Write Now Editing

Copywriting: 3 Steps to a Better FAQ Page

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As soon as people find out what you do for a living – whether it’s writing, finances, or exterminating – they will inevitably start asking for tips and wondering about best practices. After a while, you’ll start hearing many of the same questions. Those are your frequently asked questions, and they’re the perfect questions to add to your website on a FAQ page.

So how do you put together a good FAQ page? It takes a little more than just knowing the questions. You want to make sure your page not only presents the questions, but also answers them in a way that helps people. Here’s how you can create an effective FAQ page in three quick steps:

  • Compile your list of questions. To create an exhaustive list, include the questions you’ve heard, but also ask people what they want to know. There may be some questions out there that many people have but have been afraid to ask.
  • Answer the questions, then edit them. Chances are, your first answers will be more technical and professional than you want them to be. When you read through your answers, try to read them from the point-of-view of a person who’s doesn’t know anything about your business – that includes cutting (or explaining) any specialized terms or phrases that you frequently use (those definitions may even work as separate FAQs).
  • Get an outside opinion. When it comes to FAQs, it’s extremely important (and helpful) to have someone else read the questions and answers for you. Since your target audience is people who don’t understand your profession, make sure you talk without someone outside of your profession. They’ll help you spot confusion and inconsistencies that you may not see.

When you take these three steps, you’ll see your FAQ page come together in a way that will reach the people you need it to reach.

Are there any questions you still have about putting together an FAQ page?

Service: Mind Your P’s and Q’s

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For several years, I worked as a customer service manager. I didn’t like bossing people around, so I often gave them options – work on task A, B, or C. I thought it was working, but after a couple of weeks, one of the employees asked if it would kill me to say ‘please.’

Boy did that sting, but it also helped me see how differently people can perceive the same situation. I thought I was being nice by providing options, but no amount of options were a good substitute for ‘please’ and ‘thank you.’ Since then, I’ve made it my mission to make manners an everyday expectation at the office.

Regardless of how well you think you’re treating people, don’t neglect the basics of good manners. Those include:

  1. Please and Thank You. (See above.)
  2. Excuse Me. If you need to interrupt, do it politely.
  3. Sincerely. I’ve heard some people say this isn’t appropriate for business emails, but I disagree. It means free of dissimulation (honest); marked by genuineness (true). I don’t know about you, but I’d love for people to associate me with those descriptions. If you don’t like this word, select an appropriate sign off for your emails and letters.
  4. Thank You Cards. Don’t underestimate the power of a thank you card. Send one after meetings, interviews, presentations – any time you’d say thank you is a good opportunity to send a thank you card.
  5. Dress Appropriately. Whether it’s an interview, dinner meeting, or golf outing, be respectful and dress for the occasion. In addition to looking nice, it will show that you cared enough to find out what’s appropriate for the situation.
  6. Be on Time. Never make anyone wait for you. Ever. Do whatever it takes to be on time (early if you can).
  7. Listen. Nothing shows you care quite like taking the time to listen to your clients and employees. Don’t have answers and responses prepared beforehand. Listen to the conversation and respond appropriately.

By knowing and practicing good manners, you’ll set yourself apart as someone people will want to do business with.

Professionalism: Communicate Like a Pro

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If you own a business, you have to communicate with people. Whether you’re talking to customers, employees, or fellow business owners, at some point you’ll have to interact with others. When that happens, you want to make a good impression. That means knowing how to communicate. These days there are lots of ways to connect with people, so make sure you know how.

By Phone. First and foremost, make sure you set up an informative voicemail message. Make sure people know who they’ve reached and what you want them to do (leave a message, call another number, etc.). On the flip side, when you call someone:

  • Introduce yourself.
  • State the nature of your call.
  • Speak slowly and clearly (especially when leaving a message).
  • Use your manners (please and thank you go a long way).

By Text. Whether you like it or not, the majority of the world sends text messages, even in the business world. It’s okay to communicate via text, just remember that it’s still a professional correspondence.

  • Avoid slang and text abbreviations.
  • Use proper grammar and punctuation.
  • Include a greeting and farewell (don’t assume people will recognize your number).

By Email. The same rules for texting apply to emails; grammar and content matter. There are a few other items you may want to include to give your email the professional look you want.

  • Use a professional name: bigplumber487@aol.com screams amateur. You can easily create your own email domain and use brad@plumbingpros.com.
  • Add a signature with your name, company name, and other contact information.
  • Keep your signature brief: more than 4-6 lines is overkill.
  • Let the other person make the first move: at some point you’ll be comfortable sending quick, more personal emails, but let your client/customer make the first move. This ensures that he/she is comfortable in the relationship. Even then, keep the content work-related and well-written.

By Social Media. This is a great way to meet new people and stay in touch. Make the most of social media with these suggestions.

