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UX Content Strategy

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Help and Support Content

5:07 with Dan Gorgone

In this video, we’ll discuss how to create help and support content with the appropriate tone and voice, reflecting your personality and empowering your users to keep moving forward instead of giving up.

If you've created any kind of product or 0:00
service, odds are you've also created an app or website to support it. 0:02
And UX content is one of the most important ways to improve an experience 0:07
and keep your users happy when they need help and support. 0:11
But before our users need assistance, it's our responsibility to anticipate 0:15
the questions or problems they face, and plan for the content they need. 0:20
Through our UX content, 0:25
we should encourage users who need help to communicate with us in different ways. 0:26
We should give guidance that explains all the features and tools, so 0:31
they have the power to find a solution on their own and if all else fails, 0:36
the confidence and trust in you to solve their problems for them. 0:41
Your first course of action here should be to anticipate 0:45
what your users will need help with. 0:49
This means sitting down and analyzing all the processes you've created, and figuring 0:51
out which ones involve your users, and if and when they might need help. 0:57
If you've done any work with site maps or user flows as part of your design and 1:01
development work, this is a good time to revisit them. 1:06
The list of actions where your users might need help could be long. 1:10
Creating an account, building a project, downloading your app, 1:14
installing your app, using each feature, making a purchase, and 1:17
potentially refunding money, canceling accounts, and uninstalling your app. 1:22
Now those last few actions are ones you hope users won't take, 1:28
but it doesn't mean you shouldn't explain how they work. 1:32
In fact, by making this content available, you're showing transparency and 1:35
building trust. 1:39
But if you want to get started, a good place is to create content for beginners. 1:41
Check out how Emma supports new users of their email service. 1:47
Their new client guide walks users through steps with cropped screenshots of their 1:51
platform, showing exactly where users need to click, or where they need to look. 1:56
You can almost imagine a user opening this content in one window and 2:02
the Emma platform in another, making it easy for them to apply each step. 2:06
Ultimately, you are giving users everything they need to stay engaged and 2:11
use their services. 2:15
So if you consider all actions users may want to complete, and you provide rich 2:16
visual support like this, you're showing users that you want them to succeed. 2:22
Another reason why help and support content is so 2:28
important is because it's one of the best ways to demonstrate who you are, 2:30
especially your personality and your values. 2:35
Now, if you've ever experienced a power outage because of a storm, you might have 2:38
visited the website for your electricity provider, like Duke Energy. 2:42
With luck, you might find helpful features like this map, 2:47
where you can see the current outage reports. 2:51
Again, look how great visuals can be to share important info. 2:53
But, they've also written a set of pretty thoughtful frequently asked questions. 2:58
Listen to this response about reimbursement for 3:03
losses caused by a storm. 3:05
Food loss or other storm related loss is one of the many unfortunately occurrences 3:08
in cases of extreme weather, such as a hurricane. 3:12
Unfortunately, Duke Energy cannot assume responsibility for spoiled food or 3:15
other losses caused by a storm, as extreme weather is beyond our control. 3:20
But don't despair. 3:24
While there is no need to file a claim with our Duke Energy insurer, 3:25
you should check with your individual insurer or FEMA regarding lost claims. 3:30
So not only does Duke use visuals, like their map, 3:36
to help people understand what's happening, but 3:39
they show their humanity by empathizing with their customers impacted by a storm. 3:42
Don't despair, that's pretty powerful. 3:48
Duke could certainly say, this isn't our problem and it'd be true, but 3:51
by adopting the appropriate tone based on the personality traits that make them 3:55
who they are, they show their empathy by offering a supportive response that also 4:00
happens to give some advice on what to do next. 4:05
So, it's helpful, not just because it gives a potential solution, but 4:08
because it supports the user in an emotional way. 4:13
So think about all the things that could happen. 4:17
Not everything will always go according to plan, users may make mistakes, 4:21
sometimes you'll make mistakes, and other times, things happen beyond our control. 4:25
You'll need to be proactive and 4:31
anticipate user needs for all kinds of relevant situations. 4:33
Encourage users to reach out when they need help, and be prepared to listen. 4:37
Provide descriptive and rich content that serves as a guide and 4:43
visual ques to better explain things. 4:47
Use your help and support content to empower your users and 4:51
show them how much you care. 4:55
But whether your empathizing, supporting or serving up straight facts, 4:57
do so in a way that's timely, and helpful, when your users need it. 5:02