useful for providing information to your customers, addressing common concerns and building trust with your audience. They’re also often the first port of call for customers looking for a quick answer online.

Here, we dig a little deeper into FAQs to explore their purpose, value and benefits, plus outline how to create a great FAQ page for your own store or website.

What is a FAQ page?

As the name suggests, a ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ or FAQ page is a page on your website that lists and answers the questions your customers regularly have about your products, policies (including shipping, delivery and return policies), or any other aspect of your business.

It can be a standalone page or part of a larger help centre on your website. A FAQ page can also be interactive, allowing users to search for specific topics or keywords, or filter by categories or tags.

Why is it important for your website?

FAQ pages can add value for your business in a number of ways:

• Improve customer satisfaction and loyalty: make it easy for shoppers to follow a path to purchase, address potential barriers and reduce confusion by providing clear and helpful answers to common questions. It also provides an opportunity to show you care about customers’ needs and be transparent and honest about your business.
• Reduce customer service workload: by providing self-service information to shoppers, you’ll likely reduce the number of enquiries and requests coming in. Topics like ‘how can I track my order?’ or ‘what is your return policy?’ would be among the most common enquiries you can – and should provide answers to on a FAQ page.
• Outline your key selling points: you can also use a FAQ page to outline any awards, testimonials, ratings or certifications your business has achieved, while also highlighting some of your brand or product’s unique selling points.
• It’s great for SEO and site traffic: by using relevant keywords and answering common questions, you’re also likely to improve your page ranking and visibility on search engines.
• It can lead to conversions: linking your FAQ page to other pages on your website – such as product or landing pages – can increase engagement on these pages and lead to additional product sales. 
  

What to include in a FAQ page?

The content of your FAQ page will depend on your industry and type of products you sell. For example, a retailer selling food or wine would have very specific guidelines about the correct storage and handling of its goods that a fashion retailer wouldn’t.

Here are some topics you should cover off:

• Company information such as your history, mission, sustainability initiatives or community partnerships.
• Specific features about your products – especially if there are any unique selling points or instructions.
• Pricing and payments info – for example, do you offer Afterpay, digital wallet payments and any discounts or offers?
• Subscription or membership info, such as the benefits of subscribing or costs associated.
• What shipping speeds you offer, including the cost of each.
• Delivery estimates – you can use this guide to keep up to date with the latest Australia Post delivery timelines.
• Information on how to track a parcel – it’s a good idea to include a link for customers to download the Auspost app – so they can track their own deliveries without needing to contact you.
• Your return and refund policy – which should clearly spell out any conditions, exceptions, the process and timeframe to set clear expectations with customers prior to purchase.
• How to use collection points such as Parcel Lockers for delivery.
• Customer support details - including all the different ways to contact you, plus turnaround times for a response.
• Terms and conditions, privacy policies or any disclaimers it’s important to notify customers about.

How to take advantage of a FAQ page

To maximise the benefit of your FAQ page, there some best practice guidelines to keep in mind. Here are a few tips to follow:

• Research your audience and their questions: you probably have a pretty good idea of the most common questions coming in, but it’s a good idea to validate this using customer feedback, surveys, reviews, social media, analytics or keyword research. Your customer service and sales teams will have great insight into the right topics to cover in your FAQs.
• Organise your questions and answers: grouping questions and answers by topic or relevance, using subheadings, bullet points or numbers will make it easy for users to navigate the page and quickly find what they’re looking for.
• Use clear and concise language: avoid jargon or technical terms and explain things simply, ensuring you provide enough detail where it’s required. Write questions the way a customer would ask them, and answer them like you’re talking directly to a customer too. You could add videos, images or screenshots to support the written answers.
• Update your FAQ page regularly: this is one page you can’t set and forget – it needs to be reviewed and updated whenever vital info changes. For example, if you start to offer a new shipping speed, or your fulfilment times slow down during peak sale periods, you’ll need to update the answers to these FAQs. Don’t forget to monitor customer feedback and trends for any new FAQs to add, too.
• Think it through: remember, this is an important customer service and even sales tool, so your FAQ page should be well researched and executed, not added as an afterthought.

A FAQ page is a valuable asset for your website and your business. It can help you provide information, address concerns and build trust with your customers or visitors. Importantly for your bottom line, it can also help reduce your customer service workload and lead to sales and conversions. Think about how to review, research, reorganise and reshare your FAQs today.