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I love reading the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) sections of websites – sometimes before even reading company information in the About section or product specs via the Product tab.  I like doing this for a few reasons:

1.  More organic.  Since the material is written to answer questions or solve problems, it usually shies away from simply broadcasting the product’s features.  As such, the tone is very different from that of traditional brochureware. 

2.  More revealing.  The selection of sample questions to which they have provided responses tells me a lot about the company.  What do they feel is most relevant for potential customers to know?  Conversely, what should customers not know or what questions do they not anticipate customers asking? 

As both a creative and an analyst, I can extract a lot about a company just from its FAQ section.

As a bonus, when available, I love clicking on the option at the bottom of the webpage that asks, ‘Was this page helpful?’  I never get bored seeing that question.

So, then, should company websites be entirely comprised of FAQs?

Perhaps.  Nowadays, I’ve begun to notice a trend in converting FAQ-type content into the company’s external online community.  You will notice these URLs for the portals as http://community.CompanyX.com or http://support.CompanyX.com. 

The community can serve various purposes.  The first one is obvious:  facilitate self-service and make it findable, reducing the strain on the contact center and others responsible for handling direct inquiries or requests. 

Moving beyond the FAQ format, the community can extend to include new product announcements, promotions, and other information relevant to customers or prospective customers.  In this way, the ‘marketing’ material is peripheral to the content that users actively seek out – useful, but not intrusive.

If I build it, will they come?

One of the biggest complaints about creating a new platform for users – whether for customers or employees – can be debated via the question, Who will end up using it?

As with any technology, people will only use it when they discover and experience value.  After the discovery phase comes validation – OK, great, the community website content answered questions and helped them understand more about using a particular product or service – but what comes next is crucial:  diffusion, or spreading the good word about that experience.

(Share Clip)

  The main community webpage for Cisco.

Of course, all companies pin their hopes on word-of-mouth marketing, but online communities need it even more, because the deepest value comes from content that’s written, edited, commented on, liked, and shared by users.  By extension, a community needs to not only build momentum but also sustain it for the benefit of all of its members.

Indeed, an active community’s most active content contributors may very well become its loyal customers who are more than happy to share their experiences with others.

Final Thought:  Today’s customer would rather find an answer on his or her own, rather than spend time on the phone with the call center.  Creating the tools to deliver a unique experience will create legions of happy customers and a marked improvement to the bottom line.  Your marketing writers could be the missing link to delivering expert service, delivering efficiency and driving down costs in the process. 

ChangeU: for your independent study…

• When Should Customer Service Be Measured?   3 Approaches, via Qualtrics: http://www.qualtrics.com/blog/when-should-customer-satisfaction-be-measured/

• Knowledge Management:  Making the Most of Intellectual Assets, via MindTools: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newISS_87.htm