Internal Knowledgebase Essentials for SaaS

Having a comprehensive internal knowledgebase is crucial for SaaS companies to streamline operations, enhance employee efficiency, and improve customer support. Here's a quick overview of what an effective internal knowledgebase should include:

• Easy Access to Information: Organized content with search functionality.
• Comprehensive Content: Includes product documentation, onboarding checklists, company policies, troubleshooting guides, and more.
• User-Friendly Design: Optimized for mobile and desktop with a simple, clear layout.
• Integration with Tools: Seamless connection with CRM, help desk software, and other essential business tools.
• Security Measures: Strong encryption, role-based access, and regular data backups.
• Customization vs. Pre-Made Solutions: Considerations for building your own knowledgebase or purchasing software.
• Implementation Strategy: Steps for planning, choosing the right platform, and ensuring widespread adoption.

By focusing on these elements, SaaS companies can create a knowledgebase that not only stores critical information but also fosters innovation and efficiency across the organization.

What is an Internal Knowledgebase?

An internal knowledgebase is like a big digital library inside a company where everyone can find and share information about how things are done. For companies that sell software (SaaS), it's really important to have one. It's where you keep all sorts of useful stuff like guides, how-tos, updates about the software, and answers to common questions, all in one place that's easy to search.

Key things an internal knowledgebase does include:

• Making it easy to search for and find information
• Letting you decide who can see what
• Keeping the information up to date
• Letting you use pictures, videos, and text to explain things
• Working together with other tools like help desk software

Having all this information in one spot helps everyone in the company get the information they need quickly and easily.

The Importance of Internal Knowledgebases in SaaS

For companies that sell software, a good internal knowledgebase is super helpful in many ways:

Onboarding Efficiency

• Helps new people learn the ropes on their own, fast.
• Cuts down on the need to ask others for basic info.
• Stops the same questions from being asked over and over.

Support Optimization

• Helps the customer service team find answers quickly.
• Makes customers happy because their problems get solved faster.
• Keeps all the tips and tricks for solving common problems in one place.

Product Expertise

• Keeps everyone up to date with the latest software changes and plans.
• Is the go-to place for all the details about the software.
• Encourages sharing ideas to make the software better.

Operational Excellence

• Keeps all the company's how-tos and rules in one spot.
• Makes sure everyone is doing things the same way.
• Helps everyone keep getting better at what they do by sharing what they know.

As a company grows, having information all over the place can slow things down. An internal knowledgebase helps keep everyone on the same page, making the whole company work better and making customers happier.

Key Components of an Effective Internal Knowledgebase

Structuring Your Knowledgebase

To make your internal knowledgebase easy to use, it's key to set it up in a clear way. Here's how:

• Break down info into big and small groups. Think of having main buckets like Company Info, How to Use Our Products, HR Stuff, Tech Help, and Sales Tips.

• Use tags and filters so people can quickly find what they're looking for. Tags can be things like "new hire info", "latest updates", or "fixing errors".

• Arrange things by team or job area. Keep all the HR stuff in one place, for example, so it's not mixed with other info.

• Use different pages for different topics to keep things tidy. Avoid dumping everything on one long page.

• Start each main section with a summary page that gives an overview and links to more detailed pages.

• Keep the look and feel the same across all pages for consistency.

Content Essentials

Your knowledgebase should definitely have:

• Product Documentation: Guides for users, updates, technical details, and admin info. Update these with every new version of your software.

• Onboarding Checklists: Step-by-step guides for getting new team members started, sorted by department.

• Company Policies & Procedures: Rules of conduct, safety steps, legal stuff, etc.

• Troubleshooting Guides: Help for common tech problems and how to get around bugs.

• HR Documentation: Info on pay, benefits, time off, and the employee handbook.

• FAQ Pages: Quick answers to common questions about support, sales, and billing.

Accessibility and User Experience

To make sure people like using your knowledgebase:

• Make sure it works well on phones and tablets, not just computers.

• Have a search bar and a map of the site to help people find what they need fast.

• Keep the menu simple. Don't make people click through a bunch of layers to find something.

• Use a clean layout with lots of space and easy-to-read text.

• Add pictures, gifs, and videos to explain tricky things when words just aren't enough.

Integrating With Other Tools

• Connect with customer help tools like Zendesk, so support folks can pull up info while they're helping customers.
• Let sales people get to product details and pricing right from tools like Salesforce.
• Put a search box for your knowledgebase on internal sites and dashboards for quick access to info.

Security and Permissions

Keeping your internal knowledgebase safe and making sure only the right people can see certain things are super important. Here's how you can do that in simple steps:

Use Role-Based Access Controls

• Think of creating roles like "admin", "manager", "employee" etc., where each role has different permissions.
• Admins can change and see everything.
• Managers can see everything but only change some things.
• Employees can only see stuff that's meant for them.

This helps in making sure everyone sees only what they're supposed to.

