Complete guide to building a knowledge base in 2024

The proliferation of self-service resources within the customer service arena is changing the way that businesses deliver support and what customers expect when they’re seeking assistance. 77% of individuals now say that they view organizations more positively when they offer self-help options, while 92% report they’d use a knowledge base if it were available.

Thus, knowledge bases have become an indispensable resource for modern companies, acting as an initial line of support for customers seeking answers to routine inquiries. With so many individuals now open to utilizing these powerful tools, they serve to free up live support agents to handle more complex inquiries, while also assisting them in providing efficient and accurate answers in these situations.

Today, we’ll take a look at what knowledge bases are, how AI is transforming them, and how to build a base that best suits your organization’s unique needs.

What is a knowledge base?

A knowledge base refers to a centralized repository for information that serves as a structured collection of data that can be used to answer questions, solve problems, and support decision-making. Knowledge bases can be created for a variety of purposes, including support for customer service, research, or general information dissemination. They’re designed to make it easy for users to find relevant information quickly and efficiently.

Why is building and maintaining a knowledge base important for customer service?

A well-structured knowledge base provides customers with immediate access to information, allowing them to resolve issues on their own without needing to wait for assistance. This self-service capability leads to faster problem resolution, reducing customer frustration and increasing satisfaction. These bases further serve to decrease the volume of support tickets, enabling customer service teams to focus on more complex issues.

Moreover, knowledge bases act as valuable resources for support representatives themselves, offering a comprehensive repository of potential solutions. This ensures that agents have quick access to the most up-to-date information, which can improve the consistency and quality of responses. By leveraging a reliable knowledge base, customer service reps can resolve issues more quickly and maintain a high level of service.

Benefits of having a well-designed and maintained knowledge base

Implementing a knowledge base into your business’s customer service approach is a low-risk, high-reward strategy that can provide a plethora of benefits for both customers and support agents. These repositories serve as valuable self-help resources for individuals seeking quick answers to common inquiries, while live support remains on standby to help resolve more intricate tickets.

Customer self-service

A well-designed knowledge base provides an intuitive and user-friendly platform where customers can easily find the information they need. This typically involves a clean, organized interface with clear categories and a robust search functionality.

Moreover, a robust knowledge base typically includes comprehensive content that addresses a wide range of potential issues and questions. Articles, frequently asked questions (FAQs), and guides should be written in clear, concise language and include step-by-step instructions, visuals, and troubleshooting tips where applicable. By offering detailed and easily understood material, these bases empower individuals to resolve their issues independently. 

40% of consumers now prefer self-service over live support. We anticipate that this percentage will only continue to grow over time, making it essential to offer a plethora of self-help tools, like knowledge bases, to keep customers satisfied.

Centralized information storage

The unified nature of a knowledge base eliminates the need for disparate sources of information, ensuring that all resources are housed in a single location. For organizations, this means that all relevant knowledge – ranging from product details and technical documentation to troubleshooting guides and FAQs – is available to both customers and employees in one consolidated system.

Cost savings

When individuals have access to a comprehensive, well-organized knowledge base, they can resolve many of their own issues without needing to contact customer service agents. This self-service capability decreases the volume of support tickets, allowing support staff to focus on more complex and urgent inquiries. By minimizing routine interactions, businesses can maintain a smaller support team, reduce overtime costs, and improve overall operational efficiency.

Even more, the long-term maintenance of these bases is generally more cost-effective than relying on continuous knowledge transfer among employees. A well-maintained repository serves as a living document that evolves with a company, capturing and preserving institutional information. This reduces the need for repetitive training sessions and onboarding processes, as new employees can quickly get up to speed by referring to the knowledge base.

Scalable to customer service needs

As companies expand their product lines, services, and customer base, knowledge bases can be continually updated with new information, ensuring that it remains comprehensive and relevant over time. This scalability enables businesses to accommodate an increasing volume of inquiries without a proportional increase in customer support staff. 

Additionally, the modular nature of these bases allows organizations to structure information in a way that grows with their needs. Companies can organize content into categories, tags, and hierarchies that can be easily expanded as new topics and issues arise. This dynamic approach means that new sections can be seamlessly integrated without disrupting the existing structure.

Helps create consistency across support

The centralized information provided by knowledge bases verifies that every support agent has access to the same information, reducing the variability in responses and helping maintain a uniform standard of service. When customers receive consistent answers regardless of which representative they speak to, it builds trust in a business’s support system as a whole.

