FAQ: The Parts

If you look at most sites, they design FAQ pages to fulfill the main goal of answering common consumer concerns in the most succinct and clear way possible (with the help of an English writing software, no doubt).  FAQ pages are typically presented in a question-and-answer format, listing all the oft-asked questions and providing the corresponding answers for them.  Traditionally, the answers are presented in a straightforward manner to avoid any further confusion on the users’ part.

Letting The FAQ Sell

While the FAQ is best employed as an informational outlet, there’s no rule book indicating that it can’t assist your goal of actually moving products.  As a well-trafficked area of your site, you’re really leaving money on the table if you don’t use it to help push customers into the next phase of the process.

For the most part, all you need is to make a few adjustments to turn a FAQ page into a secondary sales piece.  Point out benefits they stand to get, while answering a question about the product’s shipping details, for instance.  Tell them how much money they will save, while answering a FAQ entry about the components used in the product you are selling.  It need not be a hard sell – a soft, genuine relaying of your products’ value will actually work best.

When To Use “Much”

The quantifier “much” is best used for nouns that cannot be counted piece by piece.  For instance, you can have “much money” but you can’t have “much $100 bills”.  In formal writing style (such as research materials and scientific studies), “much” is acceptably used for both positive and negative statements.   For other forms of writing, though, it is generally advised to reserve the use of the word on negative sentences.

When To Use “Many”

In direct contrast to “much”, the quantifier “many” is best used for nouns that can be counted piece by piece.  For instance, you can have “many $100 bills” but you can’t ever have “many money”.  Just like “much”, it is best used for negative statements and sentences, although it is generally accepted on positive statements in formal writing.

When To Use “A Lot Of”

The quantifier “a lot of” is typically used in place of both “much” and “many” when writing in an affirmative (positive) tone.  Instead of saying “I have much money in the bank,” you say “I have a lot of money in the bank.”  While “much” sounds awkward in that sentence, “a lot of” flows perfectly off the tongue.  In formal writing, “a lot of” is typically replaced by more specific-sounding quantifiers, such as “a large number of” and “a considerable amount of”.

People don’t just buy products – they buy the benefits that a product provides.  As such, the best way to write marketing materials is always to ask, “What problems do customers have that this product will solve?”

Instead of selling an “ebook about greening your home”, you’re better off selling “30% savings in your electricity bill”.

Rather than pushing “state-of-the-art computers”, you sell the PC gaming crowd on “pre-configured machines that can play Crysis at the highest setting while you defrag in the background”.

In place of marketing “home warranties”, you sell the customers on “no-cost home repairs for the next 15 years”.

As many marketers have wisely advised over the years: “Don’t sell the steak, sell the sizzle.”  People, especially during these  times, will always look to hold off on buying products, unless it can solve an existing source of concern or bother.

Does your copy lean towards telling the customers what problems will disappear from their midst with your product?  If it doesn’t, rewrite your pitch until it does.  Read your copy aloud to make sure the ideas come through crisp and clear.  If something sounds wrong and you can’t put a finger on it, run it through an English writing software to find problem points.  Finesse it until it looks and sounds exactly the way that will get even you to buy.

No matter how qualified you are, if you don’t own the attention to detail necessary with your writing to go along with it, you can be looking at plenty of missed opportunities. That’s exactly what happened to one yoga expert we were interviewing back when I used to work with an online magazine.  We needed an in-house resource on the subject and one applicant’s qualifications stood out way apart from the rest.  Despite the impressive credentials, though, she didn’t get the job – all because her cover application alone had three grammar errors on it.

Can you imagine not getting a job based on non-directly-related reasons, such as a poorly-written cover letter or email?  While it can be argued that the qualified person should still get the job, I beg to differ.  The three prominent grammar errors on the cover letter indicate glaring problems – lack of attention to detail, a relative indifference to getting the job and he propensity to let avoidable problems slip by.

How easy would it have been to use an English writing software to scan through that copy and catch those three mistakes?  It would have taken less than five minutes, from the moment you launch the software to the time you approve the last update.  Anyone who refuses to do that, in my book, just doesn’t want the job bad enough – and, as such, won’t get it.

In my mind, that type of thinking is destructive for two reasons.

1. “Gleaning” is not the same thing as understanding.  While one may get a general idea of what you’re trying to say, writing errors usually prevent a complete understanding of what’s being said.  As most of us, even the littlest variance in the details can lead to serious conflicts down the line.

2. Tolerating poor communication  (especially within a large organization) lowers your general standards.  While this may start off innocently enough, it can degenerate into serious quality issues well into the future.

There are two general types of errors in writing, each one bringing its own set of problems in your overall communication.

1. Grammatical errors. These mistakes are largely avoidable, easily remedied by a proofreader or English writing software.  Left to remain in your documents and communication, it paints a bad image of both you and the organization you represent.   Allowing preventable flaws simply tell the person on the other end that you either don’t care enough or that you lack the necessary attention to detail.

2. Poor expressions. No matter how steadfast your writing follows grammatical rules, if you don’t express your ideas well, it just won’t work.  Poorly expressed thoughts can lead to misinformation and serious misunderstandings.  Can you imagine ever a starting a business project with both parties having completely different ideas about it?

In my opinion, you should care about English writing errors.  Can you or your organization really afford the damaged reputation poor writing will earn you and the potential consequences of ill-communicated ideas?

