External Documentation Essentials
by ClickHelp — professional help authoring tool
Successful communication is essential for the growth and development of any company. One aspect of effective communication is external documentation, which plays a crucial role in conveying information to users, customers, and outside stakeholders. This article explores what external documentation is, why it is important, its categories, tips for producing effective external documents, and how to keep them current and useful in the future.
What Is External Documentation?
External documentation (also known as external-facing or customer-facing documentation) refers to any written material intended for an audience outside an organization. This can include user guides, product information, technical manuals, marketing brochures, and web-based help documents. Customer-facing documentation may also include welcome emails for new users or companies, ticket templates, etc.
The primary purpose of external documentation is to provide clear, concise, and easily understandable information to users who may not be familiar with the product or service being offered.
External documents serve as a link between customers and the organization, enabling users to access the information they need to make informed decisions, use products effectively, and become familiar with available services.
Benefits of External Documentation
Effective external documentation offers numerous advantages for both organizations and their users. It serves as a bridge between a company and its customers, providing essential information that enhances user experience, supports business operations, and ensures compliance. Below are some key benefits of having high-quality external documentation:
- Improved User Experience: Good external documentation educates users on how to properly use a product or service. It enhances satisfaction and reduces frustration when working with new systems. A positive user experience also leads to brand loyalty and repeat business.
- Enhanced Brand Reputation: Professionally completed and well-written external documents positively impact an organization’s image. They reflect a commitment to quality and customer service, which can result in a strengthened brand reputation. Proper documentation also differentiates your brand from others, making it more appealing to potential customers.
- Reduced Support Costs: Proper documentation can significantly reduce the frequency of support requests. Users are less likely to seek help for common issues when they have clear guidelines available, allowing support teams to focus on more complex problems. This not only conserves time and money but also increases overall productivity.
- Compliance with Regulations: External documentation is often required across various sectors to meet legal and regulatory compliance. It helps ensure that organizations remain compliant with these requirements and avoid penalties. This is especially critical in industries such as healthcare, finance, and manufacturing, where compliance is closely monitored.
- Training and Onboarding Resource: External documentation can be a valuable tool for training new staff or customers. It serves as a learning resource for products, services, and organizational processes. High-quality, well-organized documentation can streamline onboarding, enabling new staff to learn quickly and become productive sooner.
Types of External Documentation
External documentation comprises various types of materials created to provide customers with necessary information about products, services, or procedures. Whether in the form of user manuals, FAQs, web-based help centers, or training guides, all serve to enhance customer knowledge and satisfaction.
User Manuals
User manuals offer step-by-step instructions on how to use a product or service. They include troubleshooting tips, FAQs, and safety instructions. These manuals are highly effective in guiding customers on the proper and safe use of products.
Product Specifications
Product specifications are structured documents that present information on the technical data, capacity, and capabilities of a product. Engineers, developers, and procurement professionals commonly use them. These specifications help stakeholders understand the technical details of a product and make informed purchasing decisions.
Technical Guides
Technical guides provide comprehensive information on specific features of a product or service, typically aimed at technical clients or specialists who need in-depth details. These guides may include installation procedures, configuration instructions, and advanced troubleshooting tips.
Marketing Materials
Marketing materials include sales-ready brochures, flyers, and other documents used to promote products or services. These materials are essential for attracting potential customers and generating leads. Well-crafted marketing collateral effectively communicates the value proposition of a service or product and persuades potential buyers to take action.
API Documentation
API documentation is crucial for developers working with software solutions. It provides details on how to use and integrate an application programming interface (API). High-quality API documentation enhances the developer experience and accelerates third-party integrations.
FAQs and Knowledge Bases
FAQs and knowledge base articles are valuable resources for customers seeking immediate answers to frequently asked questions. FAQs provide concise answers, reducing the volume of direct customer support requests. Additionally, teams can quickly begin producing knowledge content and organizing their resources using a user-friendly interface.
