How to Create an Interactive User Guide for your Website

Learn how to create an interactive user guide for you customers that drive product adoption and ensure that customers make the most of your offering!

Chrissy DiBrigida

What is an interactive user guide?

New customers should navigate and adopt your product’s features with ease. If customers don't adopt then they are less likely to see value in your offering and more likely to churn. Luckily, there are strategies to avoid customer churn, one being the implementation of interactive user guides.

An interactive user guide is a type of user manual that provides users with a hands-on experience with a product or service. Interactive user guides can include features such as step-by-step instructions, tooltips, simulations, and quizzes.

Benefits of using interactive user guides

Interactive user guides are more engaging and easier to follow than traditional user manuals. This is because they allow users to learn at their own pace and interact with the product or service in a real-time environment. For example, an interactive user guide for a software program might include tooltips that explain the different features of the program, or it might allow users to practice using the program by completing interactive exercises.

By providing users with the information and assistance they need to get up and running quickly, interactive user guides can also help to reduce support costs. This is because users are less likely to need help from support representatives if they can easily find the information they need in the interactive user guide.

Plus, interactive user guides can help to increase customer satisfaction by making it easier for users to learn how to use a product or service. When users are able to learn how to use a product or service quickly and easily, they are more likely to be satisfied with the product or service.

Interactive user guides can help to increase product adoption by providing users with the information and assistance they need to start using a product or service immediately. This is especially important for new products or services, as it can help users to get started quickly and avoid becoming frustrated.

Overall, interactive user guides offer a number of significant benefits over traditional user manuals. They can help to improve the user experience, reduce support costs, increase customer satisfaction, and increase product adoption.

Examples of interactive user guides

Some examples of interactive user guides include:

Interactive user guides can look different based on what type of guides you are aiming to create. Guides can be made into product demos that walk users through your product with a step-by-step screenshot guide. In-app walkthroughs are superimposed over your products interface to provide real-time guidance.

Here's what an interactive guide can look like embedded on your website, help-center or sent in onboarding emails with one link:

In-app walkthrough provide more in-the-moment support, click here to see what an in-app walkthrough would look like on your product!

Interactive Guides You Can Create

Interactive learning examples: Interactive learning examples provide users with hands-on experience with a product or service by walking them through specific tasks. For example, an interactive learning example for a word processing software program might walk users through the steps involved in creating a document, formatting text, and inserting images.
Interactive installation guides: Interactive installation guides provide users with step-by-step instructions on how to install a product or service. These guides can include features such as screenshots, videos, and animations to help users understand the installation process.
Interactive walkthroughs: Interactive walkthroughs provide users with a guided tour of a product or service. These walkthroughs can include features such as tooltips, hotspots, and interactive elements to help users learn about the different features of a product or service.

Conclusion

Interactive user guides offer a number of benefits over traditional user manuals. They are more engaging and easier to follow, which can lead to improved user experience, reduced support costs, increased customer satisfaction, and increased product adoption.

If you are looking for a way to create a more effective user guide, consider Driveway. With Driveway you can Drive product adoption for all new and existing customers!