Effective knowledge base management helps businesses create and distribute organizational information on all customer touchpoints.
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Modern-day customers are accustomed to finding information instantly. Whether it is troubleshooting a problem or understanding a product, having a knowledge base readily available can save both time and frustration. Businesses are investing in the tool to improve their customer service delivery and boost efficiency.
We have created a step-wise guide on how to design and structure an effective knowledge base. Irrespective of the industry you belong to and the size of your business, having a knowledge base is a big asset for your employees as well as customers.
A knowledge base is defined as a centralized repository of information that can be accessed by internal teams or customers who are seeking solutions to common problems. It can be referred to as a digital library, where information is stored in an easily accessible and searchable format, making it possible for people to find the information they need quickly.
A well-maintained knowledge base can be an incredibly valuable resource for any business. When properly structured, it can help employees work more effectively, reduce the need for manual documentation, and ensure that customers always have access to the information they need to resolve common issues. It can also help to reduce training costs and enable employees to work more independently, thereby increasing productivity and efficiency.
A knowledge base is a centralized system that houses information and expertise about a particular subject, product, or service. Here are the essential elements of a knowledge base.
A search function is an essential element of a knowledge base feature. A robust search function can enable users to find relevant information by searching for keywords, phrases, or even complex queries.
The content in a knowledge base should be well-structured, intuitively organized, and easy to navigate. Whether it is graphical or textual, information should be presented in a way that is easily digestible and user-friendly.
The ability to manage and update content regularly is crucial to keeping a knowledge base relevant and useful. Content management ensures that new information can be added, outdated to be removed, modified as required.
A knowledge base should integrate with other systems, such as customer relationship management (CRM) software, to help streamline processes and ensure that information in other systems is up-to-date.
The ability to track and analyze usage patterns is an essential element of a knowledge base. Analytics and reporting features can provide insight into areas that require more attention or areas that are working well.
Collaboration tools, such as commenting features or discussion forums, can encourage users to contribute their knowledge and expertise to the knowledge base. It ensures that the knowledge base stays current and offers a diverse range of perspectives.
There are different types of knowledge bases that serve different use cases. External knowledge bases are typically used to provide customer support, the internal knowledge bases mainly cover business-specific information such as policies and processes. But, what exactly do customer-facing knowledge bases contain? Here are some of the most common types of information you’ll find:
As a business owner or manager, you’re always looking for ways to improve operations, increase efficiency, and reduce costs. One way to achieve these goals is by implementing a knowledge base. But you might be asking yourself, “Why does my business need a knowledge base?”
Let’s explore the benefits.
Customers often have queries that need to be fixed in real time when the support team might not be available 24/7. By creating a knowledge base, you can provide self-service options to find answers to frequently asked questions even when your support team is unavailable.
When employees have access to a knowledge base, they can quickly find answers to their questions or access training materials. It reduces the time in searching for information and increases productivity. Employees can also contribute to the knowledge base by adding their own tips and tricks.
Businesses have standard operating procedures and guidelines that all employees should follow, which is quite challenging to follow consistently. A knowledge base can be used to centralize information, such as training materials, policies, and procedures so that everyone has access to the same information, which eventually increases consistency.
When you hire new employees, you need to train them on your business processes, systems, and products/services. It is can be time-consuming and expensive. With a knowledge base, you can create training materials that can be accessed by new hires online, reducing the need for in-person training and lowering costs.
When employees have access to a knowledge base, they can make better-informed decisions. They can refer to training materials, learn from previous experiences, access data and analytics that can help them make better choices.
Knowledge management is the process of creating, sharing, using, and managing the knowledge and information of an organization. Its goal is to improve the productivity of employees, enhance the innovation process, and increase the value of the business.
Knowledge base software plays a critical role in knowledge management for several reasons:
A knowledge base is a centralized repository of information, often used by organizations to store and share knowledge with employees and customers. There are several different types of knowledge bases, each serving a specific purpose.
Here are some common types of knowledge bases:
1. Internal Knowledge Base
An internal knowledge base is used by employees within an organization to access information such as company policies, procedures, best practices, and training materials. This type of knowledge base helps employees quickly find the information they need to perform their jobs effectively.
2. External Knowledge Base
An external knowledge base is typically used by customers or external stakeholders to access information about a product or service. This type of knowledge base may include FAQs, troubleshooting guides, product manuals, and other helpful resources for customers looking for support.
3. Collaborative Knowledge Base
A collaborative knowledge base allows multiple users to contribute and edit information, creating a shared repository of knowledge. This type of knowledge base facilitates collaboration and knowledge sharing among teams, making it easier for employees to work together and access the information they need.
