10 Min
Answer honestly. Whenever you face an issue, say you are not able to log in to your Netflix account, what is your first response? Do you immediately call customer support? Or do you first check their website to see if the answer to your problem is there?
67% of customers prefer to use self-service options rather than talking to a customer service representative.
Building a knowledge base or an FAQ page are some of the ways to provide customers with the information they are looking for without them having to contact customer support.
While an FAQ page answers your customers’ common questions, a knowledge base provides a comprehensive self-service option with step-by-step guides.
In this blog we are going to explore the difference between a knowledge base and an FAQ page and what is the best option for your unique needs.
Table of contents
What Is a Knowledge Base?
A knowledge base is a database of all the knowledge that your users need. It is a great way to centralize information and make it easily accessible to whoever needs it.
There are 2 main types of knowledge base:
- Internal knowledge base, which includes all the information that your employees need. Like standard operating procedures (SOPs), training manuals, product features, and legal guidelines.
- External knowledge base, which is designed for customers or the general public and typically contains information like user manuals, visual guides, troubleshooting tips, FAQs, and community forums.
An external knowledge base is a publicly accessible library of information specifically designed for customers or the general public. It acts as a one-stop shop for users to find answers to their questions and learn more about your product’s offerings.
Looking to improve your self-service for better CX?
Example of a Knowledge Base
Samsung is a global technology company that offers a range of electronics, including smartphones, laptops, washing machines, air purifiers, and more.
Samsung’s knowledge base is an excellent example of an external knowledge base and how it helps reduce the customer’s reliance on support agents.
It covers troubleshooting guides, product manuals, frequently asked questions, and other useful information. This enables customers to resolve their issues quickly and easily without spending hours on hold speaking with agents.
What Are FAQs?
FAQs stand for Frequently Asked Questions. It’s a list of common questions and answers compiled for easy reference. You’ll often find them on websites, in articles, or even in email lists.
An FAQ page, on the other hand, is a specific section on a website that compiles and answers common questions users have about a particular topic. It’s essentially a webpage dedicated to FAQs.
Example of an FAQ Page
Netflix is a streaming service, and its FAQ section tackles a broad spectrum of user concerns, from managing accounts and billing to troubleshooting playback issues and finding content. The information is meticulously organized into clear categories.
The Help Center prioritizes user needs with clear, concise language and step-by-step instructions, often accompanied by screenshots for visual guidance.
FAQs vs Knowledge Base: The Difference
Adopting an FAQ or a knowledge base depends on your users’ unique needs.
Samsung knows its users struggle with complex technical issues, so it has created a comprehensive knowledge base to empower customers to solve their problems with detailed guides.
On the other hand, Netflix knows that its audience wants quick bits of information about its product, cost, and subscriptions, so they can easily make purchase decisions.
So, start by analyzing your customer needs, and use this table to decide which one would improve their CX easily:
| Factors | FAQs | Knowledge Base |
| Purpose | To provide basic product or service information or quick answers to common questions. | To provide comprehensive information, instructions, and support resources. |
| Scalability | They provide limited scalability. They are typically static and need to be manually updated. | They are highly scalable. They can grow with content and user needs. |
| Interactive Features | They are typically static text with hyperlinks. They do not include any interactive features. | They have many interactive features like search functionality, multimedia, and interactive guides. |
| Cost | They are generally low-cost, as they are simple to create and maintain. | They are comparatively more costly, as they involve advanced software and maintenance. |
So, What Should You Choose? FAQs or Knowledge Base
FAQs are the best bet for you if you have a manageable range of products or services and if your customers do not regularly require detailed support because FAQs:
- Reduces repetitive queries
- Are easy to maintain, cost-effective, and require fewer resources
- Boost your website’s SEO and increase organic traffic by including relevant keywords
- Increase sales and customer satisfaction by answering common pre-purchase and post-purchase questions.
Knowledge base is a better choice if you offer more complex or technical products because knowledge base:
- Offers in-depth support with detailed articles, how-to guides, and videos, which are essential for complex products
- Caters to a wide range of customer needs by incorporating different content formats
- Provides insights into common customer issues and areas for improvement
- Includes FAQs, you can get all the benefits of creating a FAQ page.
Choose the right knowledge base tools with these expert tips
Build a Knowledge Base or a FAQ Page with Knowmax
Imagine letting an AI automatically create comprehensive knowledge bases or informative FAQ pages just for you.
Knowmax is an AI-powered knowledge management platform which helps you create robust self-service options like knowledge bases, FAQs, or AI-powered chatbots.
Our state-of-the-art features include AI semantic search, AI author tools, multi-channel distribution, and micro-segmented analytics.
These features ensure that it is easy for you to create and manage your self-service portals. It also makes sure that your customers always have the option of getting the answers they need from your website.