  • Keep your posts relevant to your business and the social media outlet: LinkedIn is more professional; Facebook can be more personal. Know the audience and post accordingly.
  • Respond quickly: when people comment or respond to your posts, make sure you respond. Let them know that you’re listening.
  • Be polite. I cannot stress this enough – it’s tempting to vent, spew, and rant, but don’t. Manners always matter, even on social media.

Knowing how to communicate professionally will help you send the right message to your clients, co-workers, and peers.

How do you communicate at work? What do you do to make the right impression?

Planning for 2017: Professionalism, Service, Writing, and More

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Welcome to a new day, a new year, my new website location, and – introducing – my new blog! It actually started last week with my new interview series. Today I’m going to explain what’s happening and why.

Like many business owners, I set goals for myself and my business for the year. Then I kept reading all of these posts and articles about “the word.” People were encouraged to pick a word to define/guide them throughout the new year. It didn’t take me long to settle on PLAN.

Last year I started creating digital products to help others create better content. One big lesson I learned during that process – planning ahead makes all the difference! I’ve always been a planner in my personal life, but not so much when it comes to my work. I’ve decided to change that, starting with my blog.

First – Focus. I’m gearing this blog more toward small business owners/entrepreneurs. There will still be a lot about content – that’s my specialty – but it will look at different aspects of entrepreneurship: things I’ve had to learn and want to share.

Second – Themes. Instead of sitting down and coming up with blog topics each week, I’ve come up with several themes that people ask about most frequently. I’ll post about them throughout the year. Every month I’ll write something writing and editing related, but I’ll also post about: Professionalism, Service, Leadership, and Social Media/Marketing.

Third – Plan. I went the distance and have already titled blog posts for each theme for each week throughout the year. I haven’t written everything yet, but when I sit down to do it I’ll have my notes and ideas ready. I just need to organize and write them.

With so many events already scheduled for this year, I need to make sure I can handle everything. Planning ahead is my only option. Sticking to the same topics makes it even more manageable.

Here’s to an educational and smooth-operating 2017. What are you doing to start your year off right?

Holiday Madness: How to Keep Your Cool and Keep Working

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christmasIf your life’s anything like mine, the holidays are a wonderful time spent with family and friends, over several nights spread out over several weeks that encroach upon your normal work/family balance. If you’re a freelance worker (like me), it can be even worse – so many people don’t understand what that means. They just know that you don’t have set hours or a “real” office, so you’re probably available all-day, every-day to help out.

Regardless of your employment status, finding balance during the holidays can be tough. Before you start to freak out, consider a few of these sanity-saving tips:

  1. Mark your calendars. Find out when all of your events are, and put them on your calendars (all of them). Note the busiest times so you can mentally prepare yourself for the chaos.
  2. Prep ahead. Don’t wait until the day before to wrap presents, buy groceries, or cook your side dishes. Find an open day in your calendar to do all of the prep work – not only can you chop veggies and meat ahead of time, you can actually make and freeze a lot of dishes, so you won’t have to rush on the morning of.
  3. Freelancers – plan to work. If you regularly keep working hours, then stick to them. If you work whenever you can, it’ll be easy to lose your work time to cooking, cleaning, and shopping. Instead, schedule some work hours on your calendar so you know exactly when you are and aren’t available.
  4. Say no. If you can normally take on three new clients a month, consider only taking one or two. If you can’t survive without one free day a week, don’t schedule events on every day. It’s okay to say no.
  5. Get help. Don’t be afraid to ask friends, family, and colleagues for help. It can be as simple as a friend helping you clean your house, or as in-depth as asking a coworker to take over an account.
  6. Extend grace. You’re not the only busy person during the holidays. If others can’t help or show up late, remember that they’re probably as busy as you are. You can’t control the situation, but you can control your reaction – why not choose grace instead of anger?

Your schedule might be tight, but if you prepare yourself – mentally and physically – you can have a productive season without losing your marbles.

Have a safe and blessed Christmas!

ABOUT ME

Editor. Teacher. Novelist.
A passionate lover of fiction, Karin doesn't just write novels, she helps others write their best stories! A certified substantive editor with the Christian Editor Connection, her goal is to help authors to put her out of business by equipping them with the tools they need to become better writers.

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Copywriting

Karin understood my advertising and marketing writing needs and accomplished the project in record time. She asked all the right questions up front to equip herself with enough … [more]

Editing

Substantive Fiction Editing: A substantive edit looks at the big picture. Start here to tackle the big issues before moving on to the nit-picky details. Substantive edits not only point out … [more]

Author Page

Lover of all things fiction, I also love University of Michigan football, the Detroit Lions, Tigers, and Red Wings, kayaking, gluten-free cupcakes, and my husband.

Resources

Fiction: Substantive Editing Classes Substantive Editing for Fiction 101 In Substantive Fiction Editing 101, we’ll look at the basics of a well-written novel and learn how to help our … [more]