4. Domain-specific Knowledge Base
A domain-specific knowledge base focuses on a specific subject or industry, such as healthcare, IT, or finance. This type of knowledge base contains specialized information and resources tailored to the needs of professionals in that particular domain.
5. Decision Support Knowledge Base
A decision support knowledge base provides information and tools to help users make informed decisions. This type of knowledge base may include data analytics, market research, and other resources to assist users in analyzing information and making strategic decisions.
6. Customer Support Knowledge Base
A customer support knowledge base is designed to provide customers with self-service support options, helping them troubleshoot issues and find answers to common questions without having to contact customer support. This type of knowledge base can improve customer satisfaction and reduce support costs for businesses.
An effective knowledge base is a crucial element for any organization to stay ahead in the customer service game. It is a powerful tool for improving collaboration, communication, and knowledge-sharing within an organization, leading to improved performance and better outcomes.
Here are some practical steps you should consider when creating and managing a knowledge base.
The first and foremost is to define your objectives. Outlining the objectives gives clarity on the answers to the below questions.
The answers to those questions will help you understand if you do need a knowledge base and begin thinking about how it should be structured so that it meets your business needs and expectations.
There are so many knowledge base software available in the market. It is recommended to evaluate several knowledge base tools to know the right fit for your businesses.
Knowledge base tools include open-source software, cloud-based platforms, and proprietary solutions. The selection of the knowledge base tool should depend on your defined objectives, available resources, and expected outcomes.
Based on your business needs, if it is just basic, you can use free tools like Google Docs or Microsoft SharePoint or you can invest in premium solutions like Confluence, Freshdesk, or Zendesk if you are looking for advanced features or customizations.
Identifying your knowledge sources is a critical step in creating your knowledge base. The sources of knowledge could be internal, external, or both.
Internal knowledge sources may include customer support data, employee manuals, etc. while external sources include vendor information, customer feedback, etc.
By identifying your knowledge sources, you can structure your knowledge base to retrieve and store information efficiently.
Categorizing your knowledge base into topics and subcategories is a great way to ease information management.
Developing your knowledge base structure at the beginning of your process will not only help you organize your content as your knowledge base grows but will inform navigation design and help make it more intuitive for users.
Consider grouping your knowledge base into logical categories that resonate with your target audience. For example, you could group your articles into topics like product features, troubleshooting, customer service or industry news.
Maintaining and updating your knowledge base is a continuous process. With time, the information stored in your knowledge base may become obsolete, inaccurate or irrelevant. Therefore, it is essential to ensure that you regularly update, review and verify the information in your knowledge base.
You should also encourage your employees and customers to provide feedback and suggestions for improving your knowledge base. It will ensure that your knowledge base is more valuable to your target audience.
When it comes to managing customer support and providing efficient solutions, a good knowledge base software tool can be incredibly helpful. In this article, we will discuss the top knowledge base software tools available in the market.
Best knowledge base software for great CX
Omni24 is a popular knowledge base software tool that focuses on providing a great customer experience. It offers a user-friendly interface with many customization options that can be tailored to your business needs.
The articles are easy to create, manage, and categorize. Omni24 also offers collaborative editing, meaning that multiple agents can work on a single article without causing conflicts. Omni24 offers analytics to track article performance and identify areas for improvement.
Key features:
Pricing: The pricing starts from $34/month. The pricing depends on factors like the number of users, the level of features required, and the scale of customer support operations. Omni24 also offers a 14-day free trial for businesses to explore its features before making a commitment. Check out their pricing for more detailed comparison.
Top knowledge base solution with excellent customer support
Veemo is another popular knowledge base software that offers a wide range of features to help businesses provide excellent customer support. With Veemo, users can easily create and organize articles, add visuals such as images or videos, and collaborate with colleagues.
It also offers a feature called “Answer Bot,” which uses machine learning to help customers find answers to their queries quickly.
Veemo also provides analytics to help users understand how their knowledge base is performing and identify areas for improvement.
Key Features:
Pricing:There are three pricing plans – the Growth plan starts at $34/user/month with basic features. The Team plan is priced at $79/user/month with more features. The Enterprise plan is priced at $149/user/month which includes advanced features. The software pricing is also customizable as per business requirements. It also offers a 14-day free trial. Check out the pricing plans for more detailed comparisons.
Best knowledge base platform to minimize the rate of queries
Helpjuice is a powerful and easy-to-use knowledge base software tool that helps businesses create a comprehensive knowledge base in a matter of minutes. It offers a range of customization options for branding and provides a user-friendly interface for creating and managing articles.
Helpjuice also offers a powerful search feature that returns relevant results for customer queries quickly. It also provides analytics to track article performance and user behavior.
Pricing: The software’s basic pricing starts from $59 per seat/month.
