7 Best Benefits of a Knowledge Base (with Examples)
If you have a business website, a well-developed knowledge base should be on your list of priorities in case you have not taken care of it by now. In this article, we will learn what a knowledge base is, what are the benefits of a knowledge base and what are some great examples of knowledge bases.
Table of Contents
What is a Knowledge Base?
A knowledge base can be defined as a centralized repository that stores, organizes, and shares relevant information.
External knowledge bases are for customers, while internal knowledge bases are for employees.
Businesses have to choose between an open source knowledge base and SaaS – software as a service when they are looking to develop a knowledge base themselves.
In most cases, open source looks to be the better version. You can find open source knowledge base benefits explained by HeroThemes and decide for yourself.
Of course, choosing a knowledge base platform is only the beginning. If you still have doubts about whether a knowledge base should exist on your website in the first place, here are some benefits of having a knowledge base.
Why Choose A Knowledge Base?
If you want to enhance your business's customer service and support capabilities, there is nothing more rewarding and useful than a carefully selected and perfect knowledge base. This is simply because such knowledge management software proves extremely useful in infusing knowledge to customer service agents to improve their productivity and education, besides helping them provide fast, accurate, and consistent answers.
In addition to this, knowledge base also proves useful in driving call setups and wrapping up efficiency of business processes and sub-processes. Since this software is a sub-set of enterprise content management software and includes a range of software through which information can be collected and stored, it proves to be of great use for identifying, creating, representing, and redistributing information for a wide range of purposes. These benefits prove to be very helpful for businesses surviving and prospering in today’s cutthroat environment, especially for companies that provide multi-channel call center and help desk support for complex products and services.
All in all, a knowledge base is an excellent option for every business that has a strong vision for improving brand awareness, customer satisfaction, loyalty, and perception while cutting down dramatically on costs without compromising on the quality and satisfaction associated with the final deliverables.
#1 – Have Information in the Same Place
One of the most significant advantages of a knowledge base is the fact that all the information is accessible in the same place, which is usually the website. There is no need to go around looking for various pieces on other sites.
Customers can save time when they can find answers by entering relevant keywords or phrases in the search bar. It may not seem like that big of a deal, but these little details add up and ensure the satisfaction of your customers.
#2 – Become Authority in the Niche
Most businesses are always looking for new opportunities to grow. If you want to build something sustainable, focusing more on raising brand awareness is more or less inevitable.
So how does a knowledge base help with brand awareness? Well, first of all, high-quality content builds trust between you and the customer. Whether it is articles, infographics, or videos. The goal is to provide website readers with solutions that are detailed and can solve the problem.
When people see that a brand is doing so much to increase the customer experience quality, they might start talking about it with their friends and family or post about it on social media. And word of mouth will do wonders in raising brand awareness.
#3 – Improve SEO
Search Engine Optimization requires time to take effect, but businesses that recognize its value are not afraid to dedicate a lot of resources.
Organic traffic from search engines is worth a lot. And even if boosting SEO is not the primary purpose of a knowledge base, well-written and interesting articles, optimized images, video content, and infographics are great for putting you in higher results on search engines.
The more content you produce, the better off you will be. Though make sure that it is really valuable. Putting random articles or videos just for the sake of putting them is not going to get you anywhere.
#4 – Be Proactive in Solving Customer Problems
Instead of waiting for customers to come up with their problems, why not be proactive and publish content that solves the issues that are likely to appear in the near future?
Of course, predicting problems is somewhat tricky, but it might be possible when you are launching a new service, product, or feature.
If you already have experience with previous launches, you should know what the most typical troubles customers have had were.
#5 – Deliver Consistent Customer Support
Some brands are struggling to afford customer support that is available 24/7. So when someone makes an inquiry in the middle of the night, there will not be anyone who can answer the question.
A knowledge base comes in to save the day. So long as it has the answer to the question, customers can find the information themselves.
#6 – Make Customers Happy
A happy customer will come back and purchase from you for the second and the third time. Not everyone is happy having to wait around for an email or live chat response. Not to mention those who are anxious about making a phone call and talking with a stranger.
Once again, a knowledge base is there for those who would rather look for information themselves.
#7 – Have Employees on the Same Page
A knowledge base is not something exclusive to the customers. Everyone who works in the company will also benefit greatly.
For starters, being on the same page is imperative, no matter what department you work in. When a set of rules applies to everyone involved, it reduces the potential of various mistakes in the business process.
Employees are also encouraged to engage with each other more by discussing content that impacts them directly. And when they are not sure about particular aspects, they can always ask for someone with more experience for help.
Those who work remotely will also have an easier time connecting with the rest. Emails and phone calls can only do so much to ensure that you are on the same page with everyone.