Do you regularly get asked the same questions over and over again? Set up an FAQ page on your website with answers to the most frequently asked questions and then direct incoming inquiries to this. It will save you a lot of time and effort.
Questions will differ from business to business depending on what your customers or clients ask you.
If you have a bricks-and-mortar shop it may that you need to give directions to your shop or let customers know where the nearest parking is and what it costs. If you have an online business it may be that you need to let clients know about your working hours, the best way to contact you and how to make a booking or cancel an appointment.
To help you get the most out of your FAQ page, use the three top tips below.
Prioritise your Q&A’s
You could end up with quite a long list so may sure you prioritise your questions with the most common ones at the top. If the list really is getting out of hand, think about putting questions into sections. A section on location could give both the directions and parking information. A ‘working together’ section could include questions on working hours, terms, and conditions, booking, cancelling etc.
When you are giving the answers to the questions listed, make sure you reiterate key benefits to the reader rather than just cold, boring facts. This FAQ section can be a great selling tool where you really overcome any objections a prospect has so make the most of it.
Keep answers short and sweet
Remember to keep your answers short, sweet and to the point. You don’t want to go off on a ramble that leaves the poor reader more confused than when they started. Try and keep answers to just one or two sentences where possible.
Consider using video for answers that need a more in-depth explanation. Again, keep it as short and sweet as possible but it can be easier to get a point across clearly in a video than trying to explain it in text.
Keep answers updated
Do make sure you diarise to keep your information updated on a regular basis. You don’t want visitors rocking up to your shop if the nearest car park listed on your site has closed! Yes, it happens!
It can also be a good idea to include a form at the bottom for readers to ask a question that is not listed and if you are sitting at your laptop frequently, think about having a live chat box to answer questions in real-time.
Do you have an FAQ page on your site already? How about sharing to give us all inspiration? Pop the link in the comments box below.
A website is a key part of any business in today’s online society and should form an important part of your marketing strategy.
Consider just a few key points and use this checklist when planning a website to ensure it gets the end result you are aiming for.
Who is the website for?
Who is your chosen audience? Who do you want to attract? Don’t fall into the trap of trying to make your website attractive to everyone. It just won’t work. Think of your ideal customer and plan everything to attract just them. They are the ones who are most likely to become your future customers and spend money with you.
Aims and objectives
What is your USP? – Why will people use your site and not that of your competitor? What is it offering that others don’t? If there isn’t a clear differential then you really need to narrow down your niche target market and give them exactly what they want. It could simply come down to the ease of use and navigation or that the checkout process is easier.
Decide on content
What type of information will you be using and how will it be structured in terms of navigating through the site? Will you be using white papers, videos or infographics? Think about the different types of content that will be used and how they may link together.
Lead capture
Most small business when planning a website want to create more business and one of the best ways of doing this is to create a database from visitors. To turn your website visitors into contacts and future clients you need to capture their details by use of a sign up form. Make it clear and easy for them to sign up and offer an incentive in exchange for their details.
Comply with the law
When you collect information and data from visitors to your website, you need to comply with the law. Even if you don’t have a sign up form but use Google analytics or any other type of tracking, you need to comply with data protection laws and meet the criteria on the use of cookies.
Email accounts
How many email accounts are you going to need for your site? You may wish to have a generic info@ along with separate ones for existing clients or order queries. Check with your hosting company how many your plan includes to ensure you are able to have the ones you want.
Integrate social media
Think of your website and your social media accounts as a spider’s web all linking back to each other. Make sure people can link to your social media accounts from your website and vice versa.
Branding
Make sure your website ties in with the branding on all your other marketing material. The colouring and logo should be consistent across all your marketing mediums whether printed or online.
Personality
Make your site stand out with its own personality. This will depend upon your business aims and your target market but consider if you want your site to fun and funky or whether it should be more formal and serious.
Taking the time to think about the checklist above when planning a website can make the difference between it achieving what you want it to do or not.
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