Just The FAQ’s Maam
Virtually all of us at one time or another have been in search of a product or service online and ran into a few dead ends. You’ll finally find what you’re looking for however some questions remain unanswered. “How much are the shipping costs?” “How long will it take to be delivered?” Considering the world of embellished garments and customized products, it’s a no-brainer the questions your web site visitors have could be on a grand scale.
The simple solution is adding a FAQ page to your web site. (Frequently Asked Questions). Any experienced apparel decorator knows that customers come with curiosities on all levels. In regards to garments, “How much will this shrink?” In regards to printing, “How well will this hold up when laundered over time?” and my personal favorite regarding turnaround time “Will my order be ready tomorrow?” And there are many benefits to having a FAQ page on your web site beyond helping and educating your visitors.
First and foremost it can save you time. The new customer who calls and explains it is their first time to ever order custom printed apparel begins to set off an almost memorized tutorial within us when we start the task of explaining how our business operates and how things are done. From pricing to sizes, available colors to design placement these conversations can literally take a bite out of an hour you could be using for productivity. An educated customer who has done their research will have far less questions and the time frame will be shorter for you to close the sale. Your FAQ page can also be beneficial for referring new customers to should they call during a busy time of day, and you can even print the FAQ for distributing to customers in your shop, faxing, emailing or sending by carrier pigeon.
Beyond the benefit of being a time saver, your FAQ page (or pages if necessary) will naturally add keywords to your web site for search engine goodness. Consider how many Internet users today will actually type a question into a search engine. You’d be surprised how the search engines will respond to a direct question by directing them to the answer. And even the standard search, “Embroidered Caps” or “Custom Printed Tee Shirts” remains covered with the additional keywords provided in your FAQ. In a nutshell, it’s almost impossible to create a FAQ page without keyword friendliness.
FAQ pages also add some stickiness to your site. Stickiness referring to keeping the visitor on your web site rather than drifting off to a competitor. If they haven’t yet clicked through to your contact page or picked up the phone once they’ve found you it must be that they aren’t sold yet, and chances are they have a few questions and curiosities to get comfortable with. Give them what they need and they’re liable to stick around until their convinced, and hopefully committing to making contact with you.
Suggestions for your FAQ page are unlimited. A good start is referring to that memorized tutorial I referred to. What questions do you find customers ask you the most? From there it is simply a matter of including anything and everything about your business. Tell them how the set-up process takes place and how that effects the cost of their order. Let them know what kind of artwork they need to provide and what formats are preferred. Educate them on your timeline for production from the ordering stage to the finished product.
By adding questions and answers over time you’ll be surprised how much quality content you’ve added to your site as well as how educated many of your new online prospects will be when they contact you to order. Any questions?
