Many business products need to come with user guides. These are documents that help users understand what a product does and how they can use it. However, user guides have importance for business products far past just helping customers get to know what they’ve bought.
The Importance of User Guides
User guides are important for many reasons. First and foremost, it’s so product owners can learn how to use what they have bought. Otherwise, they’ve wasted time and money, and your reputation is going to take a hit from someone who might not turn to your brand the next time that they need something.
However, another big reason that user guides are crucial to your business products is liability. You want users to stay safe and avoid danger with your products. That means they need to know about potential hazards and safe operations.
You never want your product being in the news for hurting someone or causing an accident. You certainly don’t want a liability lawsuit or claim on your hands. Above all, you don’t want your customers or anyone around them getting hurt at all in the first place.
Saving time is another big benefit. You’ll save your customers time trying to figure out how to use a business product because you’ve already laid out instructions for them on how to do it. You’ll also save your own team time because they’re not going to get flooded with phone calls, emails, and chat requests with questions that documentation could cover itself.
User guides might even be useful in training your own team members and staff. Do you want anyone trying to sell the product directly? Product demonstrations can be very useful, and the right user guide gives your sellers the knowledge they need to do it.
Utilize Modern Technology
User guides used to be paper printouts heavy on text, perhaps with a few illustrations. Modern business product user guides can actually be digital documents. That saves you the costs involved with printing and means less clutter for users. It also means you can use 3d product documentation. Product users can learn how to use what they have faster with instructions that are just as visual as they are text-based. It’s even better to create interactive instructions that help them see the true power of the product they are learning to use.
Improve the User Experience
Perhaps the biggest thing that user guides can do for your business products is to grow your business. You might not think of a user guide as a chance to improve sales. However, it can be.
Forbes talks about several ways user experience can be improved, and some of them can certainly relate to a user guide. For instance, simplicity is a very big deal. If a user guide can’t make things simple, then something needs to be streamlined with your product.
Don’t go overboard with colors or crazy fonts. Graphics are great to use, however, if they complement the text instructions well. If customers have a great time learning how to use your product and then get the most out of it, your reviews and word-of-mouth advertising are going to drive more business your way.
Prevent Needless Returns
Depending on your particular business product, you might take returns for refunds from unsatisfied customers. Some of them might happen just because they simply don’t know how to properly utilize what they have in their hands. The right user guide not only helps them get the most out of it, but it can help spare your company unnecessary returns simply due to lack of information.
