The Owltimate Guide to Knowledge Base Software
But first, definitions!
Knowledge base: A knowledge base, also known as a help center, information repository or support database, is an organized collection of articles and resources that contains information about a particular topic or product. It usually includes searchable articles and resources that make information easy to access.
Knowledge base software: Knowledge base software, often called a content management system (CMS) or documentation software, is a special type of online application for managing information. This software has functionality such as content creation and organization tools, user access controls, and analytics tools.
Knowledge base articles: Knowledge base articles, commonly referred to as support content or help documents, are individual pieces of content made to address specific topics or issues in a knowledge base. They can include how-to guides, FAQs, troubleshooting instructions, documentation, and product descriptions.
Knowledge management: Knowledge management (KM), or information management, is the process of capturing, organizing, and using an organization’s information. It involves distributing information and effectively using that to perform tasks and make key decisions.
Introduction to knowledge bases
According to Atlassian, a knowledge base is a library of information about a product, service, department, or topic.
A knowledge base can be used in a variety of ways, but in general terms, it is a place where information is stored, organized, shared, and searched. All organizations have information to share. Owning and maintaining a knowledge base is the best way to handle that information.
A knowledge base is usually a part of a larger knowledge management system and can be used either internally (by employees) or externally (by customers).
Check out Is it “knowledge base” or “knowledgebase”? To learn why “knowledge base” is most commonly spelled as two words.
A knowledge base is more than just an online storage space. The benefits cut across a lot of departments. It boosts productivity and improves customer experiences. A good knowledge base allows a company’s knowledge to be centralized, which makes it easily accessible and searchable. This improves customer service, gives sales teams the information they need at their fingertips, and helps other teams efficiently function. Knowledge bases can also be great for marketing!
KnowledgeOwl has an extensive blog with articles on all topics concerning knowledge bases and knowledge management, including:
Who needs a knowledge base?
All companies need an online knowledge base. A common misconception is that only large organizations need to have a knowledge base. While large companies and fast-growing startups alike have different knowledge management needs, the benefits of a knowledge base are not applicable to just one type of organization.
Every business is either doing some form of customer service, storing information for internal or external use, and using that information to solve client problems. Small businesses often have fewer customer support resources, and a knowledge base can reduce some of the pressure on small support teams.
No matter what your organization does, in any industry, at any stage of progress, you need to store your information in a way that sets you up for success.
Recommended reading: How to know when your company needs a knowledge base
A knowledge base is an important part of an organization’s knowledge management system (KMS). A knowledge base’s type is determined by the information within it. It is important to be aware of the different types of knowledge bases, but the main point is that each organization should design its knowledge base in a manner that meets its specific needs.
One way to classify a knowledge base is by who its users will be:
Internal knowledge base: Assists with tasks within a company and exists to provide information and assistance to employees or internal stakeholders. It usually contains sensitive information not meant for the public. Internal knowledge bases require strong security measures to protect the sensitive information within them from unauthorized access. Read more: Why you need an internal knowledge base for your company
External knowledge base: Contains information meant to help users outside of the organization. External knowledge bases are usually designed for customers, but they could also be directed to other types of users, such as contractors or potential customers. External knowledge bases require less security than internal knowledge bases, but they still need protection against spam or malicious attacks.
Another way to classify knowledge bases is by the level of access to the documentation:
Private knowledge base: Restricted to specific users and requires authentication to access the information within. Private knowledge bases can be both internal and external.
Public knowledge base: Easily accessible by anyone and needs little to no authentication to use. Public knowledge bases are always external.
Another way to classify knowledge bases is by their support function and design:
Staff-oriented knowledge base: Designed for internal use by customer service representatives or support teams. They help staff answer customer queries quickly and efficiently. They are usually very comprehensive. The language and structure of this type of knowledge base is catered to employees who have a deep understanding of the product.
Customer-oriented (self-service) knowledge base: Designed for direct use by customers or end users. This type of knowledge base will allow users to find solutions to questions without needing to contact customer support. It provides consistent and accurate information that allows users to learn about new features and independently troubleshoot issues.
