- Customer Education Chronicles
- Posts
- From Chaos to Clarity: Structuring Your Knowledge Base
From Chaos to Clarity: Structuring Your Knowledge Base
How to structure your knowledge base for maximum usability and impact.
In last week's newsletter, I discussed the importance of a knowledge base and how to leverage it during onboarding.
This week, let's talk about the structure of a good knowledge base.
1. Organize content effectively
Group articles based on common themes, starting with a high-level folder structure and then breaking them down into smaller topics. This hierarchical approach helps users navigate intuitively.
2. Make finding answers a breeze
Use clear categories and subcategories, and include a prominent search bar. The search functionality lets users quickly find specific topics without navigating through each category.
3. Use clear and concise language
Write in a clear, concise language that matches your target persona. If you are unsure about the persona, collaborate with marketing and customer success teams to define it accurately.
4. Include helpful visuals
Enhance understanding by adding screenshots, diagrams, or videos. Visual aids can significantly improve comprehension and retention of information.
5. Keep information up-to-date
Regularly review and update content to ensure accuracy, especially with each product release or update. Outdated information can lead to confusion and frustration.
Tip for Healthcare Companies
Consider separating domain knowledge from product knowledge. This distinction helps users quickly access either industry-specific information or product-related content.
Create separate sections for medical terminology, compliance requirements, and product features.
Example of a Great Knowledge Base
HubSpot's knowledge base is an excellent example of a well-structured resource.
Clean, intuitive design with clearly defined categories
A prominent search bar for easy navigation
Quick access to information about specific products or features
Remember, a good knowledge base should be user-friendly, comprehensive, and regularly updated to be a valuable resource for your customers or team members.
Until next week,
Manasi
Sign up or share this newsletter with others if you think they will find it resourceful or helpful.
Have questions about onboarding or streamlining your training, or want to chat?
Email me at [email protected].
