This has been a year of adjusting and pivoting for most veterinary businesses. Emotions have been high, and people are looking at you to assure them that everything will be okay. Have you found yourself answering the same questions over and over again this year? An online FAQ page can help your clients answer the questions they have without picking up the phone or sending an email. Your goal should always be to keep your team productive (off the phone) and help clients get the information they need quickly.
What Is an FAQ page, and why is it important for your veterinary website?
Fifty-one percent of customers expect a business to be available 24/7. Even though you can’t be available 24/7, your website can still offer assistance and information by having an informative FAQ page. A frequently asked questions (FAQ) page on your website is one of the most useful ways to have your website work in the background for you.
The average business call duration is 4 minutes and 52 seconds, meaning every time a customer calls, it takes about five minutes of your time. If you receive just a dozen calls a day, you lose one full hour of work time daily. If dozens of customers are calling you per day, it’s hard to get anything else done.
Think about how many times your phone rings per day. How many five-minute calls are taken by your team every day? You could save your staff a lot of time by having the answers to these commonly asked questions on your website. They can range from pet-related questions like, “What vaccinations does my dog/cat really need?” to payment questions like, “What forms of payment are accepted?” The types of questions clinics have on their FAQ pages differ based on the needs of their clients. There are no right or wrong questions to have, but we highly encourage that you make them specific and straightforward because you don’t want your FAQ page to cause more confusion.
Two Important Tips for a New FAQ page:
1. Answer the right questions.
We recommend creating five to 15 question and answer sets that are often asked at your clinic. To compile your list of questions, we recommend doing some research first. A good place to start your search is looking through previous customer service emails, patient notes, company reviews, social media direct messages, and phone call notes and look for the questions that repeatedly come up.
You could also get your followers on your social media platforms involved and run a few polls to see what your audience might need additional clarification on about the services you provide.
Below are more examples of questions you could use for your FAQ page.
2. Choose a tone that is clear and concise.
Your FAQ page is the place to write thought-out and clear answers to the questions you choose to address. Your answers should be easy to read and leave no room for additional questions. If there is a chance for a follow-up question, answer it there. We recommend writing from your client’s perspective, writing the questions using first-person pronouns like “I” and “my.” This personalizes the questions and can help your clients feel more connected to your clinic. A successful FAQ page will send the message that your client’s questions and concerns are truly being heard. To keep things clear and concise, it’s also important to keep your FAQ page up to date. As the services that you offer change, so will some of the questions that you will be asked; make sure this is addressed on your FAQ page.
If you aren’t already sold on adding a FAQ page to your website, here are a couple of other reasons why you’re missing out:
1. It can boost your website’s Google rankings in search aka better SEO.
The Google algorithm has been consistently shifting towards rewarding longer phrases and questions. This is done by encouraging users to ask questions than just typing in keywords. You can use your FAQ page to target very specific terms and answer the long-winded questions that potential clients are searching on Google.
2. This is a customer service tool.
This will not deter people from calling you, but it may not be for the same reasons anymore. These days, no one wants to stay on hold or wait 24 hours for an answer to their e-mail that contained one question. People are becoming more impatient with slow, empty, and unhelpful websites. You are creating a positive image of your company before they even visit your clinic because you are anticipating their questions and concerns to ease their stress. This is one of the most underrated customer service tools you can provide online.
It will take some time to gather and create the content needed for an FAQ page, but it will be worth it in the long run. The WhiskerCloud design team can build a custom FAQ page for you in no time at all. Current clients, reach out now to our support team at digital@whiskercloud.com!
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