Things to remember:
A knowledge base can be both public AND private.
A knowledge base can be both internal AND external.
Your knowledge base type depends on the company and the individual use case. Some categories can overlap. An external knowledge base can be public or private. An internal knowledge base is always private, but not all private knowledge bases are internal. Sometimes a private knowledge base is just for paying customers or partners of your product.
Feel free to reach out to us at support@knowledgeowl.com or book a call with us so we can help you determine which type of knowledge base your team needs and how we can help you get started.
For a deeper dive into knowledge base types, check out these articles:
How to decide whether to make knowledge base content public or private
Setting up a knowledge base that has both public and private content
Keep your content safe: A guide to private knowledge base features
Should your knowledge base be private, public, or a mix of both?
Remember, the main factors that determine the type of knowledge base that is right for your organization are the type of information you have, your intended audience(s), and the security standards you need to uphold.
What is knowledge base software?
A knowledge base software is an online library that makes it easier to organize, share, and manage information in an organization. Knowledge base software brings all the functionality of a knowledge base straight to your fingertips.
Knowledge base software makes creating and maintaining all types of knowledge bases easier with features that support information retrieval and collaboration.
Features such as powerful search functionality, customizable user-friendly interfaces, and analytics tools combine into a single package to bring your users a great experience for accessing information from your organization.
When choosing a knowledge base for your organization, there are so many possibilities. Depending on the type of organization and information, there is a knowledge base solution out there for you.
Software as a service (SaaS) models for knowledge base software are the most common type. This sets up your users for self-service, meaning they have 24/7 support available rather than only being able to get help during service hours from customer care representatives.
As a company grows, the number of people who need access to information—whether internal or external—will increase. Having an online knowledge base is an opportunity to easily scale your documentation to accommodate everyone.
Let’s discuss the benefits and drawbacks of building your own knowledge base or using a specialist knowledge base software.
Self-hosted: building your own knowledge base software
Benefits:
Customization: There is full control over the features, design, and functionality to match your organization’s specific needs.
Integration: Designing your own knowledge base means the integration with your other systems and workflows will be seamless since it's under your control.
Cost control: In the long run, there will be cost savings in building a knowledge base software rather than paying for a software subscription. This is especially true if it is a large organization with unique needs.
Scalability: It can be designed to scale exactly as you need it to.
Unique features: Building your own knowledge base allows you to implement features that may not be available in specialist “off-the-shelf” software.
Drawbacks:
Time and resource consuming: It will require significant time and resources to develop and maintain.
Technical expertise: Creating a knowledge base software will require domain knowledge of this software type. You will need a skilled development team to work on it, which can be expensive.
Maintenance burden: There will be an ongoing responsibility on the organization to update, fix bugs and clear up security patches.
Feature limitation: It may lack the advanced features that specialist software providers have mastered over time.
User experience: Professional solutions are targeted to be user-friendly. Creating your own software could result in a product that is not as polished as it could be.
Opportunity cost: The resources used to create a knowledge base software are taken away from other core business activities.
Hosted: using specialist knowledge base software
Benefits:
Quick deployment: A specialist knowledge base software is a quick, ready-to-use solution that can be implemented quickly.
Technical support: They come with a technical team that provides support for troubleshooting problems and optimizing your usage.
Professional features: With a specialist knowledge base, there will be access to advanced and extensively tested features developed by dedicated specialists.
Regular updates: Companies frequently update their software to improve the user experience, which is another reason why having access to specialized knowledge base software is beneficial.
User-friendly interface: Specialist software benefits from years of development and refinement. Through multiple iterations, these programs have evolved to offer user-friendly interfaces that are easy to navigate and understand.
Reduced IT burden: Using specialist software reduces the workload on an organization's IT team. Instead of spending time on maintenance and updates for multiple systems, IT staff can focus on addressing other critical business needs.
Regulatory compliance: Specialist software vendors conduct extensive research to ensure their products meet industry standards and regulations. This built-in compliance reduces the risk of regulatory violations for organizations using the software.
