I think FAQS have two core benefits

1. For you: reduce email overwhelm and save time

2. For your clients: address purchasing barriers/concerns upfront

Let’s explore them!

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Reduce email overwhelm and save time.

I often put FAQS on my client’s contact pages. Why? Because they help reduce the number of unnecessary emails you’re receiving and could save you a lot of time. I’ll often include a contact form and say, “Before you email me, check out my FAQs below in case you can get an instant answer.” On top of saving you reading the email, if you can address their question in real-time it’s a better experience for the visitor, because they don’t have to wait for a response!

Address purchasing barriers/concerns

This is particularly vital for at the end of your sales pages. It’s incredibly common to have a bit of uncertainty about making a purchase and fear you’ll get buyer’s remorse. We’ve all been burned by buying things we later realise were not as good for us as we thought or we’ll never use. Your potential clients/customers probably have some burning questions, which are holding them back from hitting ‘apply now’ or ‘buy’. From ‘How do I know if I actually need {insert X productservice}’ to ‘How soon can we start?’ to ‘I’m feeling nervous about the starting process, is this normal?’ to ‘what’s the next step after I hit apply?’. Imagine if you could alleviate all those concerns and make people feel so confident to sign up with you! This is really doing your potential clients a big favour!

Where should I put FAQS?

I would recommend putting FAQS at the end of every sales page for higher ticket 1:1 services, for courses/trainings, even for things like events or retreats if you offer them. I would also put FAQS in your contact page to avoid the unnecessary emails. This can look like the below! These are the FAQs I have included on my contact page, which you can see in action here.

How should I format my FAQS?

What I quite like drop-down style FAQs which you click to reveal, like you can see in the image above. I like this because it is easy for the person to skim over all the questions to find ones that are of interest to them, rather than having to read through all the questions and answers. But ultimately, any method is ok!

What are some examples of service-based business website FAQs?

I will put these into categories to help you better. I suggest you review them and pick and chose/modify the ones that are relevant to you unique business. Rememver, you can also definitely address these within your individual sales pages. They don’t need to sit in the FAQ format necessarily. Or you could put them both in the body of your sales page and the FAQs to reinforce it (remember, people skim and scan websites these days, they don’t necessarily read them word-for-word, so things can get missed.

1:1 Coaching/therapy/consulting FAQ Examples

How do I know if I actually need a {coach, therapist, teachers, your title}
This is great for giving people that extra nudge to be like ‘Yes, you’re in the right place. This is a good fit for you’ 

How soon can we get started?
This is great if you have a waitlist. Though, if you do have quite a long waitlist, it could be worth adding a ribbon at the top of your site indicating your availability to avoid anyone getting disappointed if they discover this info too late. Or you have a short-lead time before getting started, people will want to know that too! It’s all about managing expectations. 

I want to work with you, but I’m not sure what I need. What should I do?
This is great for the people who just love your energy and everything about you, but are not sure how their needs fit into your existing offerings. You might be able to tailor something especially for them, or help them understand what offering will best suit their needs.

How are you different from other {coaches, therapists, teachers, your title}
You’ll no doubt want to cover this in the body of your sales page, but this can further reinforce it.

Does hiring a coach/therapist signify weakness?
How great is this question! This is obviously a terrible misconception as there can be some stigma around therapy in particular. This is your opportunity to address that misconception and reassure your reader that there is absolutely nothing to be ashamed about.

I’m feeling nervous about the process. Is this normal?
I also really love this question! Remember: most people are nervous to hire you. They’re nervous about whether it will work for them. They’re nervous about whether they’re going to feel comfortable working with you. They’re nervous about what you might make them do etc! Let’s alleviate those fears and reassure them that everyone feels this way in the beginning!

Can I speak to you before committing to a package/program? 
If you offer a complimentary (or paid) discovery call, mention this, in case someone has missed it!

I would like to work with you. How should I get started?
People want to know what the next step is. LIke when It hit the apply now or get started button and fill in the form, what’s next? What should I expect? Knowing the next steps is reassuring and comforting.