Most of the time, being able to draw out the details of your work is a function of experience.  Do it enough times and it becomes second nature, with the nuances organically flowing as you craft your writing.  Those of us for whom it doesn’t come as easy yet, the details can usually be finessed by numerous conscious actions, all of which we can begin applying to our craft today.

1. Rewrite with the details in mind.  Most everyone, from middle school students composing a formal theme to longtime professional writers, usually harbor a disdain for having to rewrite copy.  The lack of details is typically uncovered during rewriting sessions so this is your best chance at remedying a potential problem.  Take a deep breath and slog through it if you have to.

2. Read each paragraph aloud and ask questions about what you’re conveying.  The answers to those questions are usually the intricacies you will need to flesh out.

3. If you write with a partner, have them go through your copy and get their feedback about any details they may be missing.

4. If you have a working template of the kind of writing you want to produce, use it to help you organize your material in better detail.  Many pre-made templates, such as those that come with English writing software, usually indicate where you will need to lay out more comprehensive points.  While definitely not perfect, they can train you write with just the right amount of detail.

If you need some help writing an analysis essay, use the following guidelines to help you through:

1. The goal of analytic essays is to determine how well you’re able to comprehend outside information, by breaking it down into its essential components and forming an opinion based on that.

2. Always summarize the piece being analyzed to begin your essay, to give the reader some context about your grasp of it.

3. Introduce the major components of the subject as you understand them in one section, spanning one or two paragraphs.  You can always write longer, but keeping it short will help maintain the reader’s attention.

4. Depending on the complexity of each component, you can dedicate an entire section of your essay discussing each one in detail, delving deeper into the ideas behind them, while dispensing your own opinion on the subject.  Try to provide supporting facts for every personal idea you express.

5. Since the essay is an analysis instead of an argument piece, you may also want to present the other side of the argument to maintain balance.

6. If it’s a take home essay you can compose on your own computer, make sure to run it through a capable English writing software to fix up loose ends on your writing.

Some call it Global English, a form of the vernacular that makes it easier to communicate with non-native speakers.

Writing English documents in this manner requires you to pay attention to the specific background and needs of your global audience.  Will they be able to follow a complicated sentence syntax?  Will use of advanced vocabulary leave them confused? Will figures of speech be lost on them?  If you have a good idea of your target audience, you should be able to answer those questions for yourself.  Make sure to be on the lookout, as well, for the best English grammar software titles, some of which allow you to check your content for their ability to communicate with a non-native audience.

There is one cardinal rule of Global English that you must follow and that you’ll need to employ as your chief writing guide:  If it sounds unnatural to a native speaker, there’s a good chance it won’t make sense to a non-native speaker.

As such, any sentences you construct should follow a pattern that sounds like it can be uttered by a civilian on the street.  If it doesn’t, revise it to reflect a more natural tone.  If you’re creative enough (and own adequate familiarity with the language), you should be able to come up with a natural-sounding alternative to any sentence construct.

1. Organization

If your company has a standard for reports, make sure to follow them diligently – the more familiar your readers will be to your format, the easier it will be to read through your material.  If there isn’t, try to review similar reports you’ve seen in the past and decide which ones got the best results inside your organization.  Follow that.

2. Paragraph presentation

If your report isn’t required reading, laying out paragraphs in an easy-to-read format can make or break your report.  As such, follow news article standards by employing short paragraphs, each with a maximum of five sentences.   Make sure ideas flow from one to the other.

3. Sections

Arrange each portion of the report into sections.  If it doesn’t look tacky, give each major idea its own section.

4. Graphs and tables

Make ample use of graphs and tables to elucidate figures – they’re very much appreciated.  If you’re using graphs and tables to illustrate facts, always integrate them within the body of text, instead of forcing your reader to refer to an appendix.  You can use an appendix to duplicate all the graphs and tables so they’re all in one place, if needed.

5. Editing

Like most any form of writing, never send out a first draft.  Perform due diligence and run it through a capable English writing software to improve your report’s legibility.  Double-check facts, especially charts and tables, to ensure accuracy.  The last thing you want is to pass off a suggestion based on false numbers – that’s one of the easiest way to get fired fast.

As a rule, all numbers smaller than 10 are usually spelled out in words.  Filling your copy with single digit numerals will just leave your paragraphs looking odd – as if you’re poring through a math textbook instead of whatever it is you’re actually composing.   Similarly try to avoid starting sentences with a number.  If you must to do it, spell out the number in words, regardless of how long it is.

Apart from the above, there aren’t really any other hard-and-fast guideline in the English language for writing out numbers, which means every other way of implementing them into your documents will likely be accepted without any objections from an English writing software.  There are quite a few things you can do, however, to make sure your emails, reports and other business materials read considerably better.

One word numbers (ten, fifty) typically read better in the middle of sentences when spelled out.  Anything longer will need to be written in their numeric format.  While commas are not mandatory, using them will improve your text’s readability, especially when your document includes plenty of large numbers.

Any rounded number over a million needs to be written using a number along with a word (e.g. $2 billion).  Writing all those zeros, especially if you don’t use commas, can be quite painful to the eyes.  In a similar way, sentences where two numbers need to be written next to each other best work either spelled out or done in combination (e.g. one $15,000 check).