Set Up Two-Factor Authentication

Add an extra step to logging in, like:

• Using a code from an app.
• Getting a code through a text.

This makes it harder for unwanted visitors to get in.

Enable Single Sign-On

Let users log in with their existing work or school accounts from:

• Microsoft Azure AD
• Okta
• Google Workspace

This means one less password to remember.

Use Encryption

Keep your data safe by making it unreadable to outsiders, both when it's just sitting there and when it's moving around. You can use things like:

• AES-256 bit encryption
• SSL/TLS protocols

This way, even if someone gets to your data, they can't understand it.

Back Up Data Regularly

Make sure you have copies of your data saved automatically to protect against:

• Equipment breaking
• Accidentally deleting or changing stuff
• Attacks from hackers

Keeping these backups in a different place adds an extra safety net.

Log Activity

Keep track of:

• Who logs in
• What pages they look at
• Changes made to content
• What gets deleted

Check these logs often to spot anything odd and fix it.

By doing these things, you can keep your knowledgebase and all the valuable info inside it safe and sound.

Building vs. Buying: Evaluating Your Options

When you're setting up an internal knowledge base for your SaaS company, you basically have two choices: make one yourself or use pre-made knowledge base software. Let's look at the good and bad points of both to help you figure out the best fit for your situation.

Building Your Own Knowledge Base

Pros

• You can make it exactly how you want it
• It can work seamlessly with your other systems
• You keep all your data on your own servers

Cons

• Needs a lot of time and people to create
• Takes a lot of effort to keep up and improve
• Might not have as many features right away

Buying Knowledge Base Software

Pros

• Quick to get started
• Comes with a lot of features already
• Gets updated with new stuff without you having to do anything
• Can work with other tools you use
• You benefit from the security know-how of the provider

Cons

• Can't change everything to be exactly how you want
• You have to pay regularly to use it
• Your data is stored on someone else's servers

Comparison Table

	Build Your Own	Buy Software
Cost	High upfront development cost	Monthly/annual fees
Speed	Slow setup and new features	Fast setup and upgrades
Customization	Fully customizable	Limited flexibility
Security	Your team's expertise	Leverage provider's security
Integrations	Deep system integrations	API and connectors available
Data Control	Full control	Stored externally

When deciding between making your own or buying, think about your budget, what features you really need, if you want to be able to change things a lot, and how many people you have to help build and maintain it.

If getting started quickly, having lots of features from the start, and using outside security expertise are top priorities, then buying a ready-made knowledge base might be best. But, if having total control and making everything fit perfectly with your systems and data is important, then creating your own might be the way to go.

Take a good look at what you need, what you have, and what you're trying to do. Both options have their benefits, so choose based on what's most important for growing your SaaS business.

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Implementing Your Internal Knowledgebase

Planning and Strategy

When you're getting your internal knowledgebase up and running, it's important to start with a good plan. Here's what to do:

• Figure out what you need - Ask people from different parts of your company what kind of information they're always looking for. This helps you know what to focus on.

• Set clear goals - Decide what you want your knowledgebase to achieve, like cutting down on the number of questions your support team gets or making it faster to train new employees. Choose ways to measure if you're succeeding.

• Get everyone on board - Make sure the leaders and teams in your company are excited about this idea. Their support is crucial.

• Make rules for writing - Decide how articles should be written, including the style and format. Pick some people to make sure all new content follows these rules.

• Plan for updates - Set up a schedule to regularly check and update articles. Also, think about how employees can add their own tips and knowledge.

Taking these steps will help make sure your knowledgebase does what you need it to do. Keep an eye on how it's going, ask for feedback, and make changes as needed.

Choosing the Right Platform

Picking the right software for your knowledgebase means looking at a few important things:

Features

• Different user roles and permissions
• Works well on mobile
• Easy to search and find things
• Can include text, pictures, and videos
• Lets you change the look to match your company

Integrations

• Works with your CRM, help desk, and other tools
• Supports single sign-on (SSO)

Security

• Follows strict security standards
• Uses strong encryption
• Lets you control who sees what

Support and Updates

• Helps you get started
• Offers good technical support
• Keeps adding new features

Budget

• How much it costs
• Different price levels based on what you need
• Extra costs for help setting things up

Some good options include Solutions, Bloomfire, and Tettra. Try a few out to see which one fits best.

Deployment and Adoption

After you launch your knowledgebase, the real work begins. You need to get people to use it and keep it filled with useful information. Here's how:

Spread the Word

• Send emails
• Talk about it in company meetings
• Put up signs and use digital screens

Encourage Adding Content

• Set up a rewards program
• Set goals for how much content to add
• Get leaders involved

Keep Training

• Include it in training for new employees
• Hold short training sessions
• Make easy guides for getting started

Look at the Data

• See which pages get the most visits
• Find out what people are searching for
• Identify any missing information

Ask for Feedback

• Use surveys and interviews
• Try out new ideas with a small group
• Have discussions to get more ideas

With a good plan for getting people interested and involved, your knowledgebase will become an essential tool for sharing knowledge in your company.

