Free FAQ Software For Last Minute Website Upgrades
05/23/2024 New Update 👇👇👇
According to a study conducted by the Northridge Group, only 46% of consumers reported the resolution of their customer service need within an hour.
Further, almost one in ten customers indicated their problem was never resolved. Customers are frustrated with the lack of self-service options in customer service.
You need to consider FAQ software that delivers—on convenience and knowledge base depth. If you can’t achieve the right knowledge depth now, try using software that can eventually get you there.
If customers are frustrated with the lack of easy self-service options, then give them easy self-service options.
FAQ pages can feel like an easy win, but you often have to follow templates and work within the constraints of your web platform (Squarespace, WordPress, Webflow, etc…). FAQ software takes this out of the equation and helps automate these decisions for you.
Most people reference FAQ pages before they make a purchase. However, you would traditionally think to create that page by adding helpful questions and answers. That is true to a point, but it’s not enough.
Your customers want more.
FAQ software can run the show for you. It not only answers their questions, but goes above and beyond with customer support. They don’t just want their questions answered. They want their needs met.
Customers need to feel heard.
FAQ software can “hear” and respond appropriately to customer needs.
An FAQ page alone can only answer questions on the surface. Software breaks the surface and dives deep into customer service.
Things are available immediately and the software can automatically create data and measurements. It is the perfect way to meet and exceed customer expectations. FAQ software is:
- Readily available — it is easy to find and always ready to help
- Interactive — customers can interact with it, asking questions and providing feedback
- Automatic — you don’t have to wait behind the curtain, the software does it all
The two main types of software that people use for their websites are help desks and knowledge bases. That’s not to say that there aren’t other options out there, like plugins. But these two have the most features and are the most interactive out of all FAQ software.
This software allows customers to send questions or problems to one place. Most help desks use a ticketing system. This allows businesses to keep track of and resolve customer issues by managing tickets from beginning to end.
You can be quick and consistent with concerns and point the customer in a certain direction. That way you are helping them along the way.
Knowledge base software is unique in its ability to create a library of information for your company. Some live on your web pages, ready to help customers when questions arise, and some live outside the website.
It’s better to have it on your webpage, that way your traffic isn’t bouncing from your main sales or marketing page. Help users where they need it, don’t redirect people like the DMV.
The knowledge base portion of the software is what makes it the most helpful. It can hold a lot of information including FAQs and previous issues customers have dealt with.
Both types of software are intended for customer support. The main difference between the two is that one is intended to be used by your support agents and the other is a portal for your customers to help themselves.
Help desks are a ticketing system, but you can sometimes add on a knowledge base. A stand-alone knowledge base, however, is far more complex—going beyond FAQs.
Help desks can be beneficial by promoting collaboration among your team. You can even turn your resolved tickets into knowledge base content. Knowledge bases, on the other hand, make sure that concerns never have the chance to become tickets.
Each type of software has benefits for customer service. It can help many customers right there on the page. You won’t have to pull too many resources or create large wait times.
ChipBot is a knowledge base software in the form of a help bot. The FAQ bot operates on every page of your website for maximum support and helps with:
- collects questions
- reuses your past answers
- provides an array of extra self-service help features
The bot—as its own knowledge base—is completely interactive and self-service for users. It is automatic, so it is ready to go at all times and contains all the support your customers need.
ChipBot even has actionable data. It can improve itself as it interacts with your customers.
Zendesk is a help desk software. It brings all customer interactions onto one platform. It is super easy to keep track of support requests and answer questions as soon as possible. Their top features are the ticketing system and community forums.
The ticketing system lets you collect customer support requests from any source. You can then manage them all in one location. This allows agents to be quick and organized, gaining respect from users.
The community forums help build onto that respect. They allow users to give feedback and interact with your company.
HelpJuice is a knowledge base software that is easy to use and implement into your website. The support is quick and reliable. You can deliver instant knowledge to both users and employees.
It is simple to add and edit content, making the transition easier. The knowledge base can be installed internally or externally. That way help is always available self-service to customers.
HappyFox is a help desk software that reduces response time from days to hours. The intuitive user interface allows for in-depth reporting. Users can report without any extra issues or steps.
With HappyFox, you can convert emails into tickets, pull metrics, and keep track of member inquiries in one place.
Keep in mind the differences between a help desk and knowledge base.
You will want to choose what you think will best serve your customers. That being said, a help desk can support your agents to serve many customers, but a knowledge base can serve the potential of an unlimited amount.
Online conversions happen quickly for a B2C. Most customers do not consult a knowledge base before making a purchase. Your primary ticket requests will be for refunds, returns, defects, exchanges, and delivery issues.
Each of these issues needs to be meticulously tracked even further. The knowledge base becomes important after a customer makes a purchase–to help deflect tickets from being created in the first place.
These B2C and B2B services have a much slower conversion process. Prospects hunt down information before engaging with a service.
Unlike online stores, returns and refunds are less of an issue. They will only contact you once they gather all the information they need.
In SaaS, immediate support is required. How you deploy that support depends on whether you are a B2C or B2B. In most cases, a B2B will make live chat a priority—the primary mode of contact—with a knowledge base for backup knowledge.
As a B2C, you are less likely to want live chat because you will be bombarded with questions that a knowledge base can answer. You’ll want to prioritize a knowledge base that has data collection and analytics so that you can collect all feature requests and improvement.
No matter what your company is trying to accomplish, a knowledge base gives you the most options. Not only does it work for any type of customer, but it can integrate with any type of website as well.
You’ve seen that there are many different viable options, so what should you choose?
All the evidence points to a self-service system that will support customers throughout their journey. That being said, the software can sometimes mix and match.
As I said before, some help desks have add-on knowledge bases. But having one software for everything can lock you in. And just because the ticketing system offers a knowledge base doesn’t mean it is the best option.
Self-service options provide maximum convenience for customers. A knowledge base is the affordable and data-driven solution. Customers will finally get the quick resolution they are looking for.
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