No matter how intuitive a product or service is, the end-users will always require some assistance. Assuming that your customers will figure it out on their own is a recipe for disaster. To that end, when selling any product – irrespective of the learning curve – companies must include user documentation.
With the help of user documentation, businesses can deliver a great customer experience, cut down on customer care costs, and ensure that the end-users get the complete value out of your product or service.
But what exactly is it?
In this guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about user documentation, its types, and how to create one successfully. If you’re interested in learning via video, then watch below. Otherwise, skip ahead.
Let’s get started.
What is User Documentation?
User documentation, also known as end-user documentation, is any documentation intended for the end user of a product or service. The purpose of this documentation is to guide the users on how to properly install, use, and/or troubleshoot a product.
We’ve all read some form of user documentation at some point in our lives. They usually come with products in the form of user manuals/guides that have a bit of a learning curve, such as gadgets, software applications, and appliances, among other things.
Without this documentation, an average user might not get the full value out of the product. This, in turn, could lead to unhappy customers, higher customer care costs, and higher churn rates.
What’s more, user documentation comes in all shapes and sizes. It doesn’t necessarily have to be in physical, paper form. It can also be a PDF file, an infographic, or even a collection of web pages with helpful resources, like so:
That’s just the tip of the iceberg.
To summarize, user documentation is anything that prevents the end user from contacting your customer service department due to confusion about your product.
If you’re interested in learning how to create excellent user documentation, then check out our technical writing certifications to help you do just that.
The Different Types of User Documentation
As mentioned earlier, user documentation comes in various shapes and forms.
However, there is a simple way to categorize them on the basis of the problems they solve.
Keeping that angle in mind, user documentation can be classified into the following types:
1. Onboarding Guides
Onboarding guides are step-by-step instructions designed to help new users get started with a product. These guides simplify the account setup process, provide an overview of the product interface, and help users navigate key features. Onboarding can also include interactive in-app walkthroughs that guide users directly within the software.
2. Comprehensive User Manuals
User manuals are detailed guides that cover everything about a product. These documents typically include installation instructions, step-by-step usage guides, and troubleshooting steps. They’re ideal for products with a learning curve, such as appliances, software, or hardware.
3. Troubleshooting Guides
Troubleshooting guides focus on identifying and resolving specific issues users might encounter while using a product. These guides are essential for minimizing user frustration and ensuring smooth operation. They can be presented as FAQs, pre-built chatbot flows, or even standalone sections within a knowledge base.
4. Knowledge Base Articles
Knowledge bases are collections of online articles that provide searchable, self-serve resources for users. These resources often include frequently asked questions (FAQs), product manuals, and video tutorials. Knowledge bases are a great way to centralize user documentation and make it easily accessible.
5. Interactive Tutorials
Interactive tutorials, such as step-by-step guides or in-app resource centers, provide a hands-on learning experience. These are especially effective for software products where users benefit from visual walkthroughs.
By offering a mix of these documentation types, companies can cater to different user needs and skill levels, ensuring a smoother experience for all.
The Distinction Between User Documentation and Technical Documentation
Technical documentation encompasses every form of technical writing that helps shed light on any aspect of a product.
But how is it different from user documentation?
Some may argue that there aren’t any differences between the two, and that the only point of difference is that user documentation comes under the broad umbrella of technical documentation.
However, for simplicity’s sake, and to ensure that you don’t confuse both, user documentation is meant for the end-user, whereas technical documentation is meant for everyone else.
Take a software product as an example. Its technical documentation could include the following:
- Requirements Documentation – sheds light on what is required from the product, including the basic and advanced features, functionality, resources, and goals, among other things. This is meant for the software development teams and testers.
- Architecture/Design Documentation – these sketch out the overall design of the software product and describe the design principles for the development teams.
- Process Documentation – these break down the product journey in properly structured formats for the product team.
- Market Strategy – this is created by the product marketing team to provide a north-star and a game plan to bring a new product to the market.
All of the aforementioned types of documentation have one thing in common – none of them are meant for the end-user.
That’s where user documentation comes in. It’s not meant for the technical, marketing, and other strategic stakeholders directly involved with the product, but rather for the people who will actually use it.
For that reason, naturally, user documentation requires a different “level” of language (more on this later).
What Makes a User Documentation Great?
Crafting great user documentation is tricky.
There are a lot of elements that go into accomplishing the ultimate goal of helping users figure out an otherwise complicated process.
