Avoid These 11 Common Mistakes When Building a Knowledge Base
A Knowledge Base (KB) is a crucial part of knowledge management in any business. It is a collection of information that is organized and accessible to employees so they can find what they need on-demand. In this blog post, we will discuss the benefits of knowledge bases and how they can help improve IT management and online library services.
Benefits of Knowledge Management
The following are some primary knowledge management system benefits:
What is a Knowledge Base?
- Having a knowledge base will ensure that your customers have the information they need at their fingertips. This will help improve productivity and efficiency as they will not have to spend time searching for information or contacting IT or the contact center for assistance.
- Customers can access it to learn about new products, services, or procedures.
- They can also use it to find answers to common questions and problems.
- The knowledge base can be customized to meet the specific needs of your organization.
- It can even lower your cost because your IT helpdesk will be more efficient since they will be able to focus on more complicated customer tickets.
The benefits of knowledge bases are numerous, and they can help improve IT management, online library services, and employee productivity and efficiency.
Common Mistakes in Creating a Knowledge Base
However, there are some mistakes you need to avoid when it comes to a knowledge base. The following is a list of 11 most common ones:
-
No Knowledge Base At All
By not having a knowledge base, your customers will waste time searching for information on their own. They may also rely too much on email or other communication tools to share knowledge, leading to inconsistency and confusion.
-
Not Organized Well
If your knowledge base is not well organized, it will be difficult for customers to find the information they need. This confounding setup can lead to frustration and wasted time.
-
Incomplete or Outdated Information
If the information in your knowledge base is incomplete or outdated, it will be of no use to your customers. It is essential to make sure that all of the information in the knowledge base is accurate and up-to-date. You can assign a knowledge base owner who can be responsible for updating the KB whenever there is a platform or service update.
-
Difficult to Use
If users do not know how to use the knowledge base, it will be ineffective. Make sure the knowledge base is user-friendly and intuitive to use by performing usability tests. It is not enough to simply create a knowledge base - you also need to provide adequate training materials, so users know how to make the most out of it. If users do not understand how to use the knowledge base or where to find specific information, they will quickly abandon using it, or worse, turn to other sources that may be unreliable.
-
Not Enough Use
If your knowledge base is not used often enough, it will become irrelevant. It is important that you promote and encourage customers to use the knowledge base whenever necessary. You can do this by adding a chatbot that automatically directs users to the relevant KB sections.
-
Having Developers Write Your Knowledge Base
A KB is meant to be a collaborative endeavor that collects and organizes knowledge from various subject matter experts in your organization. It is a disservice to your customers and website visitors if the KB becomes inaccessible to the ones who will be using it the most. A developer may use language that is too specialized for the layman to understand. To avoid unnecessary dissatisfaction, it is a great idea to use natural language tools to make your KB information easier to understand.
-
Too Much Information
If there is too much information under one topic, employees will become overwhelmed and frustrated. It is crucial to find a balance between too much and not enough information. It is likely to become an organizational nightmare if one Q & A hosts information from multiple problems instead of each problem having a dedicated information bank. A KB is supposed to make it easier for users to find information, not make it more difficult.
-
Poor Navigation
If the KB is not well organized, or if the navigation is confusing, users will be unable to find what they are looking for. This can lead to frustration and dissatisfaction with the KB. It is important to test your KB design before launch to ensure that everything works as intended.
A search bar is another helpful feature you can add to your KB. This way customers with queries can find all applicable information faster using a few keywords instead of having to scroll multiple questions to find the answers they need. If a knowledge base does not have good search capabilities, it becomes almost useless to its users. Without the ability to easily find what they are looking for, people will quickly give up on using the resource. Make sure your knowledge base has a robust search feature so that users can easily find the answers they need.
-
Formatting Issues
Formatting issues can also occur in a knowledge base and cause user frustration. Incorrectly formatted information can look unprofessional and make it difficult for users to read. Fonts that are too small or dense text blocks will discourage people from reading the content. Make sure you use easy-to-read fonts, and space out the text so it is easier on the eyes.
-
Incorrect Information
Incorrect information due to disorganization or outdated data is another common issue in knowledge bases. When users come across this information, it can be frustrating and confusing. In fact, your customers can feel distrust towards your brand and business. To avoid losing your customer's confidence, you can run regular audits of your knowledge base to ensure there are no inaccurate instructions and all intelligence is the latest, factual material.
-
Not Using Visuals
Screenshots, diagrams, and infographics are all great ways of breaking down complex information into easy-to-follow steps. You can enhance the user experience by providing visual cues for your customers to follow. This is a powerful way to engage your customers further.
Conclusion
A knowledge base can be an extremely valuable asset to any organization when used correctly. By providing clear and concise instructions, customers can learn how to use various tools and applications quickly and effectively. To make the most of your knowledge base, avoid making the above common mistakes.
Learn more about how Giva's knowledge base software can help you provide the best in customer care!