In my contribution to the "Age of Conversation 3 - It is Time to get Busy" (page 11, in the At The Coalface section) I try to explain in just 400 words how we use Q and A's to grow our business, one question at the time.
Removing the brakes
Enabling a visitor to your website to submit a question is a great way to start a conversation. We first started to use this principle when we launched our blog-site: FAQ & News site where we turned the comment box into a "ask your question" box.
Now, not everyone is happy, willing or sometimes even internet-savy enough to have their questions/problems made public, no matter if the subject is only "wooden floor" related. Plus, although we both publish our answer online in the comment box and email the person who asked the question, we're not always able to follow-up on this Q&A to find out if our answer solved the problem.
One way to tackle both issues in one go is to create a so-called "extended" webform in AWeber or any other autorespond software program. The "text-box" in the webform is large enough to contain a very long question, allowing your visitor to describe the situation and problem in detail. On the page of the form you explain that the question will be answered personally and in private - so quite different than using the comment box of a blog.
And on the thank you page, when using a autoresponder program that uses double opt-in, like AWeber, you must explain thoroughly that the question will only land in our inbox when the "subscription" is confirmed. This means some questions never land in our inbox and a problem is not solved. I'm in favour of double opt-in, to prevent spamming, but in these cases where you offer to answer questions and the webform is not intended to send a marketing/sales message it works as a break on the conversation.
Since end 2009 we use Octane HQ for our autoresponder (and for much more) which uses only a single opt-in (and where we are blocked to email the subscriber again through the system, once he/she unsubscribes using the "from all lists" option - a very strict "opted out" rule in Octane HQ).
With this method, every question lands in our inbox and is followed up personally.
Natural growth, in clients and articles
How does answering questions for free helps us grow our business?
Two ways really:
Our answer is first and foremost to help solve a problem, not selling a product. But it happens quite often we do receive an order - small or large - from the person asking for help. Based on trust established through the conversation (and because - no bragging intended - our products are of high quality).
(Proof is in the pudding, above statistics since end of Dec last year to today. The "extended" webform is top of the bill, followed by two of the most popular free reports we give out.)
The second reason is it grows our database of FAQ's based articles in the most simple way possible. Every house, every situation and even every design style wish is different, so variations on a theme a plenty. And as every business adviser (every proper one that is) will tell you: the more you tell, the more you sell - again, see above the conversions from prospects to clients with free but valuable and relevant reports.
So the content of our FAQ is mostly "generated" by prospects/clients, the articles themselves are generated in a software program that allows us to publish them in multiple ways (from exporting to a blog platform to PDF or Word files and even as HTML pages for websites), plus - and here's where it gets interesting - the program allows us to archive every single article for future use. Further use as in grouping relevant articles into "manuals" per subject - again to be exported as PDF or Word files, ready in one go including a Table of Contents. All in one simple program: ScreenSteps Desktop Pro
We only need to "write" an article once, and re-use it whenever the needs occur in any combination or form we like. Plus the program contains a very versatile Image Capture Tool that places images into the article and when exported in any of the available forms are uploaded, printed etc instantly in the position we placed them in.
I've written about it before, we used this program to write our "Wooden Floor Installation Manual", which exported as Word-document could be digitised as required by the "printer" very quickly, plus the same manual was instantly available as an online version for clients. Write once, use and re-use for ever.
The last few months our FAQ & News site has "case-studies" posts, where the email conversation between prospect and us can be read and used by those who are in a sort-like situation or are looking for the same sort of advice/tips/tricks of the trade.
And all these new Q & A's will eventually end up in new "how to..." books or short guides.
One other benefit of generating new articles in ScreenSteps Desktop and publishing them on our blog is that when we receive a question already answered we simply direct to this published article - instant but still relevant answer.
We are a specialised retailer, utilising FAQ's to assist/help/guide prospects/clients using our products and methods. How many other businesses, be it retail or service orientated, would benefit from using this "write once - (re) use for ever"? Your own business perhaps?
(PS, this article was also written in ScreenSteps, ready to be re-used when I finally find the time to create manual on IT tools and marketing)
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