7 Tips for Making Your Video Knowledge Base User-Friendly

You know the feeling—you click into a video knowledge base expecting quick answers, but instead, you’re met with a chaotic mess. The videos are either too long or too short, the search function doesn’t work properly, and you’re left scrolling endlessly or clicking through unrelated content. 

It’s like being lost in a digital jungle with no map. And you’re not alone; this is a widespread issue that many users face.

The real kicker? This confusion doesn’t just frustrate customers. It also sends them running straight to your customer support, clogging up phone lines and flooding inboxes. That’s more work for your team, longer wait times for other customers, and let’s not even talk about the hit your brand reputation takes when people can’t find the help they need.

Here’s the bottom line: A well-designed, user-friendly video knowledge base doesn’t just make life easier for your customers. It also cuts down on support tickets and boosts customer satisfaction. 

So let’s dive deep into understanding how to create a user-friendly video knowledge base.

Table of Contents

• 7 Tips to Create a User-Friendly Video Knowledge Base
• Elevate your knowledge base with user-centric features

7 Tips to Create a User-Friendly Video Knowledge Base

From ineffective search features to accessibility issues, these challenges can turn your well-intended resource into a user’s nightmare.

Here are 7 tips for fixing the most common challenges you’ll face with a video knowledge base:

Video Knowledge Base Tip 1: Clear Visual Cues

The Problem:

Videos often contain a wealth of information, but key points can easily be missed without visual cues to guide the viewer’s attention. This is especially true for complex or detailed subjects where the viewer needs to focus on specific elements.

Examples:

• In a software tutorial, a visual cue can highlight where to click to access a particular feature.
• During a product demo, arrows or circles can emphasize the product’s key features.
• In a troubleshooting video, color-coded text can indicate steps, warnings, and tips.

Why It’s a Big Deal:

Visual cues act as signposts that guide the viewer through the video, making it easier to follow and understand. They can help break down complex information into digestible chunks and emphasize key points that shouldn’t be missed.

Solution: Incorporate Clear and Effective Visual Cues

Here’s how you go about it:

Types of Visual Cues

Use a variety of visual cues such as arrows, circles, highlights, and zoom effects to guide the viewer’s attention. Choose the type of visual cue based on the content. For instance, use arrows for directional cues and highlights for emphasizing text or numbers.

Timing and Synchronization

Ensure that visual cues appear at the precise moment they are relevant. For example, an arrow should appear just as the narrator mentions the button to be clicked. Use editing software that allows you to synchronize visual cues with the audio or script. Test multiple times to ensure perfect timing.

Color and Contrast

Use colors that stand out against the background but are not too jarring. The goal is to attract attention without distracting from the overall content. Keep accessibility in mind by choosing colors that are distinguishable by those with color vision deficiencies.

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Video Knowledge Base Tip 2: Closed Captions

The Problem:

The absence of closed captions can limit the reach and effectiveness of your video content, excluding potential users and diminishing the user experience.

By not offering closed captions, organizations risk alienating a substantial portion of their audience and may even fall afoul of accessibility laws and regulations. Moreover, they miss out on the opportunity to enhance comprehension and engagement for all viewers, regardless of their hearing ability or language proficiency.

Examples:

• A user who is deaf can fully understand a technical tutorial thanks to accurate closed captions.
• A viewer can use closed captions if they forgot their headset and avoid disturbing others around them with the volume.
• A non-native English speaker can better understand industry jargon through reading captions.

Why It’s a Big Deal:

Closed captions are not just an accessibility feature; they’re a tool that can enhance comprehension and extend the reach of your content to a global audience.

Solution: Implement High-Quality Closed Captions

Here’s how you go about it:

Accurate Transcription

Ensure that the captions are a verbatim representation of the spoken words, including important nuances and technical terms. Consider using specialized transcription services for content that includes industry jargon or complex terminology.

Real-Time Synchronization

The captions should appear in real-time as the words are spoken, without any noticeable lag. Utilize time-coding to ensure that captions are perfectly synchronized with the audio, enhancing the viewer’s understanding and engagement.

User Customization

Allow users to customize the appearance of captions, including font, size, and color, to suit their viewing preferences. Offer a preview option so users can see how their customization choices will appear during playback.

Inclusion of Non-Spoken Elements

Include descriptions of relevant non-spoken audio elements, such as [laughter], [applause], or [background music]. Use square brackets or another distinct visual method to differentiate these descriptions from spoken content.

