A well-crafted FAQ page can help your firm stand out when attention spans are short and information is abundant. But what questions should you include?
FAQ pages are not primarily conversion tools, but they can help your conversion efforts by positioning your firm as a reliable source of information in the legal industry. You need to understand your audience’s needs, be ruthless with deleting irrelevant FAQs, and commit to giving clear answers that reassure and inform your prospects.
Here’s how lawyers can create a valuable, no-fluff FAQ page that will answer the right questions, save your team time and build your credibility online.
How to choose the questions for an FAQ page
One effective strategy is to check your admin inbox for recurring inquiries.
Are you constantly being asked if there is a price for an initial consultation? Do prospects wonder if you can meet virtually? Is there a trend in industry-specific questions, such as “How does child custody work in [state]?”
Recurring questions are valuable indicators of topics that your potential clients are genuinely interested in. By addressing these queries on your FAQ page, you not only provide valuable answers but also demonstrate that you understand your audience’s needs. As a bonus, you might save your admin staff a headache by linking to these questions on your Contact page.
Another tip is to utilize keyword research tools like Answer the Public, Semrush or Google’s Keyword Planner.
These tools can identify related questions, keywords, trends, search data and competitor insights to help you pick the most valuable FAQs.
Format your FAQs in a straightforward hierarchy
Simplicity and clarity are powerful design principles—so apply them to your FAQs. Try sorting your FAQs into categories, or at least grouping similar queries together.
For instance, you could have one section about money, one about time, and one about results.
FAQs about Costs:
- How much does it cost to hire a custody lawyer in Florida?
- Can I get reimbursed for child expenses during a custody case?
- What’s the average child support payment?
FAQs about Timeline:
- How long does it take to resolve a custody case in Florida?
- Is there a deadline for initiating a child custody case?
- How long does it take to enforce child support payments?
FAQs about Results:
- What kind of results can I expect regarding visitation?
- How many custody cases have you won before?
Consider organizing the hierarchy of your FAQs based on urgency. This varies by field, and your team can help you identify the most urgent questions.
For instance, someone seeking an IP lawyer might urgently need to know what they can do about unauthorized use of their intellectual property. Someone seeking a family lawyer might need to know what they can do in the short term to protect their child from an abusive partner while they seek custody.
Showing awareness of someone’s urgency is a great way to build trust. Even pointing them to an external resource can be valuable, since they’ll remember that you were the one who helped them in a time of need.
Respond to common questions with calm clarity
Lawyers in every field are commonly asked the same questions. The best strategy is to assume your audience doesn’t know what you know. Treat them as highly motivated yet highly uninformed.
Even if they seem obvious or ill-intentioned, take common FAQs seriously and prepare thoughtful, firm answers. This is non-negotiable content for any legal website.
Here are some common questions lawyers might need to answer:
- How much will it cost to hire you as my lawyer?
- What are my rights in this situation?
- How long will it take to resolve my legal issue?
- What are the potential outcomes or consequences of my actions?
- Do I really need a lawyer, or can I handle this on my own?
- What happens after I call your office?
- What if I don’t have the money for a lawyer?
- What happens if you lose my case?
Scripting answers to these questions can also help your team respond politely and predictably to inquiries.
FAQ pages can convert, but it’s not their primary goal
Credibility leads to conversions, and carefully crafted FAQ content can definitely improve your credibility. Great FAQs may inspire a visitor to take the next step and schedule a consultation, book a consultation, or download a resource.
However, you need to strike the right balance between informative content and promotional messaging to avoid overwhelming or turning away your visitors.
Be clear about what you offer and how to proceed, but don’t be pushy about contact options on an FAQ page.
Ultimately, FAQ pages should serve as a valuable resource first and foremost, with conversion opportunities presented naturally and non-intrusively.
Final words
Questions are an important part of the attorney selection process. They’re also an opportunity to establish your firm’s credibility and expertise.
Answer common questions clearly and organize the responses neatly. Link to external resources, if appropriate. Don’t go overboard on including questions that aren’t relevant to your prospects. Include a Contact link, but don’t be pushy.
After you do your research, remember to delete any old FAQs on your site that don’t actually fit the questions your prospects are asking.
Take your firm to the next level with help from OneFirst. Whether you need a ready-to-go site with an FAQ section or something a bit more complex, start with a consultation.
