Comments on: FAQs Pages: Good Web Usability or Outdated Content Strategy?

By: Rick Allen

Rick Allen — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 02:27:57 +0000

Brian, thank you for the link. I’m a big fan of Jared Spool and Ginny Redish. I really like the analogies used to describe the supporting elements of web content, as well as the discussion on FAQs. Referencing actual FAQs to determine the faults in your web copy is a good system for making improvements, as it’s based on user feedback. However, I’m not sure I agree with Redish’s notion that simply having a FAQs page means your web copy is ineffective. Depending on the users, I think FAQs pages can be a useful site navigation path. If that benefits the users, then it should be considered. My problem with FAQs pages is that they are often poorly implemented, and as you say, used as “silos” for mismanaged information. But that doesn’t mean they can’t serve an effective content strategy. I think it’s a good debate, though.

By: Brian Christiansen

Brian Christiansen — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 17:57:29 +0000

We talk about FAQs in our latest UIE podcast, The Web as a Conversation where Jared Spool and Ginny Redish discuss (among other things) how you can use FAQs as a way of figuring out what parts of your content needs revising. After all, if they're frequently asked, why not tell them in your initial copy? I'd take your first solution and include… "work this content in to the site content, instead of keeping it aside in a silo."

By: Rick Allen

Rick Allen — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 14:13:13 +0000

Tim, I agree. I don’t think that most FAQs pages are based upon user feedback. I did an unofficial poll recently with friends and the far majority do not trust FAQs pages to help them find the information they’re looking for. Instead, they felt FAQs are used as another method to “lead” them to content the company wants to promote. However, in higher education I find many people do rely on FAQs. I think schools can do a better job answering their questions.

I’m also working to gather relevant FAQs from our Facebook page. Social media is a great feedback system.

Thanks for the feedback! :-)

By: TimN

TimN — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 13:42:40 +0000

So many times I want to send FAQ writers back to the drawing board when they contain questions no one would ask, like ‘How did the School of Liberal Arts come up with its approach to pedagogy?’ That’s hyperbole, but barely. My advice is always to begin with the user in mind. If you can’t do that, go out and talk to some users.

Our Facebook Fans page has shown us there are more FAQs out there than we ever realized. We’ve started incorporating questions that come up regularly on the Fans page into our FAQs where applicable, and I like how social media has provided a real interface into what potential students want to know.