Knowledge base is one of the many touch points your team is going to have with customers. It is one of those self-service tools you can offer to customers & help them find answers on their own.
A recent survey by Zendesk shows importance of a bespoke and useful knowledge base. Up to 91% of customers interviewed said they would use a knowledge base if it were easy to access and tailored to their needs. Another 40% said they only get in touch with customer support after trying to get answers on the self-service portal.
Having a knowledge base is not enough.
It should to be easy to use. And its fundamental goal should be to help visitors find what they’re looking for with least effort.
We list down a few knowledge base examples in this article to inspire you & move the needle in right direction.
1. Asana
Asana has one of the most admirable knowledge bases with an excellent layout. It is well-designed and has carefully thought out help articles. Asana’s knowledge base uses a multi-pronged approach to ensure users have a vibrant and educative experience when using their knowledge base.
Some of the most valuable takeaways from Asana’s knowledge base include:
- Addition of a video summary at the top of every article to appeal to users that prefer multimedia layouts.
- Callouts that highlight valuable and essential information that couldn’t be added to the original article
- Easy to read and digest instructions broken down into steps
- A call to action at the end of each help article ushers the user into the next help article
Some aspects of Asana’s knowledge base, like videos, might be expensive. But you could switch them out for images or infographics that can break down the information into a fun and easy to read visuals for your users.
2. ReleaseWire
There are many directions your knowledge base can take once you start creating it. But the basis should be to add knowledge, education, and value to your end users.
The ReleaseWire knowledge base provides users with precise and accurate answers to their questions. It also goes the extra mile to provide the users with a platform where they can learn and improve their craft.
A good example is the Press Release writing tips section, which is an invaluable resource for newbies joining the field to learn about writing engaging PRs.
3. MailChimp
MailChimp’s is one of the superb knowledge base examples. It follows more or less the same blueprint as that of Asana.
This knowledge base greets its users with a simple yet effective screen that directs the user to the most relevant topics. The screen highlights different categories of information, making it easy for users to find what they’re looking for. After the first screen, you quickly notice a few more things that MailChimp does incredibly well. These include:
- Each of the articles has a quick summary of everything covered therein. That makes it easy for users to determine if they’ve found the right resource.
- Like Asana, MailChimp also employs the step-by-step approach in divulging instructions, and each of the steps has a single action.
- Finally, there is a call out to highlight specific information at the bottom of each article.
Ease, simplicity and value are the core tenets of MailChimp’s knowledge base.
4. Rail Europe
Depending on the nature of your website and business, the requirements for a helpful knowledge base can differ.
For Rail Europe, a train ticket provider in Europe, envisioning how and where the customer might require the knowledge is part of the puzzle.
Rail Europe uses a blend of well-crafted articles, clear and straightforward navigations with a table of content to save the user time while explaining to them what to expect as they read through the resources.
5. Dropbox
Dropbox uses illustrations to make the process of troubleshooting fun while reinforcing the company’s friendly nature.
A series of featured articles direct customers to a list of typical cases and issues. For customers that want more information, there’s a help center that highlights ways that users can get more information.
6. Yoast
Yoast has a knowledge base built on organization and an abundance of content without overwhelming the user.
Unlike most knowledge bases that have an FAQ center, Yoast has separate categories for all the services and functionalities they offer. Each of the services and functionalities has its own content for effortless user experience.
7. Canva
Being a design tool, Canva has a knowledge base with a little more flair without compromising the simplicity and usefulness. Other commendable features on this page include:
- A blue gradient theme that is calming and soothing, which is perfect in managing stressed-out users.
- A prominent search box that directs you to your preferred content
- Short, easily searchable titles with numbering for the articles
- Callouts that highlight important information
Other than being educative and valuable, Canva’s knowledge base also makes you want to stick around longer.
8. Lyft
Lyft has a unique approach to a knowledge base. Their website has a “Tips” section for drivers that is conspicuously linked to the help center at the top of the page.
The magazine-like approach adds fun with a scannable layout for easy browsing instead of searching. It is perfect for websites that have a knowledge base focused on teaching as opposed to fixing issues.
Confluence can also be utilised as an effective knowledge base. Here’s our Confluence based knowledge base of Jira app, Automated release notes.
Takeaway
A functional, helpful and information-filled knowledge base is a great way to increase engagement and even reduce pressure on your customer support. You can also leverage support ticket tips in product roadmap and customer engagement tips in product roadmap which can help you create a roadmap that addresses your customers’ needs and pain points. There are various types of knowledge bases, but the foundation remains the same. Simple, user-friendly, bespoke and with information that educates and adds value for your users.
