Writing software manuals is boring, isn’t it? We often think:
“My software is easy to use. The user interface is intuitive.
Why should I waste so much time for writing the document which
nobody reads anyway?” Sometimes it’s true – I’ve never read the
WinZip or Internet Explorer manuals – everything seems clear
without explanations. Nevertheless, even if your manual doesn’t
help to your software users, it may help to you. Publish it
online and turn its hidden power into the real benefits for your
business.
Online Manual Makes Your Web Site Visible
User manual is a huge bunch of words, the highly targeted words,
which are specific for your software market. For instance, if
you develop a database management system, its user guide will
certainly contain such words as “database”, “query”,
“transaction”, “table”, “record”, and etc. On the other hand,
people use these words in their queries when they are looking
for a database management solution on the Google, Yahoo, or
other search engine. Let the interested people to find your web
site and your product. Upload your manual on your web server and
make it available for indexing by search engine spiders. This
area specific content will make your web site and your software
more visible to potential customers. Making the user guide
available online will increase your web site rank in relevant
search results and will bring highly targeted traffic to web
your site. Let the manual to work not only for your users, but
for you as well.
Online Manual Saves Your Time
A picture worth a hundred words. Those who are engaged in user
support know this for sure. When replying to user concerns, very
often we have to write sentences like this “Open the Document
settings dialog. Choose the External modules tab. Select the
‘ABC Spell Checker’ in the module list. Enter your registration
key and verification code in the corresponding text fields which
will appear at the bottom of the window. Then, press Activate”.
If your application is simple the user will likely understand
you right and will do everything as you have explained. However,
if your application is a complex system with lots of setting
windows which behave differently in various modes, the user may
be puzzled which window and which fields do you mean. In this
case you risk getting into a long conversation by repeatedly
explaining the same things again and again.
The screenshot could be a very helpful illustration of your
explanations. You may run your application, go to the certain
window, open that tab page, activate the corresponding item in
the list. Then make the screenshot of the window by using
Alt+PrtSc key combination or another screen capture tool, save
the picture in a file, and finally attach it to your message.
Sometimes it’s also necessary to add callouts, annotations and
other enlightenments to the screenshot picture. Thus, you have
to launch your image editor and to manually draw all the
elements required. As you see, it may takes up to a half hour to
reply to a single message only. And how many messages are yet in
the queue?
Having the screenshots prepared is a good approach which may
save your time. But having screenshots already prepared together
with callouts, explanations, and annotations is a great approach
which will save you much more time. Most likely, you have all
that stuff prepared in your software manual but it’s not very
polite to reply to the user: “Read that fantastic manual”. User
may have no idea where the manual is on the PC and on what page
is the looked-for solution located. On the other hand, you may
also have no time to manually cut particular pages with
screenshots and related instructions from the manual and to
attach them to each support message.
The solution is easy. Put your manual on your web site in the
form of HTML pages. Make all the pictures, screenshots with
callouts, descriptions, and instructions accessible for every
user. When you are processing another support request, simply
insert an URL link to the appropriate page of your online manual
and add just a few clarification words – more words and pictures
are already on that page. You will save much time and nerves
because you will be sure that the user is looking at the same
thing which you are describing. At the same time, the user will
get a fast solution which is supported by clear pictures and
neat instructions.
Online Manual Makes Your Products Trustworthy
Besides the users get the faster and more helpful support, they
also see that you did this tedious job – writing the handy and
well structured manual with great screenshots and clear
explanations. They know that this job is boring and developers
don’t like to do it. Therefore, if you did it and if you did it
perfectly, it means that you respect your customers, not only
their money. Good manual means that you consider your business
and product seriously yourself. This helps your business to look
more credible and serious. So, make your manual available online
and prove your respect to your existing and prospective users.
Make them trusting in you and in your product before they even
download a demo copy of it.
Online Manual Brings Sales
As we see, the software manual which is a part of your web site
generates a targeted traffic. The people may easily find your
product because online help makes your web site more visible in
relevant search results on the search engines. Those new
visitors get more loyal when they see a well done help system.
Also, if a prospect experiences difficulties with your software
and asks for technical support, you may easily resolve the issue
by referring the user to a certain page of your online help.
With just a one click the user will see screenshots and
explanations which will help them to settle the case. So, you
have a motivated and targeted visitor, who feels loyal to your
company and products, and whom you can easily help in case of a
technical problem. The probability of such visitor ordering a
license is several times higher than of the average one.
Don’t miss these prospects. Don’t lose the sales. Make your
software manual a part of your web site and start receiving new
sales that you have not ever dream about.
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