| There are several main reasons why putting your | | | | frames and will finally reload the current page in the |
| software manual on-line is necessary. It makes your | | | | appropriate frame. So the user will see the target |
| web-site attractive for search engine crawlers and | | | | page along with other elements of the web site. Such |
| therefore brings you targeted traffic from Google, | | | | dynamic redirection works for real visitors but doesn't |
| Yahoo!, MSN, and other search engines. A good online | | | | work for web spiders that will crawl your online help |
| manual makes your product serious and credible. | | | | pages. Most of them cannot parse JavaScript code |
| Moreover, if a user faces difficulty using your software | | | | and therefore cannot access menus to jump to other |
| and asks for technical support, you may easily resolve | | | | pages of your manual. For search engines your online |
| the issue by referring that user to a certain page of | | | | manual's pages will look like separate files that are not |
| your online help. Simply give the page's URL. With just | | | | linked to each other, or to the corporate web site. As |
| one click the user will see screenshots and | | | | a result, your help pages will receive lowest page rank |
| explanations which will help them to settle the case. | | | | and will be shown in the end of the list when someone |
| Many software vendors, from large companies to | | | | is looking for related info on a search engine. Almost all |
| independent developers, clearly understand these | | | | SEO and web design gurus recommend avoiding |
| reasons. They made their help systems a part of their | | | | frames and put both menu and content into a single |
| web sites by aiming to attract more prospects and to | | | | HTML file. |
| generate more sales. But even a sketchy analysis of a | | | | Use direct links, not redirect scripts |
| dozen manuals available online discloses a bunch of | | | | Like frames, using JavaScript in menu is another no-no |
| common mistakes which may reduce the effect of | | | | for creating an online manual for your software. Using |
| this very powerful tool. The main reason of the | | | | regular URLs in menu links instead of JavaScript |
| mistakes is incorrectly considering an online manual as | | | | redirecting helps web crawlers properly index your |
| a standalone document that user can download or | | | | online manual and rank its pages higher. |
| read on the web site. The right approach is to make | | | | Assign unique addresses to help pages |
| your help a part of your web site. This is a pretty | | | | And the third important technical aspect of online help |
| simple task if you follow these rules: | | | | authoring is page address format. One of key rules of |
| Make pages! Not a file | | | | search engine optimization (SEO) implies to use static |
| The most common mistake I noticed on many | | | | pages with unique permanent addresses without |
| software vendors' web sites is that they offer their | | | | parameters in them. A page with address |
| manual in a single file: PDF, CHM, RTF, etc. Certainly it | | | | installation.htm is usually ranked higher than the same |
| may be very convenient for users to download a | | | | page with address page.php?id=348. Take this fact |
| product manual file and use it on the desktop, | | | | into account. |
| especially if the manual is too large to be included in | | | | Give screenshots |
| the software setup package. But having an online | | | | Although one of your aims is to attract search engine's |
| manual is not the same as having a manual online. Feel | | | | web robots that like words you should not forget |
| the difference! | | | | about real visitors who like pictures. A picture is worth |
| It's very smart to allow users to download a complete | | | | a thousand words. Give as many juicy screenshots of |
| manual as a single file. However a file may attract just | | | | your software as possible. This will help current users |
| a few new visitors from search engines, even if their | | | | understand better how your software works and will |
| crawlers are able to index your PDF or RTF. Also the | | | | help prospects to see how it looks before downloading |
| file is almost useless for your technical support needs. | | | | a trial or demo copy. Make your screenshots clear. |
| For instance, you may not point users to certain | | | | Explain what each window does and how its controls |
| sections of your help system by simply giving them | | | | and elements work. Use callouts, balloons, and special |
| direct URL links. Hence to get the maximum effect out | | | | marks. Try to stuff as much info into the screenshots |
| of your help system you should make it a part of your | | | | as possible. A reader must look at them and say |
| web site. Split the manual into many pages and | | | | "Great! Now I know how it works." |
| convert them into HTML. Almost all serious help | | | | Make pages printable |
| authoring software allows exporting your help file into | | | | Most likely users would like to print out a certain part of |
| HTML format. Each page must contain a certain | | | | your online help. Sometimes design that looks great on |
| section or a chapter of your manual. Many pages | | | | the display is awful when printed even on a good |
| which are relatively small are easier for reading, | | | | printer. Make sure that your manual's pages are |
| navigation, and bookmarking. You nevertheless must | | | | printable in black and white at least on the two most |
| keep the balance. Don't make a lot of little dinky pages | | | | popular paper sizes: A4 and Letter. Check if there are |
| that people must roam through to make up a required | | | | no big pictures, no color background, the fonts are |
| solution. Each page should completely cover a certain | | | | easy to read, all the content fits the page width, and so |
| topic enough to solve a certain task. Furthermore, a | | | | on. |
| page with topical content is perfect bait for search | | | | Make your help easily reachable |
| engine crawlers. | | | | So you have your help pages completed and even |
| Follow common style | | | | uploaded to the web server. How to make them |
| Well, you have exported your help file into a set of | | | | visible to web spiders and to live visitors of your web |
| HTML pages and are ready to upload them to your | | | | site? Most of the software vendors make the same |
| server. Stop! Check the look of the pages. The set | | | | mistake. They thought that the manual is something |
