When you’re looking for an online documentation platform, there are some key features to keep in mind:
- User-friendly interface
- Allow you to insert custom CSS and JavaScript for full customization of your pages.
- Good search engine optimization (SEO) tools allow you to create a sitemap, meta descriptions, upload an XML site map file, etc. This is important to find content easily on the website using Google Search or other search engines.
- High-security features, such as password protection for your pages and file uploads.
- Allows you to create a multi-user or single-user system where users can be added with different roles (e.g., administrator, editor).
- Good support through email ticketing systems and community forums/blogs.
And finally, don’t forget to ask these questions to yourself, to make an informed decision.
- How much does your chosen platform cost?
If you’re a small company or looking to build a business, this will likely be one of the most important factors.
However, if you don’t have funding and are just looking for an efficient way to share information with employees at different locations, the price may not matter as much – in fact, free tools can work great! In either case, it might also pay off asking about what features come standard that would give users access down the road should they need them.
For example: Can I purchase additional storage space? What happens when my team outgrows their current documentation template even though we want more control over formatting our content?
- Is the platform easy to use?
While a seasoned product manager might be able to navigate through complicated documentation software, your employees need something dead simple.
They’ll want tools that are quick and intuitive – even if you end up using them for years down the line!
One of our customers recently told us they love their online documentation tool because it makes collaboration easier than emailing back and forth. That sounds pretty good, right? It is!
- How does this fit into my company culture?
As we mentioned above, some companies favor simplicity over features while others give power users more control over how content looks on the web page.
We also know there are other factors at play here: Do I already have an online platform my team is familiar with, or do I need something from scratch? What type of content will I be sharing, and how often am I going to share it?
How big is my company – can we handle a dedicated system administrator overseeing the whole process, or should this tool work independently without relying on IT folks every step along the way?
- What does your documentation workflow look like?
Think about what you want end-users to be able to accomplish when they log into their account. For example, are there specific features that would allow them to move seamlessly through each project stage based on their role in an organization (i.e., product managers might not need access to source code)?
If so, which tools are compatible with those processes? Will a certain piece of content need to be reviewed, edited, and approved before being published?
For example, how do you want users to have access through the web browser or dedicated mobile apps? Searching your inbox is going to take longer than something that’s built into an online documentation platform.
- What type of support can I expect from customer service representatives if needed?
Again, this should come down to user experience in most cases: Ask what kind of response time they typically see when someone contacts their team with questions about using the system!
You might also ask how complicated some features are (i.e., there could be hundreds) and whether or not training sessions would make sense before moving forward on selecting a particular tool.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are many options when it comes to creating online documentation. Each platform has its own strengths and weaknesses, but the one that is right for your business will depend on what type of technical writing environment—documentation or otherwise—your team needs. You can check out the Documentation tools blog post by Docsie for a better understanding.Depending on your needs, you can choose from any of the platforms in this guide. Good luck!