Not all knowledge bases are equally effective. Here are seven best practices and tips you can follow to ensure that your knowledge base provides value to both your customers and your agents.
Having a strong knowledge base can be invaluable for any business or organization. We discuss several use cases for knowledge bases that can help you get the most out of this powerful resource.
Customer service is the primary use case for a knowledge base. A well-designed knowledge base can empower your customers to find answers to their questions without reaching out to the support team. When you provide customers with an intuitive and easy-to-use knowledge base, it improves the overall customer experience and reduces the number of support calls you receive.
Knowledge bases are highly effective for employee training and onboarding. It can provide new employees with the information they need quickly. This can include company policies, procedures, and best practices. A knowledge base can also be used to train existing employees on new products, services, or processes.
A knowledge base can also be a powerful tool for self-service sales. When you provide customers with detailed product information and reviews, it helps them in making quick and informed purchasing decisions. This can lead to increased sales and customer satisfaction.
A structured knowledge base can also be a valuable tool for internal knowledge sharing. By creating a centralized repository of information, you can promote collaboration and knowledge sharing among your employees. This can help to break down silos and increase efficiency.
Having a knowledge base can be used to enable your partners. By providing your partners with the information they need to sell your products and services, you can increase sales and build stronger relationships with your partners. It comprises product information, sales collateral, and training materials.
Knowledge bases have become an essential tool for businesses to provide customer support and answer frequently asked questions. As such, businesses need to be aware of how their knowledge bases are performing so they can make informed decisions about how to improve their support processes.
1. Top Articles
Tracking the top articles is crucial to understanding the most common queries your customers have. It is essential to know which articles are getting the most views, so you can optimize and improve them accordingly. You can use analytics tools to track which articles are being viewed most and which ones are not getting as much attention.
2. Search Query Metrics
The search query metric tracks the search queries entered by customers so that you can identify the top searches and modify your knowledge base content accordingly. You can find out what customers are searching for and create new articles that provide answers to those queries.
3. Article Performance Metrics
The performance of an article is a measure of how helpful it is to customers. An article may receive a lot of visitors but may be deemed unhelpful by customers. In such cases, it is necessary to modify such articles. The performance metric will help you identify the top-performing articles and the poorly-performing ones.
4. Feedback Metrics
Many knowledge bases have a feedback mechanism, which allows customers to rate the usefulness of an article. By collecting feedback, businesses can identify areas that need improvement and optimize knowledge base content accordingly.
A comprehensive knowledge base is an essential component of an omnichannel customer support and help desk. It empowers customers to access answers to their common questions at any time, improving their overall experience with a brand. Additionally, it allows businesses to deliver support on autopilot, freeing up their team’s time to tackle more complex issues.
To create a successful knowledge base, businesses must invest the time and resources necessary to develop quality content that meets their customers’ needs. With the right strategy and implementation, a knowledge base can improve customer satisfaction, reduce support costs, and drive business growth.
Omni24’s DCX platform harnesses automation and AI to deliver unified customer experiences across digital channels, while keeping human touch.
Having a knowledge base is crucial for businesses as it saves time and resources by reducing the need for constant customer support. There are scenarios when customers look for immediate assistance and the support may not be available. Having a knowledge base empowers users to find information quickly and easily, without the need to get in touch with the support team. It eventually leads to improved customer satisfaction and a positive user experience.
In order to create an effective knowledge base, you should start by identifying the most common customer queries or issues. Organize your content in a logical manner using categories and subcategories. Use clear and concise language, provide step-by-step instructions, and include visuals such as screenshots or videos for better understanding.
A comprehensive knowledge base should include a frequently asked questions (FAQs) section, troubleshooting guides, product or service documentation, video tutorials, user manuals, and a search function to allow users to quickly find the information they need.
Knowledge base accessibility depends on your business and the target audience. While some companies prefer to have public knowledge bases that can be accessed by anyone, others may have specific sections that are only available to registered users or paying customers. Consider your industry, customer base, and overall objectives when deciding on the accessibility of your knowledge base.
Promoting your knowledge base is essential to ensure users are aware of its existence and utilize it effectively. Some effective strategies include adding links to your website’s navigation menu, creating educational blog posts or videos that direct users to your knowledge base, sending periodic newsletters highlighting new articles, and integrating the knowledge base within your customer support interactions.
Knowledge bases should be regularly updated to reflect changes in your products, services, or industry. Set a schedule for reviewing, revising, and adding new content to ensure accuracy and relevance. Encourage user feedback to identify any gaps in information or areas that need improvement.
Absolutely! There are numerous software and tools available that can help you create, organize, and manage your knowledge base effectively. Some popular options include Help Center platforms, content management systems, and knowledge base software that offer user-friendly interfaces and features designed specifically for knowledge base management.
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