{"id":38452,"date":"2023-04-26T16:51:42","date_gmt":"2023-04-26T16:51:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nimbusweb.me\/?p=38452"},"modified":"2024-01-23T13:21:10","modified_gmt":"2024-01-23T13:21:10","slug":"knowledge-base-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nimbusweb.me\/blog\/knowledge-base-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Building a Knowledge Base: Comprehensive Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
“Knowledge is power,” a very wise man once said. But in the digital world of 2023, where can we store all that knowledge to leverage its power in favor of our business? The answer is in knowledge bases. A knowledge base is like that beautiful Hogwarts library, filled with magical information and secrets capable of unlocking the most wonderful spells and darkest curses, but instead, they unlock customer satisfaction and employee efficiency. Oh, well\u2026 it\u2019s not magic, but it\u2019s better than nothing!<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n In this ultimate guide, we will dive headfirst into the world of knowledge bases and discover how they can turn your business into an internal and external know-how machine.<\/p>\n\n\n A knowledge base is a centralized repository of information in the form of support articles, how-to guides, company policies, frequently asked questions, best coding practices, and much more. It serves as a one-stop solution for your customer service team and your customers to find answers to their questions, and it assists in achieving excellent customer service and effective knowledge management.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Picture this: a virtual cornucopia of information, meticulously organized, easily accessible, and always up-to-date. It’s like having Gandalf’s entire memory bank at your disposal in a perfect search engine form. That, my dear friend, is what a knowledge base is. Oh, and by the way, we sometimes also use the term KB in written form to refer to knowledge bases. Not to be confused with the KGB!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n A knowledge base is like the Mary Poppins bag of any digital business: it contains everything you need and it’s practically perfect in every way for businesses seeking growth and efficiency. And if you don\u2019t believe us or don\u2019t know who Mary Poppins is (shame on you!<\/em>), here are some compelling reasons why you should always<\/em> have one at your fingertips:<\/p>\n\n\n\n In summary, a knowledge base is a great business tool to guide your company through the ever-evolving, competitive landscape. Equipped with an efficient knowledge base, both internal and customer-facing, you’ll be crowned the ruler of customer satisfaction and employee productivity. So hop on board, and let this simple yet magical tool pave the way to success!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Knowledge bases can be sorted into various types based on their use and implementation. Among the different types of knowledge bases, we can find help centers, corporate wikis<\/a>, information hubs, second brains, SOP repositories, and more. But indulge me, dear reader, as we focus on a broader categorization and end up with the two main categories most relevant to companies, team members, and users\/customers: external and internal knowledge bases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Also known as self-service<\/a> or customer service<\/a> knowledge bases, these public company information hubs are designed to help customers, users, or potential clients find answers to their burning questions or dilemmas. Some external knowledge base benefits include reduced support requests and improved customer experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To better figure out what external knowledge bases are for, just imagine a customer digging up a treasure trove of solutions without the need to contact support directly \u2013 that’s an external knowledge base in a nutshell. Cool, right?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n By offering self-service solutions using external knowledge base software with fast and efficient access to information, you’ll reduce customer service emails, calls, and even walk-ins, ultimately enhancing customer experience and retention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n An internal<\/a> knowledge base is a centralized digital repository of a company’s information, resources, and documentation, accessible exclusively by its employees to streamline communication, collaboration, and decision-making processes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The reasons for using an internal knowledge base are quite varied, such as streamlining employee onboarding, centralizing SOPs, expediting solutions to customer queries, and maintaining a record of vital updates. Some internal knowledge base benefits include improved collaboration and information accessibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n An internal knowledge base functions like an informational melting pot, guiding various departments to share best practices and learn from each other’s experiences, thus improving overall team coordination and efficiency. Utilizing dedicated knowledge base software can enhance this process by offering tailored features that cater specifically to a company’s unique needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Building a robust knowledge base is like assembling a lego masterpiece \u2013 you’ll want to ensure every brick is in the perfect place so that the end result is a resource that drives decision-making. So here\u2019s how to create the perfect<\/a> knowledge base for your business by simply following 12 essential steps:<\/p>\n\n\n\n By meticulously following these 12 steps, you’ll soon develop a knowledge base that both helps your customers and makes your competitors envious! Yippee! <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n Embarking on a quest for the perfect content management systems or knowledge base software<\/a> may seem like a daunting task, with countless platforms on the market. But fear not, our dear reader, for we have compiled a list of the top 15 knowledge base software and tools, designed to help you identify the best solution for your business’ unique needs, whether you’re building from scratch or upgrading an existing knowledge base.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Get ready to explore marvelous knowledge base software solutions that will catapult your knowledge management to new heights! Let’s-a-go! (Hope you read that in Super Mario’s voice!)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n FuseBase (formerly Nimbus) is a versatile and affordable solution for internal documentation, content creation, and team collaboration. FuseBase offers a powerful editor, rich embedding features, and a host of integrations, making it suitable for various content management efforts, including creating how-to articles. <\/p>\n\n\n\n KnowledgeOwl is a knowledge base software dedicated to offering top-notch support through continuous analysis of customer requests and feedback. It boasts features such as easy knowledge sharing, videos, job briefs, simple-to-create and manage technical documentation, a robust search with autosuggest, and extensive custom branding options. With all these features, this knowledge base software enables multiple users such as your customer success and marketing team to access vital information and contribute to your knowledge base.