Drawbacks:
Cost: An ongoing subscription cost could be quite expensive, especially for larger organizations.
Integration challenges: Not being in control of the build of the knowledge base software means there could be incompatibility issues with your existing systems and workflow.
Feature bloat: Specialist software is often an off-the-shelf generic stack that could be customized to your needs. This means that there are some included features that may not be useful to some companies.
Data control: Contracting out your knowledge base means there are potential concerns about the data security and ownership of the information added to the knowledge base.
Limited customization: There could be limited scope for customization to meet your organization’s specific knowledge base needs.
Selecting the right knowledge base software
What makes a given knowledge base software “good”? Some features are available in all knowledge base solutions, and knowing what they are should help you in deciding on the vendor to go with. Below are the key features of knowledge base software and what they are used for. These features can be classified into categories or “packs” that group similar features together.
Features of a good knowledge base software
Publishing and editing pack: Publishing and editing features are ones used in the writing, editing, and publishing of new content, or the updating of existing content. These are the most-used features. This feature pack includes the following:
Author and editor user login
WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) content management system
Editing and approval process
Bulk edit and bulk delete
Usability pack: These features are not front and center, but they improve the professionalism and usability of your knowledge base. These features add depth and quality to the knowledge base.
User feedback capabilities (e.g. comments)
Information architecture and searchability pack: These are features that help users navigate your knowledge base and access the information they need. Information architecture relates to the structure of your content that allows users to get familiar with your knowledge base. Searchability allows users to find the content they need.
Search engine with auto-suggest
Article tagging
Redirects
Topic-based categories
Information architecture allows you to organize content according to its significance in the knowledge base. This includes great navigation features and interlinking to help users easily navigate the knowledge base.
Front-end pack: These are very important features for use in specific stages of the development of your knowledge base’s look and feel. You don’t necessarily use them often, but when you do, they are crucial to your site's professionalism.
Style templates
Custom branding options
Easy navigation menu with multi-layer categories
Article media such as code snippets, warnings, important information, and call-outs
Back-end pack: These are features that users will not see but are vital for the owner of the knowledge base.
Unlimited file storage
Importing and exporting documentation
Reporting and analytics
Search engine optimization
Domain forwarding
Secure hosting and HTTPS
Version control
These key features should be available in a knowledge base to ensure the best experience. You can check out these blog posts for a more extensive discussion on key knowledge base features:
Kate Mueller, Documentation Goddess & Resident Cheesemonger at KnowledgeOwl, recorded a podcast on “Choosing the Right Knowledge Base Software for Your Organization”.
Kate has worked with several different knowledge bases throughout her career and, at KnowledgeOwl, works with current and prospective customers worldwide to help them use KnowledgeOwl to address their needs.
All these features mentioned in this section (and more!) are available in our own knowledge base software, KnowledgeOwl.
Knowledge base software comparisons
Choosing a knowledge base software can be a daunting task. Thankfully, regardless of your specific needs, there is a great knowledge base option for you!
There are standalone knowledge base software options that are primarily aimed at small businesses. These are different from help desk software such as Zendesk, Groove, and Freshdesk. One advantage of choosing a standalone knowledge base solution instead of a full stack help desk is that it can be more suitable to the needs of your company. For example, you may not require a help desk ticketing system, email inbox tool, or multi-channel support, but you do want a dedicated customer knowledge base.
To help you find the right knowledge base software for your needs, we reviewed various standalone knowledge base options and created a free knowledge base software comparison tool.
Here are some other resources to help you choose the right knowledge base solution:
What are the benefits of a knowledge base?
A strong knowledge base for a company accompanied by good knowledge management practices elevates a company to be more efficient and deliver great service. A knowledge base can make a difference for an organization in the following ways:
Knowledge alignment and consistency: A knowledge base ensures that everyone in the organization follows the same operations playbook, which allows teams to operate in a consistent manner.