Maintaining and Improving Your Knowledgebase

Regular Updates and Revisions

It's important to keep your internal knowledgebase fresh and up to date. Here are some simple ways to do that:

• Make a plan to check and update content regularly. Remember to review articles, especially those with time-sensitive info like product updates. Change any details that don't stay the same over time.
• Ask your team what they think. Find out what new info they need or what could be better. Encourage them to share their ideas and updates.
• Pick people to look after your content. Choose team members to check over new info, approve articles, and handle updates.
• Use data to see what's working. Check out which articles are popular, which ones are getting ignored, and what people are searching for. This helps you know what to add or change.
• Get rid of old stuff. If some information is no longer relevant, remove it to keep your knowledgebase clean and accurate. You can back up old content or mark it as outdated if it might still be useful.
• Show off new updates. Use signs or notices to let people know when something's been added or changed. This keeps everyone in the loop.

Keeping your knowledgebase up-to-date takes work, but with a good system and dedicated people, you can make sure it grows with your company.

Gathering Feedback and Analytics

Collecting opinions and looking at how people use your knowledgebase is crucial for making it better. Here's how:

• Let users rate and comment on articles. Add a way for people to leave feedback directly on articles. Send out surveys now and then to get a bigger picture of what users think.
• Talk to small groups. Bring together a few employees to try out new features and tell you what they think. This gives you deep insights into what needs improvement.
• Keep an eye on how people use your knowledgebase. Track things like which articles are read the most, how long people spend reading them, and what they're searching for. Use this info to figure out what's working and what's not.
• Link with customer service tools. Connect with tools like Zendesk to see what questions are being asked often. This can show you where there are gaps in your knowledgebase.
• Regularly check in with different teams. Ask departments what info they need more of or less of. Encourage them to suggest new topics.

By understanding how your knowledgebase is used and what your team thinks of it, you can make targeted improvements to help everyone find the info they need.

Conclusion

Having an internal knowledgebase is super important for any SaaS company that wants to make things run smoother, get stuff done faster, and make customers happier. It's all about putting all the important info in one place so everyone can get to it easily. This helps new folks learn the ropes quicker, makes it easier to help customers, boosts how much work gets done, and a lot more.

Here's a simple game plan to make a great internal knowledgebase:

Set Clear Goals and Strategy

• Decide what you want to get out of your knowledgebase, like making training shorter or cutting down on the same questions being asked over and over.
• Make sure the bosses are on board and ask different teams what they need.
• Plan out how you'll organize the info, when you'll update things, and how to get everyone using it.

Build a User-Friendly Platform

• Keep things organized with tags, filters, and who can see what.
• Make sure it's easy to search and works well on phones and computers.
• Connect it with other systems you use, like customer service software and CRM.

Curate Comprehensive Content

• Include everything from product details, company rules, HR info, to how to fix common problems.
• Keep everything neat and up-to-date.
• Use pictures or videos for the tricky stuff.

Promote Adoption and Contributions

• Let everyone know it's coming with emails, posters, and events.
• Encourage people to add their own tips and info.
• Teach new employees how to use it right from the start.

Continuously Improve Through Analytics

• Keep an eye on what parts of the knowledgebase people use the most and what's missing.
• Ask for feedback regularly through surveys and chats.
• Always look for ways to make it better.

By sticking to these simple steps, SaaS companies can make sure their knowledgebase really helps everyone out. It's a bit of work to start with, but it really makes a big difference in keeping everything running smoothly and keeping customers and employees happy.

Appendix: Top Knowledgebase Platforms for SaaS in 2024

Choosing the right tool for your team's knowledge base can be tricky. Here's a straightforward look at some of the best picks for SaaS companies in 2024, focusing on what they offer and how secure they are:

Tettra

• Easy-to-use with a clear layout for keeping team info.
• Lets you decide who can see and do what.
• Updates info instantly, no matter the device.
• Works well with apps like Jira, GitHub, and Slack.
• Strong security with AES-256 encryption and meets SOC 2 standards.

Guru

• Uses a simple card layout to organize articles.
• Uses smart tech to answer questions automatically.
• You can make it look the way you want.
• Fits teams of all sizes.
• Very secure, with ISO 27001 and SOC 2 certification.

Bloomfire

• Lets teams work together and chat in the app.
• Uses smart tech to show you what you need.
• You can set up your own workflows and pick from lots of add-ons.
• Shows you how people are using the content.
• Keeps things safe with 256-bit encryption and single sign-on.

Zendesk Guide

• Has spaces for both public and team-only info.
• Supports many languages.
• Lets you plan and approve content easily.
• Connects with other apps and lets you edit in markdown.
• Regularly checks and backs up data for safety.

When picking a platform, think about how easy it is to use, how well it can grow with your team, how it keeps your info safe, and if it has the features you need to keep your knowledge base tidy and up-to-date.

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