10 Essential FAQs to Add to Your Event Planning Website

When you own a business, building your digital presence is a big undertaking. Everyone focuses on the main website, the content, and other aspects of digital marketing, but there is one very valuable resource that often gets overlooked: the FAQ page. 

Today’s consumers want to be able to get instant answers. They want to know what they have in terms of options, and they want you to give them as many answers as possible without having to work for it. That’s where your FAQ page comes in. Of course, this page is more than just a self-service solution for your audience. It’s also a tool that will help bolster your FAQ in the modern digital age where people are often searching for questions and answers online. 

There are several different ways to approach an FAQ page. In this guide, we’ll provide you with some tips on setting up the page and how to get it started, as well as the top 10 questions that you need to have available. Of course, this is just a starting point—don’t limit yourself to just 10 questions and answers. There’s a lot that you can do for your audience by building a dynamic knowledge base with FAQs that are relevant to your business. 

If nothing else, you’ll be keeping up with the demand, considering that 82% of consumers expect companies to have self-service portals on their websites. 

If you don’t have an FAQ page yet, now is the time to create one. If you already have one, let’s brush it up and make sure that it delivers everything that your audience needs. That way, you’ll be able to keep up with the demand for self-service and provide the reputable brand transparency that your audience desires. 

Tips for setting up your FAQs

Part of the success comes in asking the right questions, but part of it comes from the proper structure and setup of your FAQ page. After all, even if you have all the answers, it won’t matter if people can’t find them. To begin with, you’ll need to make an important decision: will you have one page of FAQs or multiple pages? If you have enough content, you can organize the questions into topics and create separate pages. 

This helps offer more structure and makes it really easy for people to find the answers that they want. What if you have some topics you want to separate, but not enough for multiple pages? Consider dividing the page into sections that cover different topics, such as planning, pricing, your company specifically, and so forth. 

However you do it, keep it organized and make sure that it’s easy to follow. Remember to phrase questions the way that consumers would and to provide simple, straightforward answers that aren’t confusing or misleading. You can also use this section to link to other parts of your website and carry on the journey. 

Make sure that the questions and answers are clear. If you’re not sure what to include, feel free to ask your audience for input. Put yourself in their shoes, too, and see what you can come up with as far as what you’d want to know from an event planner if you were going to work with them for an event that you were planning. People usually want to know things like:

• Services offered
• Planning rates
• What planners do
• Expertise and experience
• Budgets, deposits, and other financial elements
• Timelines and scheduling

When you cover all these topics in your FAQs, you’ll ensure that people have the information that they need to make the most informed decisions about who they hire to plan their events. If you do it right, that informed decision will be to work with you. 

And now, let’s look at the top FAQs for the event planning industry. 

The top 10 FAQs for event planning websites

1. Why do I need an event planner?

This question is often the first of many people who are considering hiring an event planner. They want to be willing to consider the expense but aren’t sure what the benefits are. This is your chance to sell them on everything that you have to offer. Point out that event planners are professionals at planning—they have the expertise and resources to make things easy for everyone and get the best outcome possible. 

Event planners can be used for a lot more than people think, and they’re a lot more affordable and useful than some realize. Make a point of that here and be sure to point out that the biggest perk is that things will be planned seamlessly with no stress on their part. 

2. How do you charge for services?

This a leading question for people today. As much as you want to focus on the services you offer, people have budgets and financial concerns. Make sure that you spell out how you charge rates for various event planning services, including the different events that might have different rates, a la carte services, and more. People want to know what they’re paying for, but this also gives you the chance to show that you’re transparent and willing to be open about pricing so that people don’t have to worry that there will be hidden charges or anything like that. 

3. Are deposits refundable?

Deposits are a big part of the event planning business. Some can be refunded, while others cannot. People will want to know which are which and how to plan for contingencies when events go wrong, or things happen that cause hiccups along the way. This is your chance to reassure people that you will handle the process even with the snags and explain the deposit process and financial aspects of your planning business. 

If you have venues or other partners who have their own deposit policies, explain that, too, so that people know exactly what to expect. You may not be able to control these things, but you can make sure that people are prepared and informed about them. 

