11 Tips for Building a FAQ Page for an eCommerce

Catering to your customer’s needs and providing a top-notch experience is an integral part of running an eCommerce business. You have to offer high-quality products, lightning-fast customer service, and an eye-pleasing well-functioning website.

However, regardless of whether you own a simple online store, a major marketplace that connects millions of sellers and buyers, or a social media gig harnessing the power of live stream shopping, your customers will always have questions to ask. And your best strategy is to answer them in advance.

In this article, we talk about the benefits of having a FAQ page on eCommerce and provide 10 practical tips to help you get started.

Why Do You Need a FAQ Page for eCommerce?

FAQ pages are a valuable asset to an eCommerce’s digital strategy. Nevertheless, their significance is often underestimated, and they are not given enough credit for the advantages they provide to a business. And those are more than a few:

• Better User Еxperience. Not everyone is familiar with online shopping. By encouraging even novices to use your eCommerce with ease, you facilitate retaining them as clients. If people are happy with the experience and enjoy your products, there’s no reason why they wouldn’t return.

As for experienced customers, they have little patience when looking for what they need. They are used to heading straight to the FAQ page for quick answers to their questions. If there isn’t one, they are prone to just leave.

• Search Engine Optimization. FAQ pages are a great way to boost your eCommerce SEO efforts with additional keywords.

Furthermore, they may potentially reduce bounce rate, increase the time people spend on your website, and encourage engagement and conversions. All these show search engines that you are providing a good user experience and, as we know, this is very important for your ranking and performance in the SERPs.

In addition, eCommerce falls in the category of YLYM websites, and, according to the EAT regulations, Google wants those to have clear and transparent information.

• Improved Customer Service. If you don’t have all the necessary information neatly organized in one place, customers will keep on contacting your customer service with random and mundane queries. Instead of focusing on complicated cases that need personal attention, your reps will be overloaded with tickets for simple issues that can, otherwise, be resolved in seconds.
• Competitive Advantage. People often shop outside of working hours – making impulse purchases or simply utilizing their spare time. However, if they have questions and are unable to find answers, they might wait for your customer service’s working hours or find an alternative online store. A FAQ page provides a convenient way to cover all common questions customers ask you and remain their first choice.
• Building Trust. Insufficient information can drive people to suspect that something is off with the website. Moreover, building trust is vital because when making a purchase, people have to share their personal details with you. And if they don’t trust you, they are likely to become reluctant and leave.

11 Tips for Building an eCommerce FAQ Page

When we talk about frequently asked questions for online shopping, the focus usually falls on the “frequently asked” part. However, when building a FAQ page for eCommerce, you should try to cover all possible questions a customer may have.

Here’s how to do it.

1. Look for Inspiration in All the Right Places

You should start by looking for inspiration and listing ideas on what to include on your FAQ page.

To that end, consider checking out the following places:

• Other FAQ Pages. Research what other online shops feature on their FAQs. There may be topics that you haven’t thought of, as well as other useful ideas about the design of the page, the type of menus, the quick links, etc.
• Your Search Bar. If you have a search bar (and you should), consider monitoring how people use it and take note of the phrases they’re keying in. These may indicate what your customers care about, the items that are the hardest to find, and other valuable insights.
• Keyword Research. Consider using SEO tools to find out what aspects of online shopping people often struggle with. The keywords they use may help you optimize your eCommerce FAQ page to be more visible in organic searches. It will also make it easier for customers who are already on your website to find what they need.
• Customer Service. Customer service tickets are a great source for ideas about frequently asked questions. Your reps can tell you about the most common issues your clients face, what they’re struggling to find on your website, etc. Adding these to your FAQ page will make it easier for customers who prefer to look for solutions themselves rather than contacting support.

2. Provide a Complete Shopping Process Description

As mentioned, not everyone is completely at home with online shopping. Elderly people, for example, often need help finding their way around an eCommerce site, and if the process is confusing they may give up altogether.

Providing detailed information about every step of the purchase, and solutions to all possible setbacks will give all your customers the confidence to successfully complete the checkout.

Consider also including video tutorials showing the process click by click to ensure that it’s completely clear.

3. Make Your FAQ Page Easy to Find

The FAQ page should be accessible on the main menu, the footer, and all other relevant pages. Researching your customer journey and creating customer journey maps will show you where visitors experience difficulties. These are good places to add links to your FAQ page. This way, when people face issues or become confused, it will be easier for them to find a solution, instead of just leaving.

4. Don’t Skip Payment Information

People have different shopping habits and these often include payment method preferences. If your customers have to go through with the whole checkout process in order to be able to find what payment methods you support this may lead to unpleasant surprises and frustration. Especially if their most convenient option is not on the menu.

However, if the information is easily available, they will be able to find it in advance, make a better-informed decision, and plan their purchase.

