How to promote FAQs to End-Users

[sailships]

For those that want to contribute (as I am sure that this can be useful to more people that just me!)...

I'd love to receive some free-form suggestions on how to promote FAQs to an end-user.

I'm looking for ways to at least drive/encourage an end-user to:
- be more aware of FAQ's on a webpage
- be encouraged to check FAQ's *before* placing a call to a Call Center

[le_gber]

hello sailships and Welcome to WebmasterWorld [webmasterworld.com]

be more aware of FAQ's on a webpage

do you have one FAQ / page or do you want the FAQ link to be more prominent? If the latter I think the FAQ link should be 'above the fold' either with other navigational links at the top of the page or in it's own box with sample questions on page that may cause problem.

be encouraged to check FAQ's *before* placing a call to a Call Center

make your FAQ easy to scan - group question by theme for example.
make it 'harder' to find the call center number without checking the FAQ ie. put the link to call center only on the FAQ page if people still can't find the info.

hope this helps

[pageoneresults]

Ah, one of my favorite subjects, FAQs.

I consider FAQs to be an integral part of a successful website. One of the first things I tell a client is to start thinking like their visitors. Break out of the "know it all" mode and act like "your" typical visitor. What questions would I have about the product and/or service you are offering? I'll ask the client to bring in other personnel and brainstorm this one. It's always nice to get a long list of suggestions and then trim down from there.

If it is the type of site that generates a lot of questions, then FAQ links should be prominent. Probably part of the primary navigation links. I normally recommend an <ol> style page layout. This way the Q&A's are easily referenced by number. It is much easier to send an email and direct someone to question #22 on a particular FAQs page. I also recommend the use of named anchors for FAQs so users are one click away from an answer.

There are many ways to "skin this cat" too. A single page with an ordered list of links at top with named anchors leading to the answers below the fold (BTF). Or, multiple pages for longer Q&A's where a single page becomes to much to manage and has crossed the usability borderline.

[sailships]

Thanks!
These are definitely great suggestions!

We use a Customer Management tool... so the customer has to log in before they actually see the FAQ's, which are then listed by topic from keyword searches.

I think it would be beneficial tho to have maybe some "front line" FAQ's and use several of your suggestions!

Thanks so much!

[Beagle]

If by "front line" you mean FAQ's that visitors can read without logging in, I would say to definitely do that.

In addition to what's been said, it seems useful to make the FAQ's part of the "help" or "support" section (as well as having a link of their own), so that if someone goes looking for a way to ask a question, they immediately see the FAQ's. -- FWIW, this isn't from any research, but from my own user experience.

[old_expat]

Sell the fact that you have a viable FAQ .. then follow up by making your FAQ *EASY* to use.

People get tired of needing to read entire questions to find the subject .. normally at the end of a sentence.

All my FAQs are:

<strong>keyword(s)</strong> - How do I ......?

Then they are organized by

1 - logical sequence of keywords

or

2 - alphabetically

or

Give the user an option.