4. What kind of events do you plan?

Not all event planners handle all types of events. Therefore, you’ll want to list the types of event planning services that you offer so that potential clients know whether you can take care of their needs. If you are willing to discuss and plan all kinds of events on an individual basis, explain that here. If you have a set list of events that you prefer to work with, list them and invite people to contact you for questions or inquiries about other services or planning solutions that they need. You don’t have to do it all, but you should be willing to inform your audience as to what you do offer so that they know whether you can help them or not. 

5. What if there’s an emergency? Can we change the date or details without additional fees?

Events are tricky business. Things happen, emergencies come up, and sometimes dates need to be changed. With deposits and different events, though, this may be more difficult in some cases. Be sure to have an emergency cancellation or rescheduling process in place for your event planning clients and explain that to them here. You can even explain it briefly and then link to the page on your website that discusses cancellations and rescheduling events so that people know what they should expect. This is also a good place to discuss whether deposits will be kept, or other charges will be incurred for the change. 

6. What is included in event planning services?

Not all event planners are the same, nor do they offer the same services. Those coming to an event planner for the first time will want to know what all you can do for them. Do you just orchestrate things, or do you actually help with setup and tear down? Can you handle everything from catering to chairs and tables, or will people have to find those connections themselves and then let you know who they are? Make sure that you tell people exactly what you do, and what you don’t, so that they know what to expect. There are no right or wrong answers here as long as you’re clear about what you offer. 

7. How much time do you need to plan?

Planning for events is something that takes time—but all events have their own timeline. Clients will always want to know how much time you need to plan their event. Even though you can’t possibly provide an exact timeline, advise what they should allow for certain types of events. For example, you might want to plan a wedding 9-12 months in advance, but you could plan a baby shower or graduation party in just a few months. If you want, you can even list an average timeline for all the event planning that you do to give people more insight into the process and what to expect. 

8. Do you have a caterer or photographer reference or partnership?

If you’re an event planner, you probably have all kinds of connections. People don’t want to have to call everyone themselves. The whole purpose of hiring an event planner is to have someone that can manage it all. Make sure that you explain all of the services that you can provide or offer referrals for, including setting up catering, photography, tables and chairs, and other services that will be needed for an event. The more that you can assist people, the better, but don’t feel like you have to do it all. This is also a good place to advise them of what you don’t include or can’t help them with (hopefully that’s a short or nonexistent list). 

9. How much experience do you have?

This is your place to show off your expertise. Explain to people how long you’ve been in the industry and what types of events you have experience working with. You can even use this area to link to your portfolio or testimonials page to give people more information about what you’ve done in the past. People want to know that you have the experience to handle their event properly. That’s all you’re doing here—showing them that you can do that and then some. 

10. What’s it like to work with an event planner?

Here is another chance to educate people and convince them of all the perks that come from hiring a planner to assist with the event they are hosting. In addition to the benefits, of course, you can also explain your process and make sure that people understand what they’re getting when they work with your event planning business. Explain how you plan events, how much involvement they have, and use past examples to help them get a better understanding of what they can expect for their own events. It’s a simple question, but it’s one that a lot of people want to know the answer to because they have never hired an event planner before. 

While you’re planning, let Smith.ai handle the phones, chats, and more

You’ve got a lot on your plate with all the events that you plan. You’re already fielding tons of calls and making just as many, trying to get everything organized. In the meanwhile, who’s handling the phones, chats, and other needs coming from your event planning business? You don’t have to do it all, which is good news since there’s no way you can. 

Enlist the services of the virtual receptionists at Smith.ai and make sure that you never miss a call or chat, even when you’re up to your ears in events to plan. We’ll handle everything that you need, including intake and scheduling, Facebook and SMS message answering, and so much more. Plus, we’ll come up with a strategy to manage it all, too, so you don’t have to worry about missing a beat. 

To learn more, schedule a consultation to discuss what the 24/7 virtual receptionists at Smith.ai can do for your business, from live chats and after-hours phone calls to lead intake and qualification, and so much more. You’ll also find us at hello@smith.ai or (650) 727-6484.