5. Pay Special Attention to Shipping and Other Taxes

Nothing frustrates online shoppers more than unexpected shipping costs and additional taxes. Experienced users often make it a top priority in their purchasing process to check out these conditions and decide whether the product or service is worth the extra money.

This information should be easily available on your homepage, especially if you offer free shipping with a reasonable threshold. However, on your FAQ page, you should also provide a detailed overview that mentions if there are other shipping options available, the taxes that apply, and any other relevant information.

For example, some businesses don’t ship to student residences or to self-service storage spaces. Packages often remain uncollected at such locations and this complicates returns. Your customers should be aware of these conditions before they start adding products to their baskets. Otherwise, they may feel disappointed and that could cause them to bad mouth you.

6. Be Clear About Your Returns and Refunds Policy

Online shopping can be tricky. Seeing a product in a picture or video is not the same as touching it, holding it in your hand, or trying it on. To help with this, people should know that they can count on a hassle-free return. However, as policies may vary from shop to shop, you should provide a clear overview of the conditions applying to yours.

Make sure to include information about who covers the shipping taxes for returns (you or the customer), the timeframes, and the address. In addition, don’t forget to clarify any other important detail, such as the condition of the item, the packing, and anything else that may apply to your product.

Refunds should also be explained in detail, as the method or the waiting time could be frustrating for the customer. If your policy is not clear, this may create uncertainty and damage the user experience.

7. Create an Easy-to-Use Sizing Guide

Choosing the wrong size is one of the most common reasons for unsuccessful online purchases. Providing clear information about your products’ sizes and dimensions will make it easier for people to visualize them and decide whether the item matches their requirements.

If the product is a wearable one, you should also provide charts and/or actionable instructions on how to find out one’s size.

For example, different countries and brands have variations in shoe sizes, and the best way to determine your fit is to measure your foot. However, this is easier said than done, and getting it wrong can result in buying a pair that doesn’t fit well. If you are selling shoes, you can advise your customers to step in a box, put their heel to the box’s side and outline their foot. Then they can draw lines connecting the outermost points to find out the length and width, and compare it to the sizing guide you’ve provided.

Including such practical information in your eCommerce FAQ page will improve the user experience, reduce the number of returns, and may boost customer satisfaction.

8. Explain Pre-Orders

There are different ways to handle pre-orders and informing your customers about your business’s approach will help them understand the process better. In addition, it may save them unpleasant surprises.

For example, some companies charge upfront, while others – when the item has been despatched. In both cases, if the transaction is not expected, it may create confusion.

Furthermore, preorders carry a moderate risk both for the customer and the client. If there are unexpected issues or delays, this can affect the user experience and may hurt your reputation.

Using your FAQ page to provide clear information about different scenarios will allow the customer to evaluate the risk and make an informed decision. This way, if an issue does occur, they will be less frustrated.

9. Cover International Services

One of the greatest benefits of eCommerce is that it provides businesses with access to the largest market there is – the whole digital community. However, while online shopping can be as easy as clicking a button, tangible products still need to cross the physical distance between the seller and the buyer.

International deliveries can be complicated as they are either too expensive or too slow. That’s why some businesses choose not to support this service.

Regardless of whether you ship abroad or not, you should provide this information to your international visitors. Additional taxes and policies for international clients should be clearly explained. And while you may not be shipping out of your country at present, you might change your mind in the future, and this allows you to keep your door open to that possibility.

10. Add Relevant Updates Often

The FAQ page on your eCommerce should be updated regularly and the information on it should always be fresh and relevant. You can instruct your customer service managers to keep track and notify you of frequently asked questions and other topics that may be of interest to your customers. Whenever you come across something important that you have not covered on the info page, you should immediately create an entry for it.

In addition, you can use the FAQ page to clarify information about upcoming events, seasonal discounts, loyalty programs, and any other relevant topic.

Updating your content often will also contribute to your SEO efforts.

11. Integrate a Chatbot

Integrating the information from the FAQ page into a chatbot will make it more convenient and interactive. This is particularly useful for eCommerce stores with hundreds of products in various categories.

A chatbot is the middle-ground between live customer service and a FAQ page, and enables customers to find the information they need with minimal effort.

Furthermore, if you have the budget for an advanced AI solution, it can also be fun. The bot can maintain realistic human-like conversations with your customers and thus keep them engaged. This way they will not only find answers to their questions, they will spend more time browsing your website.

Bottom Line

Online shopping can be both fun and convenient for the customer. However, to make this happen, businesses have to facilitate a hassle-free purchasing experience. One of the easiest ways to that end is by building an eCommerce FAQ page with all the necessary information a customer may need.

Staying ahead of your client’s needs and enabling them to shop with confidence and minimal frustration is a prerequisite to retaining your audience and growing your business.