Knowledge Base Guide 2024, Types, Benefits & Best Practices

Everything in this world functions with the power of knowledge and information. In an organization, a source of knowledge is indispensable for every task. It’s impractical to expect everyone you hire or work with to possess all the necessary expertise.So, what’s the solution? What do companies do in such situations? They create a Knowledge base for their product/service, a one-stop solution where they can easily find all the answers they need.

In this blog, we will explore the world of knowledge bases, understanding their types, benefits, and more, and how they can empower you by relieving you from the overwhelming burden of information, providing you with the specific knowledge you need when needed and making you feel less overwhelmed.

What is a Knowledge Base?

A knowledge base is a compilation of all the important information that a user may need while working on products of the company.

Imagine a box containing all the information you need about a product or service, accessible anytime, whether you’re an employee or a consumer. This box is a knowledge base, offering detailed guides to solve any issues you may face. This accessibility makes it powerful. However, it can’t contain everything, so companies create different types of knowledge bases for various purposes. Let’s discuss these types.

Types of Knowledge Base

A knowledge base is a complex and lengthy document divided into types to ensure the right access to information. Companies create knowledge bases for employees and users, addressing their distinct needs. Understanding these differences ensures everyone’s needs are met, making users feel valued. There are two types of knowledge bases: Internal and External. Read on to learn more about them.

Internal Knowledge Base

 As the name implies, an internal knowledge base assists users within the organization. It contains all the information an employee may need while working for the organization. 

External Knowledge Base

You must have gotten a hint from the word external, which means outside something. This type of knowledge base is for people who are not a part of the organization, like customers, consumers, etc. The primary purpose of this is to help users become familiar with the product/service by providing them with instructions on different functions/operations.

Benefits of Knowledge Base?

Knowledge bases are not mere documents in the corporate world. They are transformative tools that can revolutionize the way you work. From boosting productivity to enhancing client satisfaction, the benefits are profound. Let’s take a closer look at how they can reshape your professional landscape.

Improved Productivity

When all employees have access to information they may need while working for the company, a decrease in the number of mistakes is inevitable, as most people will have the chance to double-check their steps and processes. This decrease in errors, in turn, increases productivity as the workflow gets more efficient.

Reduce Onboarding Costs

When hiring freshers or new employees, the organization has to teach them how to work in their organization. Although this seems trivial, it costs the company a lot of money. Just imagine how much it can add up to in case of a large-scale hiring. A knowledge base can decrease this cost, as you won’t need to explain every step and procedure the company follows. It acts as a self-learning tool for the employees, with instructions and information about everything.

Higher customer satisfaction

This is only sometimes the case, but sometimes, the hassle of calling customer support for every petty problem irritates the users. With a knowledge base, this need to connect with customer support is removed, providing a sense of relief and ease.

Best Practices for Creating an Effective Knowledge Base

In every field of work, there are always ways to get better at something. Writing knowledge base is nothing different. Here, too, you can pick up a few tricks to practice, which will not only increase your proficiency in writing them but also make you more efficient. For your convenience, we will list down some of the practices that we suggest you follow.

Understand Your Audience

 In every form of writing, you need to know about your audience. You have to make sure you know their needs and expectations from your written documents. Your audience has the power of choice, and they will read your content only if it’s written the way they want and presents the facts or figures, style, and tone they want.

Consistent Style and Tone

 Different people have different types of writing styles and tones, but sometimes, you have to adjust them as per the requirements. However, you have to make sure to continue using the same style and tone as the first knowledge base you created. Doing this will ensure a better flow while reading and also improve your writing skills.

Add Graphics and Visuals

Users’ information retention in long-form documents like Knowledge bases is very low. It would be difficult for anyone reading such lengthy content to remember everything, which is why graphics and visuals are essential. Usage of graphics and visuals helps in retaining the information for a longer period of time, resulting in better understanding. Another important reason behind this is the improvement of user experience.

Feedback Mechanism

An important practice while writing a knowledge base is to continue refining it until it is approved, as you cannot get it right in one go. To do so, you need to have feedback from readers, whether it is positive or negative; feedback always makes a document better.

What type of data is included in the Knowledge Base Manuals?

Now that you are familiar with the knowledge base let’s discuss its contents and the different types of data it contains. A knowledge base includes a variety of things, but in this blog, we will discuss a few of the prominent ones. Keep reading to learn more about each one.

Step-by-Step Guides

Most people know about knowledge bases through these step-by-step guides. As the name suggests, step-by-step guides provide you with the steps of doing a function or operation that the company’s product/service gives you. With the help of these guides, even if you don’t know much about the product/service, you can use it well.

Updates and Announcements

 Any change made within the company’s working policies or operations is reflected in the company’s internal knowledge base. Similarly, if there are any updates in the company’s product/service, they are announced in the company’s external knowledge base with all the important information about it.

Guide Plans

Another crucial data included in knowledge bases is guide plans. Knowledge Base is also the base for all the guides that will be published by the company. A detailed table of all the guides is made within the document, and all the guides posted will be according to the sequence followed in it.

FAQs

 Like all the other information, a knowledge base also contains the answers to frequently asked questions. Usually, only a few of the questions are hand-picked to answer, but some companies prefer to answer a lot of these, which increases customer satisfaction.