Great customer care with higher resolution rates: A great knowledge base allows customer issues to be handled easier. Giving the customer support team the platform and knowledge they need to deal with any problems reduces the need to put customers on hold, transfer them, or have to reach out later. Knowledge bases can also give customers the information they need without needing to reach out to support.
Lower training costs: For big operations, hiring and recruiting are a huge part of the workflow. An organization with a functional knowledge base will ensure new hires have access to the latest information and receive consistent guidance. An automated onboarding process supported by an effective knowledge base will lead to a better working environment and reduced costs.
Roles and permissions: Knowledge bases make it easy to control access and editing permissions. Other non-dedicated tools have the capacity to do this, such as Google Docs, but the level of granular control a knowledge base grants for this purpose is a great return on investment.
Improved workflow: Knowledge base software primarily aims to provide quick and easy access to crucial information. This allows users to find answers precisely when and where they need them, without the disruption of extensive searching. As a result, workplace productivity increases as employees can perform their tasks more efficiently.
Knowledge preservation: A knowledge base and good knowledge management principles empower employees to thoroughly document processes and projects they work on. The content they write, their thought processes, the questions they answer, and more is all put into a knowledge base. Employees leave organizations all the time for various reasons, and this leaves you at the risk of losing all the valuable knowledge they’ve gained on the job. A knowledge base reduces this risk.
Remote work possibilities: The world is increasingly more global, with companies often having staff members from all over the globe. Remote work is now a standard procedure. No matter where an employee operates, they must have access to the information they need to perform their tasks. A knowledge base ensures this. For more on this, see: How knowledge bases can help remote teams work more collaboratively
Better collaboration: Internal teams often need to collaborate on tasks. Different sources of information, inadequate information, and the time required to access information are all friction points that can be reduced with the creation of a knowledge base.
Enhanced decision-making: A centralized knowledge repository enables decision-makers to quickly access specific information they need. This eliminates the need to search through scattered emails or interrupt experts for explanations. With instant access to relevant data, leaders can make faster, more informed decisions based on up-to-date information.
Increased revenue: A well-organized knowledge base boosts productivity by reducing redundant work, such as searching for information. By centralizing data, it ensures consistent work quality and supports company growth, ultimately leading to higher revenue. To learn more about how a knowledge base can improve your financial outcomes, see: Why your knowledge base helps the bottom line
If you need more convincing on why a knowledge base can be helpful, see: 10 reasons to create a knowledge base right now
The importance of knowledge management
A knowledge base is just a part of the bigger knowledge management field. Knowledge management is about collecting information in your company for employees and users to effectively learn and share. It helps to grow business value and build a competitive edge.
A knowledge management system is the combination of every tool and process involved in gathering and storing information in a company. Internal collaboration tools such as Slack, Trello, Asana, and Google Drive all form a company’s knowledge management.
Knowledge management covers a broad range of tools, whereas knowledge bases are aimed at creating a self-service center for an audience that is either internal or external.
There are three main areas of knowledge management:
Creating knowledge
Storing knowledge
Sharing knowledge
A healthy knowledge management culture encourages employees to learn and share knowledge, fostering better collaboration and teamwork. For some tips on how to improve your knowledge management, see: 10 tips to improve Knowledge Management
The knowledge management tool continuum
Knowledge management tools are often collaborative with a large user base who can ‘write’ content on the system. This is different from a knowledge base that is kept up-to-date by a centralized team of technical writers or other dedicated staff. As a result, they are typically read-only to most of their users.
The best way to understand this is to visualize the difference between knowledge management tools and knowledge bases as a continuum. Tools that a lot of people contribute to are at one end of the continuum, while single source of truth solutions/knowledge bases are on the other end.
A knowledge base solution like KnowledgeOwl is on the single source of truth end of the spectrum, whereas other tools like Slack are on the collaborative end of the spectrum.