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Video Knowledge Base Tip 3: Timestamps for Sections

The Problem:

Videos in a knowledge base often cover multiple topics or steps, making it challenging for users to find the specific information they need. Without timestamps for sections, users are forced to manually scrub through the video, which can be time-consuming and frustrating. This lack of easy navigation can lead to lower engagement and a subpar user experience.

Examples:

• A 20-minute tutorial video covers installation, basic features, and advanced settings. Without timestamps, a user wanting to know only about advanced settings has to skim through the entire video.
• A product FAQ video addresses multiple questions, but a viewer interested in just one question has no way to jump directly to that section.
• A troubleshooting video covers five different issues. A user experiencing only one of those issues has to waste time watching unrelated content.

Why It’s a Big Deal:

Timestamps act as a “table of contents” for your video, allowing users to jump directly to the content that’s most relevant to them. This enhances user satisfaction and makes your video content more accessible and user-friendly.

Solution: Implement Timestamps for Sections

Clearly Defined Sections

Break down your video into logical sections or chapters, each covering a specific topic or step. Use on-screen text or visual cues to indicate the start of a new section, making it easier for users to follow along.

Clickable Timestamps

Provide clickable timestamps in the video description that allow users to jump directly to different sections. Test the timestamps to ensure they lead to the exact starting point of each section, not a few seconds before or after.

On-Screen Timestamps

Display the timestamps on the video timeline, allowing users to hover over them to see what each section covers. Make sure these on-screen timestamps are easily visible but not intrusive, so they don’t distract from the video content.

User Engagement

Use analytics to track how often users are clicking on timestamps, which can provide insights into what sections are most relevant to your audience. Regularly tweak the timestamps if the video content is updated or expanded, ensuring they remain accurate and useful.

Video Knowledge Base Tip 4: Convert Video to Interactive or Downloadable Text

The Problem:

While videos are an excellent medium for conveying complex information, they’re not always the most convenient format for every user. Whether it’s a noisy environment, a personal preference for reading, or data limitations, there are various reasons why someone might opt for a text-based version of your content.

Examples:

• A user is in a noisy airport who can’t hear the video well, even with headphones.
• Another user is on a limited data plan and doesn’t want to use up their data on a video.
• Some users may have learning preferences that make text-based information easier to absorb and review later.

Why It’s a Big Deal:

Flexibility is key in user experience. Offering multiple ways to consume the same content not only increases accessibility but also enhances user satisfaction. It shows that you’re considerate of varying user needs, which can lead to higher engagement and loyalty.

Solution: Offer a Convert-to-Text Feature with Interactive Highlights

Here’s how you go about it:

Text Conversion
Implement a feature that allows the entire video to be converted into a text-based format. This could be a downloadable document or a webpage that the user can refer to.

Utilize advanced speech-to-text algorithms to ensure the transcription is accurate. Offer the option to view this text alongside the video for a multi-modal learning experience.

Interactive Highlights

As the video progresses, the corresponding section of the text is highlighted in real-time. This allows users to follow along with the video or quickly locate specific sections in the text.

The highlighting should be smooth and well-timed with the video’s audio. Consider using color-coding or other visual cues to indicate different types of content, such as instructions, explanations, or key points.

Downloadable Format

Allow users to download the text in various formats, such as PDF, Word, or plain text. This enables them to read offline or even print the material for future reference.

Include any charts, graphs, or other visual aids from the video as supplementary material in the text document. Make sure these are also accessible and well-labeled.

User Control

Make this feature optional and easily toggled on or off. Not every user will want or need a text version, so it should be easy to switch between formats.

Additional Tips: Offer a brief tutorial or a tooltip that pops up the first time a user encounters this feature, explaining its benefits and how to use it effectively.

Video Knowledge Base Tip 5: Variable Playback Speed

The Problem:

Not every user has the same learning pace or time constraints. Some may need to slow down the video to absorb complex information, while others may want to speed it up to quickly get to the point they’re interested in.

Examples:

• A user who’s new to the subject matter may need to slow down the video to fully grasp the concepts being discussed. 
• An experienced user should speed through familiar content to get to the specific information they’re seeking.
• Some users may want to review content at a faster speed as a form of revision.

Why It’s a Big Deal:

Customization enhances user experience. By giving users control over the playback speed, you’re allowing them to consume content in a way that suits their individual needs, which can lead to better understanding and retention.

Solution: Implement Variable Playback Speed

Range of Speed Options

Offer a range of speeds, from 0.5x for those who need more time to absorb the content, up to 2x or even 3x for those who want to skim through.

