{
    "version" : "https://jsonfeed.org/version/1",
    "content" : "news",
    "type" : "single",
    "title" : "FAQs Done Right |Digital.gov",
    "description": "FAQs Done Right",
    "home_page_url" : "/preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/","feed_url" : "/preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/09/04/faqs-done-right/index.json","item" : [
    {"title" :"FAQs Done Right","summary" : "In the circle of Web content life, FAQ sections are an endangered species. We’ve previously discussed the relevance of FAQs: Should FAQs go extinct, or are they a useful tool in your content ecosystem? Kathryn Catania, Chief of the Plain Language and Content Division at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, encourages agencies to take","date" : "2015-09-04T10:00:35-04:00","date_modified" : "2025-01-27T19:42:55-05:00","authors" : {"awichman" : "Ashley Wichman"},"topics" : {
        
            "communication" : "Communication",
            "plain-language" : "Plain language",
            "user-experience" : "User experience"
            },"branch" : "bc-archive-content-3",
      "filename" :"2015-09-04-faqs-done-right.md",
      
      "filepath" :"news/2015/09/2015-09-04-faqs-done-right.md",
      "filepathURL" :"https://github.com/GSA/digitalgov.gov/blob/bc-archive-content-3/content/news/2015/09/2015-09-04-faqs-done-right.md",
      "editpathURL" :"https://github.com/GSA/digitalgov.gov/edit/bc-archive-content-3/content/news/2015/09/2015-09-04-faqs-done-right.md","slug" : "faqs-done-right","url" : "/preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/09/04/faqs-done-right/","content" :"\u003cdiv class=\"image\"\u003e\n  \u003cimg\n    src=\"https://s3.amazonaws.com/digitalgov/_legacy-img/2015/08/600-x-400-Solution-and-Strategy-Path-wildpixel-iStock-Thinkstock-482060980.jpg\"\n    alt=\"Solution and Strategy Path\"/\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn the circle of Web content life, FAQ sections are an endangered species. We’ve previously discussed the \u003ca href=\"/preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/04/27/are-faqs-still-relevant/\"\u003erelevance of FAQs\u003c/a\u003e: Should FAQs go extinct, or are they a useful tool in your content ecosystem?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKathryn Catania, Chief of the Plain Language and Content Division at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, encourages agencies to take a critical look at how content should be delivered.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“FAQs can be overwhelming and leave your customers searching through a sea of content,” Catania said. “Before creating a FAQ, think about what you are trying to say, what you want people to do with that information, and the most effective way to convey that information. Often your best solution is a clear, well-organized main content page explaining a process.”\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor agencies using FAQs, best practices in design and content still apply. Catania shared tips for building a useful FAQ section with the \u003ca href=\"http://www.plainlanguage.gov/site/about.cfm\"\u003ePlain Language Action and Information Network\u003c/a\u003e (PLAIN).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch6 class=\"post-title\" id=\"top-faq-tips\"\u003eTop FAQ Tips\u003c/h6\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCatania highlighted some top tips for improving FAQs:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSupplement your main content with FAQs, but don’t try to replace the main content. Do not use FAQs to explain an entire process; a landing page should explain the basics.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eUse real customer feedback. Do not assume what kinds of questions people will have. Monitor customer calls and emails to create helpful FAQs.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eUse language that non-experts will understand. Use plain language when drafting FAQs. Do not burden your reader with insider jargon or undefined acronyms.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eProvide unique content with your FAQs. When a FAQ has the same content as other Web pages, it usually means that the FAQ content is redundant and can easily become outdated, especially when content to the website is updated but the FAQs are not.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLimit the volume of content. When there are too many questions, searching through them can overwhelm the reader. They may never find an answer to their question. \u003cdiv class=\"image\"\u003e\n  \u003cimg\n    src=\"https://s3.amazonaws.com/digitalgov/_legacy-img/2015/08/600-x-450-Frequently-asked-questions-froxx-iStock-Thinkstock-149412960.jpg\"\n    alt=\"A Frequently asked questions hallway\"/\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003ch6 class=\"post-title\" id=\"designing-and-editing-faqs\"\u003eDesigning and Editing FAQs\u003c/h6\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf your agency is using FAQs, the order, length, and content is critical in providing a good user experience. When editing, Catania uses the following process:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRead through all of the FAQs first. Then, go through and group them by topic/subject.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDevelop headings for each section and organize the content in a way that would make sense to the reader.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRead through each section and edit the content.\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFocus on steps in a process. Think about what the reader is trying to accomplish.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEliminate redundancies. This often helps with organization.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor a good agency example, Catania pointed to the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) \u003ca href=\"https://www.tsa.gov/travel/frequently-asked-questions\"\u003eFrequently Asked Questions about travel\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“TSA’s Travel FAQ highlights real frequently asked questions from flyers,” Catania said. “It uses clear headings to chunk the FAQ into sections and accordion files to keep the page short. My favorite part is that the questions are very short and written as if person on the street asked them instead of sounding overly bureaucratic or riddled with insider jargon.”\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch6 class=\"post-title\" id=\"turning-faqs-into-web-content\"\u003eTurning FAQs Into Web Content\u003c/h6\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhether you are trying to eliminate your FAQ section or make certain pieces of information more visible, you may find yourself turning FAQs into Web content. Catania considers the following:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHow many questions are in the FAQ?\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWho will be looking at this content?\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIs the current format helpful to the reader?\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIs this information already available on the Web in another format?\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIs the current format easy for readers to navigate and understand?\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt USCIS, the \u003ca href=\"http://www.uscis.gov/forms-filing-tips\"\u003eForm Filing Tips\u003c/a\u003e page began as a lengthy FAQ. Catania’s team turned the FAQ into Web content by adding jump links and headings for people to find their answer.\u003c/p\u003e\n"}
  ]
}