How do you accept payment? or Do you have a payment plan?
This is another thing people may be interested in. Especially if you’re accepting international payments etc. 

Where are you located and how will we speak on 1:1 coaching calls? Is Zoom coaching as effective as face-to-face coaching?
If I was hiring someone, especially someone international, I’d like to at least know some basic info on where they are, what their timezone is and how the calls would work. While we’ve all come around to Zoom calls post-pandemic, I do think there is still some question marks around the effectiveness vs face-to-face, so you may be able to address that with feedback you’ve received from clients or your own perspective.

What are your qualifications?
This could just be reassuring to know for people. But that being said, if you don’t have formal qualifications you can certainly leave it off!

I’m worried about investing in myself/my business, what should I do? Or I don’t have the budget for this yet
Here you can address any financial concerns they may be having.

Do you have experience in my industry/with my problem?
This could be a good question if you’re a business coach/consultant or if you work with specific therapy issues etc.

How quickly will I receive results?
A great one for setting expectations and sharing a ‘what you put into it, you get out of it’ message

Do you offer in-person sessions? 
May be relevant if you work exclusively online.

What is the cancellation/refund policy for a session?
Really important if you primarily do sessions and a cancellation will impact you. 

Online Courses/Trainings FAQ examples 

How will I access the course?
Let people know the next steps as soon as they sign up. I.e. they’ll receive an email and will set up an account and be able to work through the course in your private membership site. 

Looking for a course login?
If you have a course, people may not know where to come back to login, so this can be helpful

How long do I have to complete the course?
Do they have lifetime access? Is there a capped period of time? It’s great to let them know. 

Is the course run on specific dates?
You’ll no doubt specify this on your sales page, but you could reiterate if your course is evergreen or if you have live rounds. Just remember not everyone may know what evergreen means!

I’m concerned I don’t have enough time to do this. How long will it take to complete?
Another huge barrier people may have to courses or 1:1 work

I’m just starting out in business/my spirituality/whatever the journey is – will this be too complex for me?
If your offering is tailored to a particular stage in the journey, this could be really important for them to know. Or you may be able to reassure them that your course/1:1 work suits every level.

I’m an established business/advanced in X/have taken many other courses on this topic. Will I learn anything new?
Another great one to address, on the other end of the spectrum to the previous question.

How will the live calls work? What timezone will they be in? What if I can’t make the calls?
This could be important logistically.

What if I fall behind?
Important if you run live courses.

Do you offer a payment plan?

How many times a year is the course available?
Good if you only do live rounds

How do you keep me accountable?
Reassure them they will get support (or not, if you are more hands-off, so their expectations are managed).

What if I try it out and it’s not for me. Can I get a refund? Can I cancel (if a membership)
The refund question is a great one to address, to once again manage expectations.

My billing info has changed, how do I update my credit card
An important technical question. 

What currency is the course billed in?
If you have an international audience 

How do I download the course files? or I ordered a course and I’m having trouble downloading the files.
Remember, people will be of all different levels of technical profiancy 

Do you offer 1:1 services? 
May be relevant to clarify if you just offer courses and products

Media Inquiries FAQ Examples 

Would you like to get booked for more speaking/writing engagements? Or would you like to turn away these engagements because you’re always getting requested and are wildly popular and busy? Help people out with some info. This could go on your media page FAQS section (if you have one), or your contact page FAQS section. 

Can I interview you for my podcast? or Want me to speak at your event?
Let people know if you are open to taking these on or not.

What kind of topics do you regularly speak about?
This helps people determine if what you want to talk about they want to share with their audience.

Can I send you something to review OR Do you take sponsorships
If you have a following, you may get such requests

Remember to end your FAQS with “More questions?” and an email address provided, in case their question is not covered.

Another fun added benefit is that FAQS can be really good for SEO. Think about answering questions that someone might be searching for (this could be an industry question rather than something specific to your business) and they could just find your website through an FAQ question. Imagine that!

I hope this helps you with your fleshing out your site’s FAQS, so that you can reassure your potential customers, set expectations and save everyone some time!