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Answerly is a user-friendly yet robust knowledge base software that empowers you to develop, arrange, compose, and deliver prompt responses to your customers’ inquiries. With this solution, you can personalize the knowledge base by incorporating your logo and headline, making it feel like a natural extension of your brand rather than an external help center software. Answerly also stands out because it boasts top-notch SEO features in a knowledge base, enabling you to tailor meta fields for all pages while automatically generating search engine-friendly structured data schemas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Notion is popular among teams of all sizes for internal documentation, team collaboration, and as a knowledge base management system. This software platform offers powerful databases, flexible content organization, and easy sharing options to manage company knowledge and optimize business processes. However, the absence of custom domain and white label features makes it less suitable for customer-facing knowledge bases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n LiveAgent is a highly customizable knowledge base software that allows you to tailor every element of your knowledge base to your needs. With support for multiple brands, each with its unique theme, it caters to a variety of businesses. Additionally, it offers great features for call center<\/a> knowledge bases with clearly defined access rights for employees and customers, ensuring an organized and efficient support system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n HelpScout is a support solution platform designed for external documentation and customer support teams. Its core features include an internal or customer-facing knowledge base, shared email inbox, and beacon widget. With an in-built knowledge management system, a search box and informative knowledge base articles, it aims to reduce support tickets and promptly address users’ queries, improving customer satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n HubSpot Service Hub is a knowledge base solution focusing on self-service, enabling users to create a library of indexed help articles. With features such as built-in reporting, ticket logging, surveys, and real-time personalized customer service conversations, it provides a comprehensive support system. However, it might be too costly for small, newly established businesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n ZenDesk is an established support platform catering to medium and large businesses. It offers a comprehensive suite of tools, including a powerful customer knowledge base, to assist customers and website visitors. However, it might be overwhelming and pricey for those who only require a knowledge base tool.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Slab is an affordable content creation and management platform suitable for both internal and external documentation, as well as a traditional knowledge base. This hosted knowledge base software enables organizations to create a visually appealing information hub with a simple sidebar, making various sections easily accessible and enhancing user satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Heroic KB is a WordPress plugin that enables creating a knowledge base as a self-hosted solution on a local file server. With features like instant search, article analytics, user feedback, and customizable designs, it offers a curated knowledge base experience for site visitors and helps you design an effective knowledge base structure. Given that it runs on WordPress, you can use it both as external or internal knowledge base software. However, it comes with a few downsides, as a self-hosted knowledge base created with Heroic KB requires technical knowledge for setup, and additional costs for hosting and maintenance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Archbee specializes in internal and external software documentation and collaboration, allowing you to create knowledge base content that’s tailored to your needs. With this platform, you can create public or private spaces for different documentation types (E.g.: user guides, API docs, contextual documentation, etc.) which enable end users to find the information they need more efficiently. By following some content creation guidelines and providing easy access to documentation on Archbee, you can improve both employee satisfaction and overall productivity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n GitBook is an affordable, easy-to-use documentation tool catering to internal and external software documentation and collaboration. With features like custom domains, drag-and-drop organization, and content feedback, GitBook centralizes technical knowledge for both teams and users.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Intercom is an all-in-one customer support platform with a wide range of support features, including live chat, ticketing, support articles, and more. Although it is an excellent solution for customer support, its high price tag may not justify its use solely as a knowledge base software.<\/p>\n\n\n\n HelpCrunch is an affordable customer support platform designed for small and medium-sized businesses. It provides a comprehensive suite of tools, including live chat, help desk, and knowledge base tools, making it a strong alternative to Intercom or Zendesk as an all-round support solution with knowledge base.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Eniston is an intuitive knowledge base software that enables quick setup and collaboration among team members. With its rich text editor, you can create engaging content while easily obtaining valuable customer feedback through its rating system. The platform offers customization options, including custom domains and appearance, along with blazing-fast integrated search functionality. Eniston also provides enhanced security measures through IP or password restriction, ensuring that your workspace remains secure and accessible only to authorized users.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Choosing the right knowledge base software can be a game-changer for your technical support team, as it allows them to quickly find relevant information. So choose wisely, our young Padawan!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Get ready to level up your knowledge base game with our top ten tips and best practices that will help you create a truly exceptional resource hub. These tried-and-tested tactics are designed to enhance usability, organization, and effectiveness, ensuring you deliver a knowledge base experience that helps your business and keeps users coming back for more. Let’s dive in and transform your knowledge base into a well-oiled, user-friendly machine!<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat is a Knowledge Base?<\/h2>\n\n\n
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Why a Knowledge Base is Important<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Types of Knowledge Bases<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
External Knowledge Base<\/h3>\n\n\n
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Internal Knowledge Base<\/h3>\n\n\n
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How to Create a Knowledge Base in 12 Easy Steps<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Top 15 Knowledge Base Software & Tools<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
FuseBase (formerly Nimbus)<\/h3>\n\n\n
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KnowledgeOwl<\/h3>\n\n\n
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Answerly<\/h3>\n\n\n
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Notion<\/h3>\n\n\n
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LiveAgent<\/h3>\n\n\n
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HelpScout<\/h3>\n\n\n
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HubSpot Service Hub<\/h3>\n\n\n
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ZenDesk<\/h3>\n\n\n
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Slab<\/h3>\n\n\n
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Heroic KB<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Archbee<\/h3>\n\n\n
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GitBook<\/h3>\n\n\n
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Intercom<\/h3>\n\n\n
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HelpCrunch<\/h3>\n\n\n
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Eniston Knowledge Base<\/h3>\n\n\n
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10 Best Practices to Create an Awesome Knowledge Base<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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