Web sites that provide useful information and FAQs about products have become ubiquitous. If a software application or hand-held product is giving us difficulties or if there are features we’ve heard about but don’t know how to access, going to the manufacturer’s web site has become second nature. And, just as important, is that we check such sites before we buy a product to see if its going to do the things we want it to do.

Yet, sometimes, I think that manufacturers don’t really take time to think about questions that users will ask and instead rely upon empirical information from similar products. For example, if company X has decided to produce an MP3 player, instead of asking themselves “what might I want to know about this product in particular?”, the site designer looks at other support sites for competing products (from company Y or company Z) for producing an FAQ. I’ve never done the research nor designed such a site; its just my impression by looking around at various sites. Similar products don’t necessarily require similar support.

One in particular is the Apple Support Site and I have two examples of how basic questions don’t get answered. I realize that iTunes 7.0 was just released so maybe the support site is just a little behind. The first example has to do with the new capability in the iTunes Music Store for downloading movies and I would think that the first question someone might ask is “Can I burn it to DVD?” They’re a little pricey (approximately $13 a piece) so I don’t want to download one to see if the question can be answered. I’ve searched and browsed, but as of right now, I can’t find the answer. The closest thing to it is this page about burning to CD or DVD but that’s only in reference to music and it only answers questions like “What happens if I try to burn music and it says I can’t?”

The next example is the support site for the Nike + iPod Sport Kit. In case you don’t know what that is, Apple and Nike have teamed together to make an add-on to the iPod Nano that connects to a sensor in a Nike + ready shoe. Your iPod becomes your own personal trainer by keeping track of your running stats and giving you audible cues through your iPod headphones during your run. The attachment to the iPod and the sensor that goes in the shoe together are only $30. Great! So what’s the most intuitive question to ask? Of course, can I use a different shoe? Perhaps the Nike shoes that I already own? How do I do it? The advertising for the Sport Kit says that only Nike + ready shoes have a built-in pocket under the insole. However, a support site should say something about engineering other shoes to do the job (whether or not you can do it?). Can the sensor be held on by the laces of the shoe? These questions go unanswered.

These basic questions should be addressed at the very beginning. I shouldn’t have to go scouring through online forums for an answer and I really shouldn’t have to write a blog entry about it and, inevitably, get a smartypants answer in a comment about it.