Dive into any online forum for race directors, like the RD Hub on Facebook, and there’s one line of discussion you’ll always find: frustration with participants who ask the same questions over and over again.
Better website content can eliminate emails – and make it easier to copy/paste answers and links for questions that do come in. Our recommendation? A simple FAQ page with answers to all your most-asked questions.
Recommendations for an FAQ Page
- Make a list of the questions you expect to see the most
- Continually add or remove questions based on real interactions
- Use existing resources (like RunSignup how-to’s) to provide answers where possible
- Create high-quality resources (like you own how-to or video) for you most-asked, hardest-to-explain questions.
Building an FAQ on GiveSignup | RunSignup
It’s easy to build an FAQ on your GiveSignup | RunSignup race website, turn it into it’s own page, add an FAQ menu item, and feature it on your cover page.
1. Create a Custom Section
Navigate to Race >> Race Website >> Custom Sections to create a space to add your FAQ information. We have more tips below on repurposing some of our content to make this easy.
2. Make your FAQ it’s Own Page
Navigate to Race >> Race Website>> Custom Content Display. By default, your new FAQ content will show as “Display on Race Page”, but you can check the button for “Display as a New Menu Item” to turn the content into it’s own page with a dedicated menu item.
For a hybrid race, you may want to create a menu item called “FAQs”, and then add two separate content pages – one for the virtual event, and one for the in-person one. In this case, leave the content on the main FAQ item blank, make it the “New Menu Item”, save the menu, and then add the virtual and in-person specific pages as sub-menu items under FAQs.
3. Pick your Menu Order
Navigate to Race >> Race Website >> Menu Order to rearrange the order of your menu items to ensure that it is prominent and easy to find.
4. Add Cover Page Content
Navigate to Race >> Race Website >> Cover Page and add a new component. Use this space to tease your FAQ and add a button linking back to the full FAQ – more visibility on your site means fewer direct emails!
If you don’t have a cover page set up, or aren’t confident with the various cover page components, start with this short seminar on creating beautiful cover pages.
Let Us do the Work
Building custom content can be time consuming. While there are questions that only you can answer (like where do I park on race day?), there are many other questions that can be the same regardless of the race – questions like how do I switch event distances?
Using our How-To’s
For common questions about using GiveSignup | RunSignup, you don’t need to write custom answers. Instead, you can use our knowledge base (found at https://help.runsignup.com or by clicking on the help button on any dashboard page) and link runners directly to Tutorials for Runners for managing their registration, complete with screenshots and videos where needed.
About Participant Management Runner Tutorials
GiveSignup | RunSignup has many participant management options that can allow participants to manage their own registration without help from the race. While most settings are off by default, most races enable some or all of the self-management options, depending on the event.
Examples of areas that you can allow participants to self-manage include giveaway/add-on sizes and options, race transfers, event transfers, deferrals, shipping address, question responses, participant info, etc. To learn more about participant management features, check out this short seminar focused on participant options that are particularly relevant for 2021.
In addition to participant management, you can link to or include how-to’s on creating and managing teams, donations and fundraising, and race more.
What Should an FAQ Look Like?
There are several options. You want to make it as easy as possible for a participant to find the question/answer they are looking for, so we recommend keeping text short and sweet on the main FAQ page. If a question requires a longer answer, either link to one of our how-to’s, or consider creating and linking to a separate content page for that response.
In the first example below, the race links directly to how-to’s on the GiveSignup | RunSignup knowledge base for participant options.
In the second example, below, the race uses a bold color scheme and topic headings with short, simple answers to each question.
Want more guidance on creating an FAQ? Check out Matt Sinclair’s presentation from the 2021 Virtual Summer Symposium: