If you’re one of those savvy Internet shoppers that would rather buy online than go to a shopping mall any day of the week, you know exactly where to find information on a site. But do your customers know where to look? How long do you think they’ll search before they leave? Following are 6 helpful FAQ tips that can keep your customers online and buying from you instead of buying from your competition.
MAKE IT EASY
Keep your “Help and Frequently Asked Questions” section easy to find on every page. The most common places for your customers to look for “FAQs” is in either the header or the footer. A general rule of thumb is that your answers should not be more than 2-3 clicks away. More than that and you’ll have customers leaving your site or picking up the phone and calling your customer service team. Calling in is preferable to having them leave, but it’s expensive. So do your budget a favor with easy-to-find FAQs.
KEEP IT UPDATED
Make it a practice to review your FAQ section when you make any changes to the site. That will ensure that your content is kept up to date. When customers find mistakes on your site, it creates a bad impression. Nothing is more embarrassing for your customer service team than having to speak to a customer who finds an error or a discrepancy before you do.
SUBJECT MATTERS
Keep the answers short and to the point because customers won’t want to read a paragraph for every question they may have. But, ensure that the answer is there and it is not too vague. Ask your customer service team if the answers seem complete — they will always give you an honest answer!
USE IMAGES FOR CLARITY
Sometimes a visual image or diagram hits home much quicker than just a paragraph of plain text. Generally, the more complex the instructions, the more visuals that are needed for clarity. In lieu of words, using universal icons can also make a good impression if relevant and placed in the right areas.
BETTER YET, USE VIDEOS
Like it or not, we live in a world of instant gratification. We would rather watch a 3-4 minute video than search FAQs for 10 minutes. Per YouTube.com statistics, there are 4 billion video views a day. Those numbers should encourage you to make the move to video if you haven’t yet. Check out our blog with six tips for recording a decent digital video to get started!
KEEP IT LIVE — USE CHAT
I’ll admit it — I’m spoiled by our 24/7 Live Chat. There have been times that I have literally left a website just because I had a question and they didn’t have a chat option. In the past, having live chat was considered a bonus feature for many websites, but times have changed. Live chat is really becoming a benchmark requirement for an eCommerce website. Your chat team can be a very valuable asset to your company and help save those potential customers from exiting your site.
I hope that I was able to provide some quick easy steps for you to take your FAQs to the next level. Your customers will appreciate the effort that you put into them. Have a great day and Happy Shopping!
Do you have an FAQ section on your website? What tips and tricks have you learned along the way? We’d love to hear from you! Leave a comment below or connect with us on Facebook, Twitter or Google+.