The first thing users turn to shouldn’t be the last thing you think of…

All software, especially a complex, technical application, takes a little getting used to initially. The first place users turn for assistance is your online help files. If your user assistance package lets them down it could cost you more than a frustrated user. TIKS’ technical writing experts create effective web help files. By providing concise, easy to follow online user guides it helps customers learn software faster, minimizes training and customer support costs and gives your clients another reason to come back for future business.

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• Web enabled online help files are easier for users to navigate thanks to built-in search and glossary functions, so users waste less time finding the information they need. They’re also more flexible to host, delivered ready to run on almost any web server, so you can keep it in-house on your corporate intranet or let users log in online remotely.

• A bad presentation can make your web help files harder for users to work with, so they’re less effective. It can also undermine your brand, making your company look unprofessional.

• By applying a graphic ‘skin’ to your web help, we can bring the look and feel in line with your corporate style.

Web enabled online help files... Intranet, extranet or internet...
No wonder web enabled help is the most popular format. The more flexible and easy to use your help files, the more effectively they 

work.Web enabled online help files are easier for users to navigate, thanks to built in search and glossary functions, so users waste less time finding the information they need. They’re more flexible to host too, delivered ready to run on almost any web server, so you can keep it in-house on your corporate intranet, or let users log in online from anywhere.
 

Look Smart, Work Smart.
 

Good graphic presentation isn’t just nice to have, it’s vital for how online help files function and how users see your business.
 

Bad presentation can make your web help files harder for users to work with, so they’re less effective. It can also undermine your brand, making your company look unprofessional.

TIKS can make your web help look right as well as read right. By applying a graphic ‘skin’ to your web help we can bring the look and feel in line with your corporate style. We can even produce responsive designs, automatically adapting for best performance when users log on through mobile devices.
 

Online Help File Wikis -Many hands make light work
 

We’re good at what we do, very good, but anticipating every possible snag, hitch and hiccup that users might run into working your software is almost impossible. No matter how much product testing and Web Help File writing done before release, users always find new problems (or create their own!).
 

Online Help Files have to be able to adapt. An Online Help File Wiki is the perfect answer. Wikis open up your online help writing to multiple authors, so several people can collaborate in real time, wherever they are in the world, cutting turnaround time and boosting productivity. You can even open up online help writing for regulated user comments, so your users can actually help with your help files!
 

• Collaborate and edit in real time for fast response

• Access from any device, mobile or desktop

• Easy to use for Wiki novices

• Highly searchable, so users find answers faster

• Responsive design

 

What makes good Online Help Files?
 

The key points for really helpful help files - Users go to help files when they’re stuck.
 

The faster users can find, understand and apply the advice in your help files, the happier they’ll be. Keep in mind these points and you’ll keep your help files working effectively.

• Relevant - Listen to your customers’ questions and problems, then build your topic and headline structure to match, so you’re answering the right questions.

• Easy to understand - What sort of language do your customers use? Write for them in a way they want to read. Don’t load your Help Files with confusing jargon, but don’t write like Dr Seuss, either.

• Easy to find things  - Help they can’t find is no help at all. Searchable, clearly labeled topics let users get where they need to go as quickly as possible.

• Well formatted - Think about where and how users will want and need to access your online web help. HTML might be best if you’re hosting locally, or make it responsive if users may access it from mobile or desktop.

• Well designed Easy on the eye is easy to follow. Clear graphic presentation, such as consistency of the sentence structure, bullets, template, etc. is as important to understanding as clear writing (Well, nearly as important).