| must follow the common style identified by the | | | | unimportant that nobody needs. They hide the help |
| corporate identity. | | | | section so deep in the website that a visitor has to |
| The modern help authoring tools allow customizing | | | | make a dozen clicks to reach the help index page. |
| appearance of pages by means of CSS or visual | | | | This is wrong! Your manual is important and must be |
| template collections. The online manual must | | | | reachable in two to three clicks. The best approach is |
| correspond to your web site style. Use the same color | | | | to place several links to your manual in different |
| themes, fonts, and corporate graphics. Otherwise, the | | | | sections of your web site: on product description page, |
| whole project will look like a patchwork quilt. This is not | | | | on support page, and on download page. These are |
| good; it's far better to look steady, well-managed, and | | | | the pages where users expect to find an online help |
| consistent. | | | | most of all. Show them your help-authoring |
| "Where am I?" or don't ignore navigation | | | | masterpiece. |
| Following common style is not just using the same | | | | Make your online manual searchable |
| colors and fonts. To plug manual's pages into the web | | | | If your software is complicated and its help includes |
| site structure you must add the top level navigation into | | | | hundreds or even thousands of pages then you must |
| them. Use the same top level menu that you use on all | | | | add search capabilities to your online manual. From a |
| pages of the site. | | | | user's point of view it's more convenient to search a |
| There are two key benefits of this technique. First, this | | | | required topic by keywords rather than to look through |
| also makes your web site appear solid, consistent, and | | | | the endless list of topics in menu. The easiest way is |
| well-thought-out and therefore works for your | | | | adding a third-party search script to your online manual. |
| business credibility. Secondly, the top level navigation | | | | For instance, Google offers Free WebSearch script |
| menu will bring new targeted leads from your manual | | | | that you can copy-paste into your HTML code to |
| pages to your product main pages. The prospects that | | | | allow people searching within your site. However you |
| have come from search engines are likely looking for | | | | won't have full control over the third-party scripts and |
| specific task solutions that probably are described in | | | | their search results may confuse you and your users. |
| your online help. Then they will want to know more | | | | It's better to write your own search script on which |
| about the product that offers that solution. Put under | | | | you will have total control. You can customize it |
| their nose direct links to the software description page, | | | | according to your needs at any moment. This |
| to the trial download area, to the pricing and ordering | | | | top-notch technique requires significant efforts and |
| info, and to the main page of your web site. Let them | | | | may cost some money if you decide to outsource it. |
| know more about your company. Let them know | | | | But the result is that you will have a powerful |
| about your software. Let them download it. Let them | | | | information resource that will effectively work for you |
| buy it. | | | | and for your business. |
| Besides offering prospects a toplevel menu, you must | | | | Create a word map of your help |
| provide them with an easy way to navigate among | | | | Make a special Index page that contains all the |
| sections of the manual itself. People feel more secure | | | | significant words with direct links to the pages where |
| if they see the table of contents along with the page | | | | these words are encountered. The Index page has |
| content. Through this internal menu they may easily | | | | two main functions. Firstly, it simplifies the topic search |
| realize where they are and what related topics exist, | | | | by keyword for users. Secondly, the Index page will |
| and easily jump there. | | | | serve as a map of your online help for web spiders |
| Avoid frames | | | | and will assist them to crawl all the pages of your |
| At first glance, using frames seems the perfect way | | | | manual. |
| to organize the internal menu of the help. Certainly | | | | Make your help extendable |
| frames are convenient for web site programming and | | | | You may be surprised but the online help may be live. |
| maintenance because you may keep your menu in a | | | | You can make it a center of an online community. Just |
| single file and show it in a separate frame. | | | | allow your software users to extend your help pages |
| Nevertheless, there are several disadvantages to using | | | | themselves. A good example is PHP online |
| frames in your online help. When a visitor comes from | | | | documentation. It allows users to post their comments, |
| a search engine to one of your help pages, they will | | | | code samples, and recommendations. Each page |
| see only that page's content but will see neither | | | | contains tons of valuable information contributed by |
| top-level navigation nor online manual menus because | | | | users. This is a perfect example of how boring |
| they were intended to be shown in other frame | | | | documentation may form a live community and |
| windows. So the people who come from external | | | | promote the product accordingly. |
| pages will fail to easily jump to other sections of your | | | | To summarize the above tips: You must consider your |
| web site and to read about your products and related | | | | manual as an important part of your business model. |
| services. | | | | This is just a set of general recommendations how to |
| If you still prefer to use frames then you must use a | | | | get the maximum effect out of your online help. Most |
| workaround. One of the approaches is to plug a | | | | of the techniques are pretty easy to implement if you |
| special JavaScript code into every page of your web | | | | use good help authoring software. Apply this advice |
| site. The script will determine if the page is showing in | | | | and make your customers feel happy, increase your |
| the frame or in the browser's main window. If there is | | | | web site visibility, attract new prospects, and generate |
| no frame detected then the script will build the frame | | | | new sales. |
| structure, will load the menu pages in the corresponding | | | | |