Turning Your Ecom Store’s FAQ Section into a Conversion Machine

When visitors to your ecommerce store start looking for the frequently asked questions (FAQs), it shows that they have questions they couldn’t find answers to anywhere else on your site. The FAQ section plays the role of Q&A pretty well, but it doesn’t have to be used for this purpose solely; it can also be used to boost your store’s conversion rate. Read more to find out how!

1. Use it to relieve doubt and build trust.

Trust is a major concern for online shoppers, and if you don’t win over the people who visit your store, chances are they won’t end up buying from you. 

Provide answers to questions in a way that assures people it’s “safe” to purchase from you by communicating how your policies work. For instance, let them know that if they encounter any issues with their order, you will be more than happy to look into the issue and resolve it to ensure their satisfaction.

Here’s a good example:

Question: [Mug order] My mug arrived broken. What do I need to do?

Answer: We are sorry to hear that your mug was broken when it arrived. There’s no need to worry, we’ve got you covered. Please follow the steps below to resolve this issue as quickly as possible:

1. Take a picture of the broken mug from all sides.
2. Take a picture of the packaging.
3. Email us at support[at]store.com and include your order number as well as the photos you’ve taken.
4. A customer support agent will look into this right away.
5. We will send you a new mug and email you the new order number.
6. Confirm receipt of the mug replacement, and if you would like, send us a picture of the mug replacement. 🙂

Our customer’s satisfaction is our number one priority!!

2. Answer questions creatively. 

How you answer the questions in your FAQ section will have an impact on the emotions of your customers. If you’re selling products in a niche that’s “fun” and you understand your target market, you can choose to employ humor in the context of your answers to make the process more enjoyable. Your customers will feel the warmth of associating with your brand just from the few words or sentences you used while answering their questions.

It’s important to remember you’re dealing with fellow humans … not robots. So, be as relatable and engaging in your FAQ copy as you would with the copy for any other part of your business.

Note: Also avoid using jargon, difficult terms, and ambiguity, as the point of this section is to prevent confusion and provide clarity.

3. Use it as a continuation for the customer’s journey.

When customers get to your site’s frequently asked questions page, they’ll need to get back to the collection page, homepage, or (better yet) product page they were on before deciding to seek out the FAQ section.

Providing options like “Continue Shopping” or a customized link that takes them back to the page they were on when they’re done with the FAQs will not only prompt them to get back to the shopping agenda at hand but erase the possibility of cognitive load (from having to figure out where to go next).

In the event that a user can’t find an answer to their question, it’s also a great idea to add a link to your live support or email support on your FAQ page. Providing that continuation of their shopping journey gets them the help they need, prevents drop-off, and will likely lead to them buying from you. 

4. Use it to ease repetition in customer support queries.

Customer support agents often get bombarded with the same questions day after day. If you notice this trend with your customers, it shows that there’s vital information missing from your product description(s) or FAQ section.

To save your customer support team’s time (and sanity), you should include any repeated questions (along with the answers) on your frequently asked questions page. You can also address the question in your product copy or create UVP icons with short text that will highlight this important information.

5. Make your FAQ section easily accessible. 

The FAQ page of your ecom store should be easy for customers to find. Most websites add it as a link in the footer, so customers tend to be accustomed to this.

Note: This style of FAQ tends to be more general (i.e., more store-centric vs. product-specific). 

If you have a one-product store, the general FAQ will serve you well because it can act as a one-stop shop for everything your users need to know. However, if you carry different types of products, you should add an FAQ section to each product page (after the product description section) so users can easily find the information they’re looking for without having to leave the page. This will shorten the user’s shopping journey, thus increasing the chances of conversion. 

6. Improve customer retention.

A well-designed FAQ section with relevant questions and answers that meet your users’ needs increases the likelihood of customer retention because it reduces (or hopefully removes) doubt and builds trust … and that naturally causes people to want to shop with you over and over again.

Wrap-up

Optimizing your frequently asked questions section can boost your conversion rate and have a big impact on your ecom store’s revenue. Apply the optimization methods mentioned in this article and you’ll be well on your way to higher conversions and revenue!