Not all knowledge management tools are suitable for every team. Some other tools in this category include:
Collaboration tools: Software that enables a team to work together from a shared information resource. Every user is a writer as well as a reader. Examples: Guru and MediaWiki
Help desk software: Ticketing system software used to keep track of large numbers of customer queries from multiple sources (e.g. email, social media, form submissions). Used by teams and often integrates intelligently with other platforms like a knowledge base. Examples: Zendesk and Help Scout
Document management tools: Software that manages and shares large amounts of documents, such as Microsoft Word files, presentations, images, and PDFs. An answer to the hassle of sharing documents over email, version conflicts, security concerns, and the risk of losing documents. Examples: Dropbox and PandaDoc
Intranets: Software that creates a secure private network in an enterprise for the purpose of sharing information, documents, and collaboration. Typically aimed at large, distributed teams. Example: Microsoft Sharepoint
Help authoring tools (HATs): Specialized software applications designed to create help documentation for publication in knowledge bases and other platforms. Enterprises use HATs because they aid in regulatory compliance and enable efficient production of large-scale documentation. Examples: Adobe RoboHelp and MadCap Flare
For a deeper dive into a knowledge management system, see: Guide to Knowledge Management and the role of a knowledge base
Implementing a knowledge base
Knowledge base information architecture
When dealing with knowledge bases, the way the information is structured is as important as the content itself.
Information architecture (IA) focuses on organizing, structuring, and labeling content effectively and sustainably. The goal is to help users find information and complete tasks. To do this, you need to understand how the pieces fit together to create the larger picture, and how items relate to each other within the system.
In their book Information Architecture for the World Wide Web, Lou Rosenfeld and Peter Morville identify the main components of IA as:
Organization Schemes and Structures: How you categorize and structure information
Labeling Systems: How you represent information
Navigation Systems: How users browse or move through information
Search Systems: How users look for information
Information architecture focuses on the relationships between things rather than the things themselves. Thinking about how all things fit together means constantly affirming their relationship to the wider contextual goals.
Information architecture is about breaking complexity down into meaningful chunks so that users can make sense of it, and also teaching them how to put those chunks back together into a meaningful whole if they need to.
A well-structured information architecture is crucial for making content easily discoverable in your organization’s knowledge base. Choosing software that manages most IA aspects allows you to focus primarily on content creation. Effective IA empowers users to control their learning journey by providing clear navigation paths through your knowledge base.
Even if your knowledge base feels like a disorganized mess, you can still achieve good information architecture by organizing information so it’s easier to find. Read more about this here: Improve your knowledge base Information Architecture by hacking expectations
If you build your knowledge base from scratch by developing the software yourself, it’s your responsibility to design it with IA principles in mind.
Specialist software like our KnowledgeOwl knowledge base software takes care of most of this for you, freeing you up to focus on creating documentation. With KnowledgeOwl, you don’t have to design elements like the search system, formatting, tagging, or navigation.
Challenges of implementing a knowledge base
Knowledge bases are incredibly useful, but some challenges can arise when organizations try to implement them, such as:
Lack of time: Implementing and filling in a knowledge base can be difficult, as employees have to take time out of their jobs and deadlines to participate in this process. It can be hard to get people to stop and document their knowledge and processes because doing so takes time away from other tasks.
Resistance to change: People in an organization might already have their favored methods of knowledge-sharing and retrieving. Persuading people to try out new methods rather than sticking to a familiar inefficient method can be a challenge.
Information issues: Poor information management can lead to several issues that can significantly hinder organizational efficiency and decision-making:
Reliability: Information may be untrustworthy or inaccurate.
Accessibility: Existing information might be difficult to access or find.
Currency: Outdated information can be more harmful than helpful.
Overcoming the challenges of implementing a knowledge base
Thankfully, there are effective ways to overcome issues that can arise when implementing a knowledge base, including:
Define clear objectives: Having unclear objectives is almost a guaranteed way to fail at something. Set clear goals for what you want the knowledge base to be and implement a strategy for achieving that vision.
Prepare the team: Creating an effective knowledge base requires collaborative effort. Before initiating the process, assemble a dedicated team and clearly define each member's roles and responsibilities. This approach ensures that specific individuals are tasked with contributing to, developing, and updating the knowledge base. By establishing a well-organized team structure from the outset, you lay the foundation for a knowledge base that serves everyone's needs and remains current and valuable over time.
