Writing successful Support Articles for the new year

Today, we’re talking about writing successful support articles for the new year. I’ll cover three key areas: site structure, article structure, and writing for a global audience.

If you’re planning to introduce AI into your customer support workflow, this blog post is for you. Let’s dive in with the Site Structure.

Site Structure:
Focus on the Customer’s Workflow

If you’re starting on support content for a new product, or you want to overhaul your public-facing knowledge base, start with the structure of the site. The default structure most support sites still use reflects how the product was built. But for your new year’s resolution, I suggest changing your site structure to match the customer’s workflow.

This shift might not feel drastically different from your current setup, but look at it through the eyes of someone familiar with the industry but not your software’s jargon. Name your top-level folders or categories based on industry terms and not product-specific language. The moment a customer is confused by the structure, they’re more likely to contact support and stop using your articles altogether.

Use article titles as the bridge, guiding customers from workflow-oriented categories to your product’s terminology. Look at your knowledge base structure through the perspective of a new customer.

Article Structure:
Build Tools, Not Essays

Next, let’s talk about article structure. This year, AI will be a normalized part of customer support, and knowledge base articles are the foundation for training AI bots to reduce human interaction. The quality of your articles will directly impact the success of AI support.

Think about how a new customer reads a support article. Here’s a structure I recommend:

• Start with bullet points outlining the key information the article needs to cover.
• Expand on those points with clear, concise explanations.
• Once you’ve fleshed out the article, focus on the top.

The top of the article should have two things: an attention-grabbing sentence and a summary sentence. For example, an attention sentence might say: ‘Are you experiencing this issue?’ This validates that the reader is on the right page and makes it easier for AI to surface this article in search results.

The summary sentence, or TL;DR, is a one-line answer to their question which is perfect for customers who skim.

Finally, add supporting visuals. Use screenshots or short videos, and make sure to name the files for SEO, like ‘Company Name – Feature.’ This ensures your content is both user-friendly and discoverable.

Translated Content:
Write for a Global Audience

Last, let’s talk about writing for a global audience. If your customers need to rely on Google Translate for your articles, it’s important to adjust your writing style. At a previous startup, we had customers in 180 countries but only offered English support articles. When you write, ask yourself: “Am I using any slang or ambiguous language?”

Here are some examples.

• ‘Hit the button.’ Instead, say ‘tap’ or ‘click’ the button.
• ‘Right-hand side.’ Try ‘top right’ or ‘bottom right’ instead.

Literal translations can trip up readers, so simplify your phrasing. If you’re unsure, ask a bilingual friend to review a few articles for feedback. Writing with translation in mind will make your content more clear and concise for everyone. AI will be able to translate your articles, while you want to ensure you have the most clear and concise content available for your customers.

Improving Your Customer Experience

My goal with this blog is to give you a starting point for improving your customer experience. Be sure to listen on Spotify or YouTube.

Have a great day and a productive week!