Continuously marketing a product is hard work. There’s no shortcut to attract and win customers and create a thriving, growing customer base. However, by building an intuitive knowledgebase, you can make selling and supporting your products easier and more effective.
A knowledgebase provides both internal and external product information, answers to commonly asked questions, and a searchable base of product information. A well-crafted knowledgebase serves many uses, including self-service customer support, user research, new hire training, and product reference documentation.
Every business can benefit from creating a dynamite knowledgebase for their product and service offerings. This guide provides information on what a knowledgebase is, the benefits a knowledgebase provides, and how to get started building one.
Key Takeaways
- What is a knowledgebase?
- Why do you need to build a knowledgebase?
- How do you build a knowledgebase?
- What are the benefits of a knowledgebase?
What is a Knowledgebase?
A knowledgebase is a repository of online documentation, guides, tutorials, and answers to questions about your products and services. Knowledgebases typically serve both internal and external uses.
For customers, an external knowledgebase is often part of a customer self-service portal. Such a knowledgebase can help a business stay ahead of customer issues by offering quality content and information about products, services, orders, options, and operational instructions.
For employees, an internal knowledgebase can help them do their job more efficiently. Such a knowledgebase can help employees onboard new hires, provide answers to common customer questions, or simply be a “one-stop-shop” internal resource center.
Simply put, a knowledgebase answers questions without the need for human interaction. Most knowledgebases are online portals that include search options, menu navigation, and various categories of relevant content.
Why is a knowledgebase important? 91% of customers prefer to use an online knowledgebase because it’s faster and simpler than contacting customer service. 55% of customers love brands that offer easy access to quality information. Providing easy access to credible information also improves customer loyalty over time.
How to Build a Knowledgebase
Building a knowledgebase takes time. You’ll need to create documentation for all products and services that your business offers. There are several ways to create a knowledgebase, including using pre-built templates within a knowledgebase tool or creating one on your own. Start by planning how your knowledgebase will be structured and the types of documentation that you want to include.
The basic process of building a knowledgebase includes:
- Determining the core elements and organization
- Developing intuitive navigation, including search tools and menus
- Determining the types of documentation you will need to create
- Creating the necessary content and documentation
- Creating a maintenance plan to keep the documentation updated consistently
- Tagging and search optimizing content so customers can easily find your knowledgebase when researching online
Keep in mind, a knowledgebase must be intuitive and easy for customers (and your employees) to find information. No knowledgebase user wants to get lost in a maze of content. Make sure your knowledgebase includes easy navigation and quick access to customer service for assistance.
Benefits of a Knowledgebase
Building and maintaining an effective knowledgebase takes significant time and resources. However, the benefits of building a knowledgebase outweigh the work to build one.
Benefits of a knowledgebase include:
- Improved employee productivity
- Customer experience improvements with self-service support access
- Improved internal employee onboarding
- Business data and documentation that is current and accessible
- Product information that enables sales and customer support without personal interaction
Build a dynamite, informative and intuitive knowledgebase and customers will come to you—and employees will thank you!