Encourage employee contribution: Fostering a culture of knowledge sharing is crucial for a robust knowledge base. Clearly communicate the benefits of contributing to help employees understand the value of this additional task. By highlighting how their input enhances team efficiency and personal growth, you can increase participation. Consider implementing incentives for contributors to further motivate employees to share their expertise. This approach not only enriches the knowledge base but also recognizes and rewards employees for their valuable insights.
Building your knowledge base
After choosing a knowledge base software solution, it’s time to build your knowledge base. It is important to remember that a knowledge base is never 100% complete—rather, building and maintaining a knowledge base is a continual, iterative process.
Knowledge base articles
Knowledge base articles are individual pieces of content made to address specific topics or issues in a knowledge base. To keep content organized, articles are usually segmented into categories.
Here are some common knowledge base articles types:
Software/API documentation
Standard operating procedures
How-to guides
Employee handbook
FAQs
Process documentation
Troubleshooting guides
User manuals
Release notes
Policy documents
Distinguishing knowledge bases from knowledge management systems
A knowledge base, while crucial, is just one component of a comprehensive knowledge management system. Certain types of information are typically not included in knowledge bases due to their nature or sensitivity. These often include:
Raw data and research findings
Unstructured meeting notes or brainstorming sessions
Internal communication threads and discussions
Employee performance reviews and HR-related documents
Legal documents and contracts
Competitive intelligence and market analysis reports
Understanding the distinction between knowledge bases and broader knowledge management systems is crucial for effective information handling. Knowledge bases contain curated, structured information designed for immediate use and quick retrieval. They focus on easy access and efficient information storage, serving as a central repository for readily available data.
In contrast, knowledge management systems (KMS) encompass all organizational information, including unstructured and in-process data. These systems extend beyond mere storage and retrieval, incorporating tools for creating, sharing, and applying information across the organization.
When developing a knowledge base, it's essential to recognize its specific role within the larger KMS framework. This understanding ensures proper information segmentation and helps in selecting the right tools and processes for different types of organizational knowledge. By clearly differentiating between these systems, organizations can optimize their approach to managing and utilizing diverse forms of information, ultimately enhancing decision-making and operational efficiency.
Foundations of a great knowledge base
A strong knowledge base is built on key foundational aspects. These critical components not only establish a solid initial framework but also facilitate future expansions and refinements of your knowledge management system. By focusing on these core elements from the outset, you ensure that your knowledge base can evolve to meet changing needs while maintaining its effectiveness and value to users.
Visual design and branding: The visual appeal of your knowledge base significantly impacts user engagement. Many software solutions offer customizable templates as a starting point. Tailor these to align with your organization's branding by adjusting colors, logos, URLs, and layouts. Maintaining visual consistency with your overall brand identity is crucial, as it reinforces brand recognition and creates a seamless user experience. For more on how to design your knowledge base, check out: 8 tips to improve your knowledge base design
Structure: A big mistake people make when starting out with knowledge bases is trying to build the entire project at once without making a plan. First, take some time to decide what the structure of the knowledge base will be.
Make sure you have the broad categories on lock and you can create subcategories as you add more articles. Making sure the most important information is front and center is another great way to start. These will be the backbone of your knowledge base and you can then flesh it out from there. Read more: How to categorize your knowledge baseAdding users and permissions: Once you have the structure locked down, it is important to lay out the permissions for the knowledge base so as to properly create content. Adding users to categories, and folders, and setting up view and edit permissions is key to maintaining an effective knowledge base.
Adding knowledge base articles: It is possible that just one person is working on a knowledge base or it could be a group of people. Whatever the case is, they should have permission and be ready to add articles.
Starting with the most important information is great. Add clear headlines, provide instructions, and make sure the users get something out of each article. Using a style guide can help with this process. Style guides: what, why and how is a great article to get started with a style guide.
