"Frequently Asked Questions" Pages

What It Is

Having a “Frequently Asked Questions” page is a best practice for managing your agency’s website. You should link to this "questions" page from your homepage and every major entry point, using the title of the page as the link text. Keep the page current so it is useful to your audience.

Why It's Important

Though you do your best to write and organize your website so that it makes sense to visitors, it's impossible to anticipate every question. Visitors will still have questions because they couldn't find something, because they didn't understand something, or because it isn't there. A list of answers to common questions can be a big help to your audience.

OMB Policies for Federal Public Websites require agencies to (#1A) “disseminate information to the public in a timely, equitable, efficient and appropriate manner,” (#2A) “maximize the quality, objectivity, utility, and integrity of information and services provided to the public,” and (#5A) assist the public in locating government information.” By providing a page with answers to your agency's most frequently asked questions, you can help the public quickly and efficiently find the information they need. If kept up-to-date and relevant, this page can also help your agency reduce the number of public inquiries you receive by phone, email, in-person, and other means.

Implementation Guidance

• There are several ways to compile a list of frequently asked questions and answers:
  • Look at email, phone calls, and letters from the public
  • Review top search terms
  • Talk to the people who answer phones and mail
  • Look at statistics
  • Conduct a survey or focus group
  • Look at information requested under the Freedom of Information Act
• Usability research shows that some people do not recognize the acronym, "FAQ". "Frequently Asked Questions" - spelled out - is the most common terminology, but there is no consensus on whether the public views it as the best terminology. If you use the acronym "FAQ" be sure most of your customers are familiar with that term.
• If your agency gets a lot of questions on a certain topic, but you don't have that information posted on your site, consider creating a page on that topic to enable people to find answers on their own without having to contact someone at your agency for help.

Examples

• Answers.USA.gov use an automated “knowledge database” that continually updates the list of questions and answers and ranks questions based on popularity
• Social Security Administration offers a similar automated FAQ system
• USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service has a 24/7 virtual customer service hotline called “Ask Karen”
• EPA's "Frequent Questions" lists common questions by topic

Many agencies follow this best practice, which is part of the guidelines and best practices published by the Interagency Committee on Government Information to aid agencies' implementation of OMB's Policies for Federal Public Websites.