Furthermore, a knowledge base allows for the documentation of best practices and standard operating procedures. This verifies that all representatives follow the same guidelines when handling similar issues, further promoting consistency. For instance, detailed troubleshooting guides and step-by-step instructions can help agents resolve technical issues in the same way, leading to uniform solutions and minimizing the chances of errors.

8 steps to follow when building a knowledge base

Anybody can create a basic knowledge base. However, cultivating a well-structured, relevant, and easily navigable base requires extensive initial research and ongoing maintenance on your part. Here, it’s essential to follow a systematic blueprint that helps ensure you employ the most ideal knowledge base technology, include the most relevant content, and continually refine information over time.

1. Conduct extensive research to determine what you need from your knowledge base

Start by gathering input from various stakeholders, including customer service representatives, product managers, and customers themselves. Conduct surveys and interviews to understand the common issues individuals face and the types of information they seek. Analyzing customer feedback and support tickets can provide further insight into the most frequent inquiries and pain points.

Also, don’t forget to benchmark against industry standards and competitor offerings to understand what a successful knowledge base looks like in your field. Study how similar organizations structure their knowledge bases and the types of content they include.

2. Explore varying types of knowledge bases

Here, begin by understanding the primary knowledge base categories: internal and external. An internal base is designed for use within an organization, helping employees access vital information and procedures. Conversely, an external knowledge base is customer-facing, providing users with access to FAQs, troubleshooting guides, and product information.

Then, consider the various structures of available knowledge bases. Some bases are hierarchical, organizing information into categories and subcategories, making it easy for users to navigate through a structured tree of topics. Others are more search-centric, relying on robust search functionality to help users find information quickly by typing keywords or phrases. Evaluate which format aligns best with your user’s behavior and preferences. For instance, if your customers often look for specific answers quickly, a search-centric knowledge base might be more effective.

3. Choose your knowledge base software

When determining which knowledge base technology best suits your business needs, you should first clearly define the types of content you need to manage, such as articles, FAQs, videos, and manuals. Then, assess the volume of content and the expected frequency of updates, while also considering the user base, including the number of individuals who will access the knowledge base and their technical proficiency. 

You’ll need to evaluate the functionalities of different knowledge base software as well. Look for key features such as a robust search engine, easy content creation tools, and customizable templates. Potential solutions should be highly integrable with your existing tools, like customer relationship management (CRM) systems, helpdesk software, and analytics tools.

4. Identify what will be included in your knowledge base

Choosing the right content for your knowledge base starts with understanding your audience and their needs. Conduct surveys, interviews, and analyze customer feedback and support tickets to identify the most common issues your users encounter. This research will help you prioritize the content that addresses the most frequent and critical inquiries.

Additionally, think about the various user personas that will interact with your knowledge base and tailor the content to meet the specific needs of each group. By focusing on high-demand topics and pain points, you ensure that the knowledge base provides valuable and relevant information from the outset.

5. Determine content creation responsibilities

Establishing content creation responsibilities when building a knowledge base begins with identifying the key stakeholders and subject matter experts within your organization. These individuals possess the necessary expertise to create accurate and valuable content. Typically, stakeholders include customer support teams, product managers, technical experts, and marketing personnel. 

Once these stakeholders have been identified, define clear roles for content creation and maintenance. It’s important to implement a structured workflow that includes drafting, reviewing, editing, and publishing stages. You’ll want to assign specific tasks to each individual based on their expertise and availability. For instance, customer support agents might draft the initial content based on FAQs, which is then reviewed by product managers for technical accuracy and completeness.

6. Create content

Firstly, identify the core topics and FAQs that need to be addressed. To do this, conduct thorough research by analyzing customer feedback, support tickets, and input from subject matter experts within your organization. Then, outline the structure of each article or entry, breaking down information into manageable sections. We suggest using headings, subheadings, and numbered lists to enhance readability and organization. 

Next, focus on writing clear and concise content. Use straightforward language, avoiding technical jargon unless absolutely necessary. When complex terms must be used, provide definitions or explanations to ensure that all users can understand the material. Multimedia elements such as images, videos, and diagrams can also be incorporated to visually support the text and make intricate concepts easier to grasp.

7. Continually update knowledge base

It’s important to establish a regular review and update schedule for your knowledge base, auditing existing articles at periodic intervals based on the volume and complexity of the content. During these reviews, check for outdated information, broken links, and any changes in product features or company policies that need to be reflected in the base.