Template of a Knowledge Base

Like every other document, this document also has its own template, which is generally referred to when writing one. You need to learn about the template of this document before you start writing one or get one written for your company. Therefore, we will tell you about the templates.

Hybrid Knowledge Base

A type of template for knowledge bases that incorporates images, graphics, and content. It’s known as Hybrid Knowledge Base due to the duality of its content.

How-to Illustration

This type of template is mostly used to give instructions regarding functionality or operation. It is exceptionally helpful during onboarding, and in the case of users, it helps to familiarize themselves.

Product Overview

When a knowledge base is made with the purpose of explaining the workings of a product, this type of template is used by the writers. It is mostly used when a new product is introduced in the market by a company.

Getting Started

More of an introductory knowledge base made with the purpose of easing the navigation, operation, function execution, etc. processes. It is generally used by people who are new to the product/service.

Troubleshooting

The type of knowledge base that is solely made with the intention of solving problems is based on this template. It is used in almost every organization and is the most sought after type of template, due to its linear structure.

Best Knowledge Base Examples 

Now that you know all about the making of a knowledge baseWith projects becoming more complex and businesses struggling to reduce lead time in software development, many companies are turning to agile management to help meet these new industry demands.  let us give you some examples of one of the best knowledge bases we have found.

Google

With its clear, on-brand support homepage and icon-based navigation for well-known products like Gmail and Chrome, Google’s knowledge base provides simple access to self-service alternatives. It also provides you with instructions on how to execute all the functionalities it offers.

Netflix

 Customers value Netflix’s knowledge base because it prioritizes account and payment information, has a user-friendly structure with drop-down menus for in-depth explanations, and has the option to recommend TV series or films. Another important reason for its knowledge base is that good is the intricacy of presentation.

Canva

With the assistance of a broad knowledge base, Canva caters to its large user base with drop-down menus and Design Spotlight features. It delivers thorough help on design and sharing and is lauded for its usefulness by designers, marketers, and companies alike. Canva also makes sure to provide all the users with access to instructions and steps regarding the usage of tools, templates, images, etc., for a better user experience.

Spotify

Spotify’s user-friendly knowledge base, which includes detailed explanations, visual aids, predictive autocomplete, and simple feedback methods, is largely responsible for the company’s success. Its design reflects a dedication to consumer pleasure and ongoing improvement. With more additions day by day, they are dedicated to refining the information they provide and making a larger database.

Airbnb

Airbnb’s knowledge base delivers thorough support for guests, hosts, and travel administrators. It includes user-friendly search suggestions and prominently addresses essential topics. Key areas of focus include anti-discrimination policies and emergency advice, ensuring users have access to critical information. This resource is designed to assist users in navigating the platform efficiently and finding solutions to common issues, making their experience more seamless and informed.

Our Knowledge Base Documentation Services

Our knowledge base documentation services offer clear, concise, and well-structured content to empower your users and streamline support. With expert technical writing, we ensure your web and app solutions are easy to understand and use. Our knowledge based Documentation services include:

Customized Solutions

 We believes in personalizing every project according to its client’s needs. Here, we make sure that we include every possible component that a client needs for their project. With solutions tailored to the needs of the customers, we try to make sure the clients are satisfied with our job.

Experienced Team

Every company needs a team of professionals for the tasks; the same goes for us, but we are a step ahead, too. With a team of handpicked professionals proficient in their field of expertise, we have made a team that can provide you with anything you are looking for.

Comprehensive Service Offerings

Here, at APPWRK we offer a comprehensive set of services, detailed to its last point. With great attention to every part of the service we make sure to not miss anything and get the best of it.

Client Success Stories

After working with 1000+ clients, we witnessed an ample number of success stories while working continuously. Altrady is a crypto trading platform for managing trades and portfolios across multiple best crypto exchanges. We were responsible for developing the execution strategy behind its knowledge base and continuously collaborated with their QA and development throughout the process.

Why Choose Us for Your Knowledge Base Documentation Needs?

Choose us for clear, user-friendly documentation that enhances user experience and reduces support needs. Our experts ensure your web and app content is concise, well-structured, and easy to understand. Below are the listed reasons to choose us for your next knowledge base project:

Unique Selling Points

A company attracts customers by its USPs, and we try our best to develop something that they can use as a USP. Because a USP not only helps you stand out from your competitors but also increases your brand’s awareness.

Proven Track Record

When you have worked with over 1000 clients, it is evident that you did something right and kept doing it. APPWRK always makes sure that our clients are happy with our work, and we take pride in that.

Commitment to Quality

We dedicate ourselves to finding the best for our clients, refining their problems as needed. We continuously improve and develop to strive for superior quality for our clients.

Consultation and Support

Regular consultation refines a piece of work, and we provide it impeccably. With the vision to support clients in every obstacle, APPWRK strives towards greatness in outcomes.

Conclusion

The power of information and knowledge is undefeatable. Companies create knowledge bases to share this knowledge. This improves employees’ workflow, efficiency, and abilities. It also increases brand loyalty, awareness, and user experience. APPWRK empowers companies by providing tailored knowledge bases. We help companies achieve their goals with customized solutions. If you need a knowledge base, contact us. We are here to help you succeed.

FAQs for Knowledge Base

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