Best Practices for Writing Good External Documentation
Creating effective external documentation is vital for ensuring that users can easily access and understand the information they need. By following best practices in writing, organizations can enhance clarity, improve user experience, and foster greater trust and loyalty among their audience.
Know Your Audience
Identify who will be reading your documentation. Write your information in a manner that addresses their needs and level of understanding to ensure it is readable and engaging. Conduct user research to learn about their preferences, dislikes, and pain points.
Write Briefly and Clearly
Keep the language simple and use as few technical terms as possible. Be concise and clear so that users can easily understand the information they need. Write in a relaxed, approachable manner and simplify the content whenever possible.
If your workforce is diverse and includes many English-as-a-second-language (ESL) speakers, be cautious with language. In such cases, you may need to rewrite communication from technical staff to make it more professional and remove language idiosyncrasies typical of non-native speakers.
Use Visual Aids
Incorporate diagrams, screenshots, and illustrations in addition to text. Visual aids can make content easier to read and understand. Infographics and flowcharts are especially useful for simplifying complex ideas.
Organize Information Logically
Organize your documentation in a logical manner. Use headings, subheadings, bullet points, and numbered lists to structure text and guide readers through the content. A well-organized document allows users to quickly find the information they need. For longer documents, a table of contents can help users navigate efficiently.
Test Your Documentation
External documents should be tested before they can be deemed effective. Collect feedback through surveys or usability testing sessions to identify areas for improvement. Using an iterative approach can make the document more accessible and refined.
Keep Documentation Up-to-Date
The challenge with documentation is that it’s time-consuming to create, requires domain and technical expertise, and must be easy to update with new content.
Therefore, it’s important to establish a procedure to review and revise external documents periodically. This ensures they reflect any changes in products, services, or regulations. Set a regular review interval and assign a specific team member to make revisions.
In a company wiki or knowledge base, anyone can contribute new content to enhance the documentation. Typically, developers, architects, and product managers are the ones who add or modify wiki pages. A dedicated technical writer (or knowledge base manager) monitors changes, then edits and refines the content for clarity and consistency.
Gather User Feedback
Provide users with a way to give feedback on the documentation, such as through comment fields or contact forms. User feedback can highlight areas for improvement, making the documentation more effective.
Additionally, AI tools can learn from ticket history, internal, and external documentation to propose solutions for new tickets. For example, tools like Cooper Copilot or Kaseya can create ticket summaries.
You can also develop your own solution for analyzing feedback. Create a pipeline that handles specific aspects of ticket analysis, such as categorization, prioritization, filtering out sensitive information, duplicate detection, merging tickets, identifying new opportunities from completed tickets, and performing quality assurance reviews.
Offer Multiple Formats
Provide documentation in various formats, such as PDFs, online posts, and videos, to accommodate different user preferences and learning styles. Some users may prefer reading text, while others might learn better through video tutorials that showcase processes visually.
Include a Search Engine
If your documentation is online, ensure it has a robust search tool. This allows users to find specific information without having to sift through entire documents. A good search feature can significantly enhance the user experience.
Adhere to SEO Best Practices
For web-based documentation, implementing search engine optimization (SEO) practices can increase its visibility. Use keywords, meta descriptions, and image tags to ensure your documentation is easily searchable via search engines.
Conclusion
One of the most crucial aspects of effective communication in any company is external documentation. By providing well-organized, concise, and readable information, external documents enhance the user experience, improve brand image, and reduce support costs. They also simplify training, ensure compliance, and serve as a knowledge repository for both employees and customers.
Investing time and effort into creating high-quality external documentation is key to building strong user relations and overall satisfaction. If you need to create or improve your external documentation, consider working with skilled technical writers or documentation specialists who can help you produce materials that align with your company’s goals and meet your readers’ expectations. Great external documentation is not just a description of your product or service; it is an asset that fosters trust and loyalty with your customers.
Good luck with your technical writing!
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