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.

Does a sentence sound incorrect?  If you can’t fix it immediately either by drawing from your own experience or the all-in-one writing software running on your desktop, just leave it in the meantime. When writing, it’s frequently more important to keep your thrust going forward than to worry about pleasing the grammar gods – at least, until you’ve put all your main ideas to the page.

That’s precisely why I’m a major advocate of most any technological tool that can aid in writing.  Software applications, with their automated functions, help correct problems and mistakes while making no requirements that distract your attention away from the main job.  What kinds of tools am I talking about?  Personally, I’m a huge fan of the following:

1. Desktop-based thesaurus and dictionaries.  Looking for an alternate word or unsure of the current one’s meaning.  Simply look it up and you’ll get an answer in less than five seconds.

2. Text expanders. If you do repetitive writing (such as headers, slogans or keywords), text expanders can shorten your typing duties immensely.

3. Spelling and Grammar checkers. Instead of having to ponder the correctness of your words and sentences,  you can simply run a grammar software to proofread your copy for adherence to English rules and spelling.

4. Style checkers. Good writing often entails more than grammatically-correct copy.  Style checkers help you shape that writing into a form that’s sleeker and more succinct – just like an athlete ready to take the game to the next level.

If you’re finding a hard time writing in “future tense” even with the help of a writing software, here’s a quick guide to the various ways in which we speak of the future.   Hopefully, it helps you get a better grasp of how things that are yet to happen can best be expressed.

1. Predictions

Both “will” and “going to” are used to predict things that are set to happen in the future.  While they are meant to show an assuredness in the speaker, there is actually no guarantee that any future statements following them will ever come true.

Example: “The crystal ball tells me that you will marry late.”

2. Future Plans

When you are talking about future plans (i.e. things have already been decided but is yet to be executed), you use either a present continuous form or “going to”.  In this form of future statements, the talked-about event is more likely to happen than not.

Example:  “We are spending the summer in the Bahamas.”

The future participle (“will have” + past participle) can also be used to indicate a decided future event.

Example: “We will have finished our summer vacation by the end of next month.”

3. Imminent Event

When talking of imminent events, such as when your plane is about to land, you should use “going to”.

Example: “We are going to hit the tree, hit the brakes now!”

With an event, on the other hand, that is set in stone (in some ways) such as a flight schedule or a wedding, we can use the simple present form.

Example: “The ceremonies start at 9.”

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?

1. Word’s grammar checker just isn’t that good

While Word is one of the most useful pieces of software around, it’s grammar checker just isn’t that good.  Not to badmouth the world’s most widely used text editor, but it does try to do a little too much and usually ends up spreading itself too thin in the process.

2. Standalone grammar checkers just work better

Standalone grammar software does the job considerably better.  While Word can frustrate you as it flags perfectly good sentences as “potentially incorrect,” standalone products usually get the offending items right.

3. Grammar checkers improve over time

Some English grammar software include learning modules that allow it to get better, the more it becomes acquainted with your writing preferences.  Instead of just steering you to proper grammar use, it helps correct other facets of your writing.

In the same vein, standalone grammar software is usually updated frequently.  As the developers improve their algorithm, they roll out patches and updates that provide you with the cutting-edge of writing software – something you’ll never get with a program like Word, where the grammar portion is treated as an aside.

1. Stick to one topic per paragraph.

While you can cram all sorts of information into a single paragraph, it will leave your copy confusing with no logical organization.  One topic is just the right amount of information for one paragraph, allowing the reader a pause before jumping into another subject.

2. Avoid using the same words and phrases within the same paragraph.

Repeating items within the same paragraph (e.g. nouns, verbs and figures of speech), especially when done in successive sentences doesn’t break any rules of grammar.  However, it makes your copy sound awkward, often breaking the flow for the reader.  While this cannot always apply (some situations will force you to repeat words), it makes sense to avoid it anytime you can.

3. Write using an active voice.

An active voice (using verbs performed by the subject) allows you to construct more dynamic and informative sentences.  They read better and foster a clearer understanding in almost every single instance.

4. Avoid using cliches.

While cliches might make writing somewhat easier (i.e. you don’t have to come up with your own words), it communicates that you took the easy way out.  Just as bad, cliches tend to make your copy sound dated and amateurish.

5. Use an English grammar software.

If you noticed, the guidelines we set above are all designed to help out your writing style and flow.  We chose not to focus on grammar because you can always employ a writing software to help you out on that end.  Using one, you can easily fix grammar and spelling flaws, without having to proofread the entire document.

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.