Make sure to double-check all your articles before making them live – customers won’t trust your knowledge base content if it’s riddled with errors and typos. You can check out this article for a guide on writing knowledge base articles: How to Write Clear and Concise Knowledge Base ArticlesPublishing and promoting a knowledge base: After writing what are considered the most essential topics, promote and share the guide with your users whether internal or external. It does not have to be complete and have all the topics you intend for it to have.
Don’t be afraid to promote your knowledge base on social media and in the auto-responder customers get when they contact support – if customers don’t know that you have a knowledge base then you can’t expect them to use it.
Tips for setting up your knowledge base
Just Do It!: It is very easy to be in the planning stage for a long time, should I? Should I not? Overthinking can lead to inaction if you let it take over. Jump straight into it. Start with the low-hanging fruit, you know what people need, so write on those first.
If it is a public knowledge base used as a Help Center, you can consult your Support team for the most frequently asked questions. For an internal knowledge base, tap into your colleagues' experiences. Ask them for a list of the top ten things they constantly search for and use those topics to create drafts of your first articles. These will help you get the ball rolling.Gather content: Before your knowledge base is ready, there is information that will be helpful. This is difficult as content is everywhere. Gather it all. FAQs, answers, asking people what they need, emails, everything. These will help guide the knowledge base process.
As you gather them, you can start classifying them into categories such as “Best Practices”, “Company Policies”, “Getting Started” and then add subcategories. You can always rearrange them later but gather it first.Seek Inspiration: There is inspiration everywhere. You’re almost never the first to try something and certainly not when it comes to creating a knowledge base. Studying the work of others, and examining existing knowledge bases to help generate ideas of your own.
Remember times you interacted with a knowledge base or online Help Center. Both the good and the bad ones, you learn from both types. From there you can start a list of do’s and don’ts to follow in your own knowledge base.Maintain consistency: Consistency is a great thing when it comes to documentation. Follow your style guide so all information in the knowledge base looks and sounds the same. This applies to all things including font, visuals, colors, and branding.
Your company has a voice. Make sure you use that while presenting your knowledge base. This maintains a level of consistency so your users can get familiar with your content.Keep it simple and relevant: A knowledge base is created to be easy and simple. Your knowledge base is a service operation, it should be easy to navigate and use. Your contributors should be able to easily add content to it. Add labels, search terms, and tags for users to quickly gain access to relevant content. Make sure that as the knowledge base grows, it remains easy to use.
Collect and implement feedback: An online knowledge base should constantly evolve and grow. Encourage readers to provide feedback on areas that can be improved. Make use of reporting tools and analytics (essential tools in a knowledge base software) to gain insights into how your knowledge base is used.
This can help you understand reader behavior and identify articles that could need reorganization or improvement. Allow users to rate tools and comments to get even more direct feedback.Seek guidance from experts: It is totally fine to get swamped in the process of setting up your knowledge base. Reach out to the customer experience team of the product you’re using. If you give them a quick overview of how you’d like to use or structure your knowledge base, or an example of a knowledge base you like, there’s a good chance they’ll have some specialized advice for you.
Remember that your knowledge base is meant to be helpful. Some things cannot easily be explained or there are better resources for it out there. Redirecting categories to external URLs enhances the completeness of your knowledge base. Users can search for and access external resources directly from your knowledge base without needing to remember their locations.
KnowledgeOwl is great for providing support. We can help you decide if we’re the right place for you and guide you through making the best of what we have to offer. You can reach out to us directly at support@knowledgeowl.com or you can book a demo call with us. Hoot!
You can check out this 3 part article series on how a customer migrated their documentation from Netlify to KnowledgeOwl to help you with your process. You could also view this article from our Lead Customer Support Owl on tips and best approaches for creating your first knowledge base.
Optimizing an existing knowledge base: Best practices and strategies
It is possible that you already have a knowledge base and it is not having the impact you expected it to have and you would like to improve it. You can optimize it. This will help it to stay relevant, help out the users, and perform well in search engines. You can approach the process this way:
Revamp content structure and organization: The first thing you should do is evaluate the content structure of your knowledge base. Is it easy for users to navigate and find what they need? If users are going to need a guide on how to find content, that’s not the best way to go about it.