Make sure the audio quality remains clear at all speeds. Test different speed options to ensure that both the video and audio synchronize well.

Easy-to-Find Controls

Place the speed control button in an easily accessible location on the video player interface, such as next to the volume or settings controls.

Use intuitive icons or labels like a turtle for slower speeds and a hare for faster speeds to make the feature self-explanatory.

Save User Preferences

Allow the platform to remember a user’s preferred playback speed for future videos, making the experience more seamless.

Give users the option to set different default speeds for different types of content, such as tutorials, overviews, or deep dives.

Video Knowledge Base Tip 6: Multi-Language Support for Sections in Video

The Problem:

Without multi-language support for sections, you risk alienating a significant portion of your potential audience. This lack of inclusivity can lead to reduced user engagement, lower customer satisfaction, and missed opportunities for global reach.

Examples:

• A Spanish-speaking user wants to learn about a specific feature covered in your English-only video tutorial. Without multi-language support, they may struggle to understand the content or abandon the video altogether.
• A Japanese customer is interested in troubleshooting steps for a product. If the video sections are not available in Japanese, they may have to rely on inaccurate auto-translations or seek information elsewhere.
• A French-speaking user wants to jump to a specific section in a long FAQ video. Without French-language timestamps, they have to manually scrub through the video, leading to a frustrating experience.

Why It’s a Big Deal:

Multi-language support for sections not only makes your video knowledge base more accessible but also broadens its appeal to a global audience. This can lead to increased user engagement, customer loyalty, and potential market growth.

Solution: Implement Multi-Language Support for Sections

Here’s how to go about it:

Accurate Translations

Ensure that each section and its corresponding timestamp are accurately translated into multiple languages. Use professional translation services to ensure linguistic and cultural accuracy. Avoid relying solely on automated translation tools, which can be imprecise.

User-Friendly Language Selection

Provide an intuitive language selection menu that allows users to easily switch between different languages for both the video and its sections. Place the language selection menu in a prominent, easily accessible location, such as near the video controls or at the top of the description.

Localized User Interface

In addition to translating the video sections, also localize the user interface elements like buttons, tooltips, and menus. Ensure that the localized interface is fully functional and provides the same user experience as the original language.

Cultural Sensitivity

Be aware of cultural nuances and sensitivities when translating content. What works in one language or culture may not be appropriate in another. Consult with cultural experts or native speakers to ensure that your translations are not only linguistically accurate but also culturally appropriate.

Video Knowledge Base Tip 7: Make It Mobile-Friendly

The Problem:

We live in a mobile-first world, yet many video knowledge bases seem stuck in the desktop era. Lack of mobile responsiveness can make navigating the knowledge base on a smartphone or tablet a frustrating experience.

Examples:

• Videos that don’t adjust to fit the mobile screen, requiring users to scroll horizontally.
• Text that’s too small to read on a mobile device, making users pinch and zoom constantly.
• Buttons or links that are too close together, making it difficult to tap the right one.

Why It’s a Big Deal:

A significant portion of users will access your knowledge base via mobile devices. If the mobile experience is poor, you risk alienating a large part of your audience. This can lead to increased support tickets and lower customer satisfaction.

Solution: Make It Mobile-Friendly

Here’s how you go about it:

Responsive Design

Adopt a responsive design framework that automatically adjusts the layout based on the device’s screen size. This ensures that whether a user is on a smartphone, tablet, or desktop, the content scales appropriately. Use media queries in your CSS to fine-tune the experience for different screen sizes.

Readable Text

Opt for a legible font and a minimum font size of 16 pixels for body text to ensure that users can read without squinting or zooming.

Touch-Friendly Buttons

Increase the size of buttons and ensure adequate spacing between clickable elements to prevent misclicks. Use visual cues like color contrast or shadows to make buttons more noticeable.

Test Extensively

Don’t just assume that your design is mobile-friendly—test it. Use tools like Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test and real devices to ensure that the user experience is consistent across the board. Consider conducting user testing sessions specifically focused on the mobile experience to gather direct feedback

Elevate your knowledge base with user-centric features

Incorporating these user-centric features and practices isn’t just about making your video knowledge base more ‘user-friendly.’ It’s about creating a resource that empowers your users, addresses their diverse needs, and ultimately, drives your business forward. So, take the first step today and transform your video knowledge base into a powerful, user-friendly tool that adds value to your customer experience.

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