In addition to scheduled reviews, implement a system for real-time updates based on user feedback and emerging issues. Encourage users to report inaccuracies or gaps in the content through feedback forms or direct communication channels. You might choose to also regularly analyze support tickets to identify new trends or FAQs that aren’t adequately covered in the existing knowledge base.

8. Optimize for SEO

Optimizing a knowledge base for search engine optimization (SEO) starts with thorough keyword research to identify the terms your target audience is likely to use when searching for information related to your business. Once you have a list of keywords, incorporate them naturally into your content, including titles, headings, meta descriptions, and body text.

Furthermore, you should verify that your knowledge base is easy to navigate, as this enhances both user experience (UX) and SEO. This involves organizing content into clear categories and subcategories, and using descriptive, keyword-rich titles for each article. You should also consider implementing a robust internal linking strategy to connect related articles and help users (and search engines) easily find relevant content. 

Studies show that up to 95% of search engine traffic goes to the first page of search results. Thus, appearing on the first page for relevant keywords and phrases should be a main objective of your SEO-related efforts.

Best practices for building and maintaining your knowledge base

Business leaders must be sure to institute a set of best practices that guides the actions of stakeholders, while also making sure these protocols are clearly communicated across the organization. This verifies that all actions are structured and uniform, while the experience of end users and support agents are always top-of-mind when making any knowledge-base-related decisions.

Ensure knowledge base matches brand

Start by defining your brand voice and personality; consider factors like your company’s mission and target audience. Your knowledge base content should reflect this voice consistently throughout all articles. Whether your brand is formal and professional or casual and friendly, ensure that the tone of your content resonates with your brand personality.

Also, incorporate visual elements that reflect your brand’s visual identity into the design of your knowledge base. Use your brand colors, typography, and logo uniformly across its interface. This creates a cohesive look and feel that reinforces brand recognition and promotes a sense of familiarity for users.

Leverage internal linking across pages

When linking internally across knowledge base articles, be sure to use descriptive anchor text that includes relevant keywords. This not only helps users navigate seamlessly but also improves search engine visibility for those keywords.

All links should be strategically placed and organized as well, logically guiding individuals through a learning path or troubleshooting process. For example, if an article covers a general topic, link to more specific articles that provide detailed steps or additional information on related subtopics. This not only helps users find relevant information more efficiently, but also encourages them to explore more content, increasing the time spent on your knowledge base.

Ensure an easy-to-understand interface

First, organize your content into clear and logical categories and subcategories. Use intuitive labels and headings that accurately describe the content within each section. Also, strive to avoid overly complex or nested structures that may confuse users; instead, aim for a straightforward hierarchy that allows users to easily navigate from broad topics to more specific information.

A user-friendly search functionality is another integral component of an intuitive knowledge base. Include advanced search filters, such as by category, date, or relevance, to help users refine their search results further. Make sure that the search bar is placed prominently on the page, typically at the top, to verify it’s easily accessible from any part of the base.

Cover all essential topics

Begin by conducting a comprehensive audit of existing content and identifying gaps in coverage. You might also analyze customer support tickets and user feedback to pinpoint areas where information may be lacking or outdated. Then, collaborate closely with subject matter experts across different departments to gather insights and prioritize topics based on their relevance and frequency of occurrence.

Once this is done, create a content roadmap that outlines the topics to be covered and the timeline for creating material. Define clear objectives for each piece of content, ensuring that they align with your organization's overall goals and customer needs. When generating the material, prioritize essential topics and FAQs that address core aspects of your offerings.

Include a home page/table of contents for knowledge base articles

Your knowledge base homepage should serve as a space that introduces users to the base’s purpose and showcases key topics. Be sure to highlight essential articles or frequently accessed content prominently to guide users to foundational information quickly. Consider using visual elements such as icons or thumbnails to make navigation more intuitive and visually appealing.

As for your table of contents, organize it into logical categories and subcategories that reflect the structure of your knowledge base. Use descriptive headings and clear labels that accurately represent the content within each section. You may also consider implementing filters or tags that allow individuals to refine their search based on relevance, date, or popularity.

Gather feedback and add new articles when necessary

A well-rounded knowledge base should always include feedback mechanisms such as surveys, ratings, and comments within its interface. Encourage users to provide recommendations for existing articles and suggest new topics or areas that require further clarification. You’ll need to analyze this feedback regularly to identify common themes, recurring issues, or gaps in content coverage that need to be addressed.

