The FAQ Blueprint: 10 Must-Answer Questions for Your Online Course
FAQs…are those still a thing? Heck yes!
Even though they’re at the very end of your sales page, they shouldn’t be an afterthought.
When FAQs answer your prospects’ most common questions, they don’t have to contact you, saving them and you precious time and effort.
Also, by addressing potential concerns or objections head on, FAQs can help increase your conversion rates.
Now, which questions specifically should you answer in your FAQ section?
To get you started, here are 10 key questions that I found pop up the most about online courses.
I’ll also share a concrete answer from the Building a Second Brain course sales page for each.
1. How much time do I need to invest to benefit from the course?
What they want to know is: How much work is this going to be? Will this take over my life for the foreseeable future?
Of course, getting value from your course will take work. Suggesting otherwise would be misleading. Be realistic and give your prospects a rough estimate of how much time they’ll spend per week consuming your material and implementing it.
Example from the sales page of the BASB Cohort:
Overall, you should plan on spending around 2.5 hours per week for the 4 weeks of the live cohort, including:
1.5 hours per week attending the live session (or watching the replay)
1-2 hours per week implementing what you learn
(optional) engage with your peers on Circle, our community platform
2. What does the schedule look like?
If you’re running a course with live elements, your prospects need to know when these will take place to make sure they can attend. And don’t forget to mention what happens if they can’t attend every live session. Will you share the replays with them? Where and how soon?
Example from the sales page of the BASB Cohort:
The upcoming Cohort 18 will run from July 3rd to 30th, 2023.
Here are the key dates:
Wed., July 5th at 10 am ET: Live Session 1 (Americas/Europe)
Thu., July 6th at 4 pm ET: Live Session 1 (Americas/Asia/Pacific)
Fri., July 7th at 1 pm ET: Office Hours
etc.
3. How long will I have access to the material?
Before purchasing, most people want to know what happens after your course ends. Do you provide lifetime access or is there a limit to how long they can access the material?
What if you update the course material…will they get access to the updated version automatically?
Example from the sales page of the BASB Cohort:
You’ll have lifetime access to the replays of your BASB Cohort.
4. Are there any prerequisites for this course?
What knowledge, skills, or tools does someone need to possess already to have the best chances of succeeding in your course? Think about your ideal student when answering this question.
Example from the sales page of the BASB Cohort:
There are no official prerequisites to take Building a Second Brain. However, we do expect you to be reasonably comfortable with using a computer or smartphone.
5. What’s your refund policy?
If someone isn’t satisfied with your course, can they get their money back? Providing a money-back guarantee can reduce the risk for buyers on the fence and increase your conversions.
State clearly how long the guarantee is for, who to contact and how, and if there are any conditions attached to getting a refund (for example, having submitted assignments to show that they’ve tried).
(Btw, you don’t have to provide refunds. Stating that “all sales are final” is a valid option!)
Example from the sales page of the BASB Cohort:
Join the first week of the Cohort and if you decide it didn't deliver on its promise for any reason, email support@fortelabs.com before the second live session (July 12th) to get a refund.
6. Do you offer discounts or scholarships?
I’ve noticed many different groups of people reaching out to ask for a reduced price, for example, students, seniors, educators, veterans. Also companies might reach out to you to ask for a group discount.
If you’re providing discounts or scholarships, state clearly who is eligible and what conditions must be met to get them. Having a strict “no discounts” policy is also an option, of course!
Example from the sales page of the BASB Cohort:
We don’t offer discounts or scholarship. Instead, we support Purchasing Power Parity Pricing. Based on your location, you might qualify for a reduced price for BASB Foundation and the BASB Cohort.
7. Do you offer payment plans?
A payment plan means that your students will pay the fee for your course in several installments instead of one lump sum. For many, this is a cashflow friendly option that allows them to join courses they otherwise wouldn’t be able to.
If you’re offering payment plans, state clearly how many installments are to be paid at which time interval.
Example from the sales page of the BASB Cohort:
We’re happy to offer you “buy now, pay later” options through Klarna and Afterpay/Clearpay, which enable you to pay for our courses in interest-free installments. On our checkout pages, you’ll find these options under “Payment Methods.”
8. How do I request reimbursement from my employer?
If your course teaches skills applicable to the workplace, do provide a template for your students to get their tuition reimbursed.
Example from the sales page of the BASB Cohort:
Most large organizations, and many smaller ones, will reimburse tuition for professional development.
Click here to download a proposal template.
9. What’s the difference between [your offer] and [this other thing]?
Is your course content available in another format? Or is there another course out there that teaches something similar?
Tackle these questions head on to clarify why someone should invest specifically in your course and in the format it’s taught in.
Example from the sales page of the BASB Cohort:
The book contains the full Building a Second Brain material. But think about how often you’ve read a book, were inspired by the possibilities it outlined, yet didn’t take action to put your learnings into practice. That’s what the Cohort is for! (followed up by more details)
10. What’s the difference between [offer A] and [offer B]?
If you have more than one offer (for example, a self-paced course and a cohort-based course) or a course with different tiers, then your prospects will want to know exactly how these offers differ.
At the same time, you can answer another question that often comes up at the same time: Can I upgrade/downgrade from one offer to another?
Example from the sales page of the BASB Cohort:
BASB Foundation is our self-guided option for those seeking an introduction to building their Second Brain. Here’s what’s included…
The BASB Cohort is our 4-week sprint to build your Second Brain with the momentum, accountability, and support of our team and like-minded Second Brainers. Here’s what’s included…
Answering the 10 questions above on your sales page covers your bases. Realistically, you’ll still get variations of these questions in your inbox which you can never prevent completely.
Your FAQs should always be evolving based on what you learn about your prospects and where they get stuck in saying “yes” to your course.
