Helping customers help themselves.
WHY IT MATTERS COMMERCIALLY
It reduces support cost, shortens sales cycles, and appears in search results.
WHAT TO WRITE FIRST
Answers to the questions support actually receives.
WHY
They are proven to be needed.
WHAT STRUCTURE WORKS
Getting started Task-based guides Reference for detail Troubleshooting
WHAT MAKES A GOOD GUIDE
One task Steps that work exactly Screenshots where helpful The outcome stated
WHAT TO AVOID
Describing the interface rather than the task Assuming knowledge Documentation of features rather than goals
WHY GOALS RATHER THAN FEATURES
Customers search for what they want to do, not what you named something.
WHAT TO KEEP CURRENT
Everything, which requires a process.
WHAT PROCESS WORKS
Documentation updated as part of shipping a change.
WHY
Otherwise it decays, and wrong documentation is worse than none.
WHAT TO MEASURE
What is searched for and not found Which pages precede support requests
WHAT THAT REVEALS
Gaps, and pages that fail.
WHAT TO LINK FROM THE PRODUCT
The relevant page, from the relevant screen.
WHAT TO PROVIDE
A route to a human, from every page.
