The website FAQ should resolve a decision, not fill a section

Find questions that change a decision

Start with the questions people ask during enquiries, proposals and onboarding. Some concern suitability: can you work with an internal team, support an existing system or accommodate a particular approval process? Others concern the engagement: what is needed to begin, who owns the files or how ongoing work is managed?

Keep the wording close to the buyer’s concern. “Why are we the best?” offers little information about a real decision. “Can you work with our existing brand guidelines?” points to a condition that may determine whether a prospect can proceed.

Ask the service team to distinguish a common question from an important question. A rare procurement requirement can still deserve a clear answer if it changes suitability. Frequency alone should not dictate the section.

Write an answer with a boundary and a next step

A useful answer usually contains a direct response, the relevant conditions and what happens next. Avoid promising that every request can be accommodated. If the answer depends on a review, identify the information needed for that review.

The stronger answer does not invent a standard inclusion. It explains the decision and provides a useful request. Adapt this pattern to the actual service and agreed process, rather than publishing the example as your organisation’s policy.

Put the answer where it is needed

If a question is essential to understanding the service, answer it in the main page content. Important scope limitations should not be concealed in a collapsed panel at the bottom. A short FAQ can then address secondary questions without interrupting the main explanation.

Use a dedicated article when the answer requires a comparison, several steps, diagrams or substantial evidence. The service page can provide a concise response and link to that fuller explanation. This gives the reader control over the level of detail.

Review the page as a whole before adding questions. If an FAQ simply repeats three earlier headings, improving those sections may be the better editorial choice.

Make expandable answers work as controls

Accordion styling should not make an answer difficult to reach. A disclosure control needs an understandable label, an identifiable open or closed state and keyboard operation. W3C’s disclosure pattern describes those behaviours for custom implementations.

For a straightforward answer, native HTML details and summary elements can provide a practical starting point. The completed design still needs testing with keyboard focus, narrow screens and the actual text. A custom visual animation is not evidence that the interaction is accessible.

Keep links and forms inside expanded content usable, and avoid opening or closing neighbouring answers unexpectedly. Someone comparing two conditions may need both answers visible. The design should serve that task.

Give the FAQ an owner

Record who approves each answer and what change would trigger a review. A change to service scope, ownership arrangements or enquiry routing can make an old answer misleading even when the page design still looks current.

Use enquiry feedback to improve the section. If a question continues to arrive, check whether the answer is easy to find and sufficiently precise before adding more words. If people reach the wrong service, the issue may be the page’s positioning or enquiry questions, rather than a missing accordion.

A useful final check is whether a suitable reader can make a better decision after reading the answer. If the response only restates that the business is experienced or flexible, it probably needs a clearer fact, condition or next action.