It’s 2017. We should expect better online documentation.
We should be able to find answers in online documentation without digging through forums and tutorials. Content creators should be able to understand the challenges of their readers and provide them comprehensive solutions. Customer service representatives should not have to resolve common issues time and time again.
Agile software development has demonstrated how to continually meet and exceed user needs. It’s time we take the same approach to content development. Understandalytics is the missing piece in content creation that enables content creators to ensure the satisfaction of their readers.
Understandalytics creates a customer feedback loop by allowing readers to interact with the content directly. Readers no need to find a comment form or contact information just to ask a question or seek clarification. The Understandalytics feedback widget can be placed anywhere within an online document to gather feedback about a given section. This answers the questions: “do the readers understand the content?”, “does it help them complete their task?”, and “does it answer their question?” These insights enable continuous delivery of the most helpful content.
Reduce the friction of O2O
Imagine if the DMV cared if you understood their instructions or abided by their suggestions. You wouldn’t have to stand in line in a dreary office only to find out you’ve filled out the wrong form. This experience can be avoided if you could ask the questions running through your head about their documentation as you read it. As more readers ask the questions, the documentation can be updated to answer the questions before they are asked. This means only one – successful – trip to the DMV.
Fresher and Deeper Content
Search engines love well-written, fresh, detailed content. It helps them direct searchers to the place searchers want to be. Creating documentation that recognizes and solves the problems of readers is as useful for the readers as it is for the search engine. By incorporating the reader feedback from Understandalytics, not only can you improve the document for the reader but also for the search engines and all the future searchers.
Happier Readers Means Happier Customer Support
As Jeff Bezos says, “The best customer service is if the customer doesn’t need to call you, doesn’t need to talk to you. It just works.” These days, online documentation is the first touch of customer support. The goal for both the customer and for the customer service should be to achieve the customer’s goals with minimal interaction. Feedback-driven documents make this possible.
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We have walked on the moon and landed rockets on boats. It’s time we make online documentation interactive and useful.
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To contribute to the project, check out Understandalytics on GitHub.