These include:
1. Simple Language
When it comes to any form of technical writing, perhaps the most important thing is the simplicity of language.
This is especially true for documentation targeted at end-users, who don’t have much technical knowledge.
There’s no room for jargon. Even the most advanced features should be broken down in the simplest way possible to effectively explain its functionality and how to get the most out of it.
2. A Good Flow
The second most crucial element of all successful user documentation is having a logical flow (or outline, if you will).
The goal is to deliver a coherent experience to your users in a way that makes sense, by solving one problem at a time.
For instance, if you’re selling enterprise software, you wouldn’t want to start with the advanced features right off the bat.
Instead, you’d want to start off by helping them get set up, break down the user interface, and then take them through the individual features and what they can accomplish with them.
3. Use of Visuals
The best user documentation has visuals.
Visuals can help simplify a complicated process and make it easier to understand. To that end, in addition to written instructions of a process, it’s highly recommended that you also show the users how it’s down.
Examples of visuals can include illustrations, screenshots, GIFs, or even short tutorial videos.
4. Accessibility
All the digital documentation should be accessible to everyone. This includes optimizing your content in a way that it shows up properly on both desktop and mobile devices, and can be communicated to users who are blind or deaf.
For example, if you have your user documentation on a website, you might want to include an option that allows visually-impaired users to listen to the instructions.
Similarly, for those with audio impairment, ensure that the written content is clearly visible.
5. More Resources
Finally, your user documentation should include additional resources that the user might find useful.
Any sort of link that leads to online help or contact details that get them in touch with a support team works.
These details should be included throughout the documentation or towards the end of the document.
A Simple Framework for Creating Effective User Documentation
Creating user documentation requires a structured approach to ensure it effectively addresses the needs of your audience. Here’s a step-by-step process:
1. Define Goals
Before you begin, it’s important to identify the purpose of the documentation. Are you aiming to reduce customer support requests? Improve product onboarding? Clarify your goals to guide the content creation process.
2. Research Your Audience
Understanding your end-users is critical to creating effective documentation. Conduct end-user analysis to identify their needs, technical expertise, and pain points. Developing customer personas can help tailor the content to specific user groups.
3. Create a Solid Outline
A well-structured outline is the foundation of good documentation. Use structure mapping or a software documentation outline to ensure all necessary topics are covered. For example, include sections on setup, product features, and troubleshooting.
4. Incorporate Visuals
Visual aids like step-by-step guides, screenshots, and videos can simplify complex instructions. Tools like knowledge base software or in-app resource centers can also enhance the user experience.
5. Distribute and Update Regularly
Once the documentation is complete, distribute it across relevant channels, such as websites, apps, or PDF downloads. Regularly update the materials to reflect product changes or user feedback. Use product analytics to track how users interact with the documentation and identify areas for improvement.
By following these steps, you can create user documentation that is not only helpful but also evolves alongside your product.
Ending Note
Companies that invest in effective user documentation tend to experience higher customer retention, higher success rates, and longer customer lifecycles.
However, creating one isn’t as simple as typing up a few step-by-step instructions. It entails:
- Putting yourself in the shoes of your end-users
- Figuring out an appropriate level of language for your audience
- Deciding what formats and channels would be best to reach your end-users
And that’s just the surface. Those three things themselves entail a lot.
Finally, companies also need to consistently update and improve their documentation based on the journeys of their products.
All things considered, without decent user documentation, your product is essentially incomplete.
FAQs
What is the purpose of user documentation?
The purpose of user documentation is to guide end-users on how to install, use, and troubleshoot a product, ensuring they get the most value from it without needing extensive customer support.
What are the main types of user documentation?
The main types of user documentation include onboarding guides, user manuals, troubleshooting guides, knowledge base articles, and interactive tutorials.
How do I create effective user documentation?
To create effective user documentation, define your goals, research your audience, create a clear outline, use visuals to simplify instructions, and update the documentation regularly.
Why is user documentation important for customer retention?
User documentation helps customers solve their problems independently, improving their experience with your product and increasing the likelihood of long-term retention.
What tools can I use to create user documentation?
Common tools for creating user documentation include Confluence, Zendesk, Notion, and GitBook, as well as video creation tools for interactive tutorials.
If you are new to technical writing and are looking to break in, we recommend taking our Technical Writing Certification Course, where you will learn fundamentals of being a technical writer, how to dominate technical writer interviews, and how to stand out as a technical writing candidate.
