How to get documentation online?

64% of purchasers rely on search engines to make a purchasing decision, 61% trust company websites, and 35% consult printed manuals or PDFs. Additionally, 76% consider product information essential for customer service and facilitating additional purchases. With these stats in mind, it makes sense to ensure that technical product information is readily available on your website and of a sufficiently high quality to represent your brand.

Why is publishing user documentation online important?

Publishing documentation online ensures that customers and prospective buyers can find, access, and use your product information efficiently. This improves customer experience, supports informed purchasing decisions, and strengthens your brand.

A study by American Express revealed that 60% of customers prefer using self-service tools for simple tasks instead of speaking with a live representative. Additionally, companies that implement self-service see an average 45% improvement in customer satisfaction (CSAT).

• Content behind a paywall or login is inaccessible to prospective customers, making it harder for the 64% of buyers who rely on product information to evaluate purchases.
• PDFs are often not searchable and difficult to read on mobile devices, limiting who can find and use the information.
• PDF content does not allow tracking of reader engagement, meaning you lose valuable insights into what customers are most interested in.

Publish existing user documentation online as HTML

The next approach is to publish existing user documentation as HTML. This approach has the following benefits:

• Content is easily available, searchable, and findable.
• Standard analytics tools allow you to understand what information readers are interested in.
• The additional keyword-rich content on your website improves your SEO footprint.

How can sensitive information be protected?

If your user documentation contains commercially sensitive content, this can be excluded from the publicly available content. Single-sourcing strategies make it feasible to publish a subset of the content online.

How do I get my user documentation online?

Companies that specialise in producing technical product information, like 3di, have the expertise and tools available to produce and distribute content to the people who need it, for example, prospective customers, users, or support staff. This can be achieved using methods such as:

• Multi-channel publishing: Deliver content across different platforms simultaneously.
• Embedded content: Integrate documentation directly into websites or applications.
• Tailored guides: Customise documentation for specific user groups.
• Support portals: Provide centralised access to help resources for customers and staff.

So not only do your customers benefit from an improved experience, but those 64% of prospective customers can also have access to the high-quality product information you already have to help them make their purchasing decisions.

Need help? Don’t hesitate to contact us. At 3di, we create, structure, and deliver technical product information. Our goal is to make sure it reaches the people who need it—prospective customers, current users, and support teams. Let us help you make your documentation a real asset for your business.