Based on this feedback, develop a process for evaluating and prioritizing new article topics, taking into account factors such as user demand and frequency of inquiries. This necessitates collaborating closely with subject matter experts and customer support teams to verify that new articles are accurate and address user needs effectively.

How can AI transform your knowledge base

Leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the functionality of your knowledge base can provide a plethora of advantages both in the short- and long-term. These tools can help end users autonomously find answers more quickly, while also assisting live support agents in delivering more efficient and accurate assistance.

Answers customer questions in seconds

Through natural language processing (NLP), AI-powered systems can interpret the meaning behind customer inquiries, allowing them to provide relevant and contextually appropriate responses immediately. This capability significantly reduces the time individuals spend waiting for assistance and enhances overall service efficiency.

Even more, AI can continuously improve over time through machine learning algorithms, which analyze interactions and user feedback to refine responses. This adaptive learning process enables AI-driven knowledge bases to adapt to evolving customer needs, ensuring that answers remain accurate and up-to-date.

Helps new support reps offer better support with real-time knowledge base recommendations

AI is constantly analyzing ongoing customer interactions in real-time, identifying patterns and suggesting relevant articles from the knowledge base. This enables new support reps to quickly find answers to unfamiliar or complex inquiries, reducing their learning curve and improving their ability to resolve issues efficiently.

AI-driven knowledge base recommendations can also guide support reps through structured workflows and best practices, ensuring consistency in responses and adherence to company policies. By surfacing relevant content based on the context of a customer’s query, AI helps reps build confidence in handling a wide range of customer issues effectively.

Improves key customer service metrics

AI-powered analytics serve to track user interactions within the knowledge base, providing insights into content effectiveness and user satisfaction. By identifying trends in customer queries, AI helps companies continuously improve their knowledge base content. This proactive approach not only enhances the overall quality of a base, but also boosts metrics such as customer satisfaction scores (CSATs) and Net Promoter Score (NPS). 

By leveraging AI to optimize content discovery, relevance, and performance, organizations can deliver more efficient and satisfying support experiences through their knowledge bases.

An AI that’s already integrated with your knowledge base and helpdesk

You don’t always need to develop AI or set up custom integrations from scratch to get these benefits. Freddy AI for CX is a mix of an AI-powered customer-facing chatbot and a virtual assistant that can be deployed in no time. Freddy AI seamlessly integrates with your help desk and improves customer satisfaction and agent experience by:

• Answering questions based on knowledge base data and following up with relevant messages after analyzing the intent of the query

• Providing instant resolutions to complex issues without requiring agents to step in

• Enabling agents to solve tickets much faster and more consistently (Assist Bot) Increasing agent productivity by automating backend support processes

Tools & software for building your knowledge base

Building a knowledge base isn’t a process you need to tackle alone; there are various technologies available to you that can help streamline and optimize your content creation and management processes.

Some tools that are commonly utilized when generating a robust knowledge base include:

• Content management systems (CMS): Facilitate the creation, modification, and organization of digital content. CMSs often include features for version control, collaborative editing, and content scheduling.

• Documentation tools: Designed specifically for creating and managing technical documentation, user manuals, and guides. These often include templates, version control, and publishing capabilities.

• Help desk platforms: Integrate knowledge base functionalities with ticketing systems and customer service tools, enabling seamless customer self-service and agent support.

• Analytics and reporting technology: Tracks and analyzes user interactions within the knowledge base, providing insights into content performance, user behavior, and areas for improvement.

• Integration and API software: Enable integration with other software systems and APIs, allowing for smoother data exchange and automation of processes related to knowledge base management.

• SEO tools: Assist in optimizing knowledge base content for search engines, including keyword research, on-page SEO analysis, and performance tracking.

Start building and enhancing your knowledge base today with Freshdesk!

Freshworks’ Freshdesk acts as a comprehensive help desk solution, providing a unified platform where end users can seek assistance, whether through self-help resources (like knowledge bases) or the guidance of a live support agent.

With Freshdesk, users can add new content to their knowledge base in just a few clicks, with the option to make bases either for internal or external utilization, depending on specific requirements. Additionally, our useful ‘Email to Kbase’ feature allows agents to immediately convert their ticket replies into knowledge base articles, promoting regular updates to ensure that repositories remain accurate over time.

Customer service teams can also add images, screenshots, and documents to the knowledge base, providing visual aids to help users understand complex concepts, as each article in Freshdesk supports up to 100MB in attachments. With multilingual capacity, internal linking, and role-based access included as well, Freshdesk offers all the tools your company requires to create and maintain a robust customer service knowledge base.