As software becomes easier and easier to use, is there still a need for help documentation? Why is a help system important?
No matter how intuitive the design of a software application, users still will have questions about its functionally, design, and content. A well-designed and comprehensive help system is a key component of usability. Traditionally, the help system is the first place users will turn for assistance.
Therefore, the goal of including a help system with your product is to provide answers to users' questions, in the users' language(s). However, simply providing a help system is not enough; the content must be well structured, properly written, and comprehensive. Novice and expert users must be able to find the information they are looking for quickly and easily.
In addition to increasing user satisfaction with your application, help systems can dramatically reduce calls to your customer support teams.
In fact, high support costs very often can be traced to poor user documentation. If your users cannot solve an issue themselves on the first try, they will pick up the phone and make you solve it for them. Typically, a call to customer support can cost the vendor between $10 and $30, whereas providing an online help system can cost just a few cents per user to maintain and update as needed. Organizations that have invested in quality online help systems realize a significant return on investment (ROI).