A well-organized knowledge base makes it naturally easy to find information. KnowledgeOwl has a comprehensive guide for this exact process: How to tackle a major knowledge base revampImprove search functionality: Another way you can enhance a knowledge base is by optimizing the search functionality. Users usually want to move straight to the information they need. Not finding what you need after searching for it can get quite frustrating. Make sure that the search is as effective as possible.
It is more than just including a search bar. Using methods such as tags, keywords and metadata are great ways to improve the search functionality. You can also analyze search analytics to understand what users are searching for and adjust the content.
For more detailed guides on optimizing search functionality, Choose the optimum keywords to tag your knowledge base articles for search and 6 ways to get the most out of search are great articles to boost your knowledge base.SEO optimization: Knowledge bases also have SEO implications. If your knowledge base is well-optimized, you can improve visibility and accessibility. Knowledge base SEO tips for those of us who hate SEO have great tips such as ensuring your content is mobile-friendly, optimizing page titles, and using headers effectively. Another great guide for knowledge base SEO: Search Engine Optimization for your knowledge base provides great knowledge on boosting the rankings of your knowledge base.
Reorganize your content: It is possible that having followed best practices while creating the knowledge base, it got out of hand with new content added. Regular auditing and reorganizing content is a simple and powerful step you can take to boost your knowledge base. Rather than allowing your content to grow wild and then take it apart, simply edit and reorganize it.
Here are some blog posts that share how we've approached reorganizing our own knowledge base at KnowledgeOwl:
Also, here are some articles on best practices that could boost your knowledge base:
How to measure the effectiveness of a knowledge base
Maintaining a knowledge base is a continual process. Like with any other investment, you need to regularly check out the performance so it can be improved and provide a return on the investment you made on it. One of the key components of a knowledge base is an analytics component which gathers data on how the knowledge base is used.
There are statistics you can measure to gauge the performance of your knowledge base, such as:
Knowledge base views
New vs Returning customers
Product users vs support requests
Bounce rate vs average time spent on page
These simple but insightful metrics will allow you to measure the effectiveness of your knowledge base. Following the data and monitoring the traffic will let you know whether or not customers are actually using your knowledge base to solve problems. It also lets you know whether or not customers find it easy to locate your knowledge base.
This blog post explores knowledge base metrics to improve performance in greater depth.
Knowledge base security
A knowledge base often has sensitive and confidential information that needs to be protected from unauthorized access. It is important for the security of your knowledge base to be top-notch.
Two quick tips on knowledge base security:
Manage access control: Managing access control is a very effective method of securing a knowledge base. For the best steps on managing access control, check out this article from KnowledgeOwl: Access Control in Knowledge Bases
Implement user authentication: Putting strong forms of authentication in place for authorized users to access information is a way to secure your knowledge base. This includes user IDs, passwords, 2FA authentication, etc.
Why KnowledgeOwl is one of the best knowledge base software solutions
This guide has reviewed all the key features of knowledge base software. It is also important to know when a software is a good fit for your needs. While we accept that we might not be the best fit for everyone, we are a better knowledge base solution for many people.
As our Chief Executive Owl said, KnowledgeOwl is best for companies looking for a comprehensive, user-friendly knowledge base solution with excellent customer support and a strong commitment to social responsibility.
Customer reviews prove this with customers highlighting how easy it is to get started with our software saying, “The KnowledgeOwl platform makes it easy for novice authors to create and maintain kbases. The customer support is second to none. The cost of the platform makes the return on investment business case extremely easy.”
Our pricing is straightforward with no surprises. All our features are available on our plans, book a call and get started! Our support documentation while you’re getting started rates highly and we get compliments on them all the time.
Our customers love us and we’re happy to welcome you owlboard! You can read more reviews here.
You can reach out to us directly at support@knowledgeowl.com or you can book a demo call.