If we consider what elements constitute the “look and feel” of any website, we’ll see that these elements mainly form an atmosphere or a vibe, which can be either attractive or not, or form a special opinion and prejudice even before potential customers have tried any of your services. This is also referred to your Zendesk Guide.
Let’s see exactly what constitutes the look and feel of your Zendesk Guide.
The following elements of help center design are parts of the overall “look”:
- Layout, composition and structure:
- Space, which dictates readability and flow and is a part of help center design
- Smart and simple navigation, which is always there to help users find something in your Zendesk Guide
- Visible and easily accessible search bars
- A resourceful footer, which ideally should be exactly like the one on your official website
- General design and style - corporate colors and the same vibe of your brand throughout the help center
- Appropriate images and icons
- Font choices
The “feel” of your Zendesk Guide can be created by paying attention to the following characteristics:
- Speed, movement, special effects and response of any dynamic elements, such as dropdown menus, forms, buttons and so on
- Sound notifications or effects
- Page load time
How do the components of your website’s “look & feel” affect the users of your Zendesk Guide?
To answer the question above, it’s easier to draw a parallel with something simple and clear to everybody. Think of a play in a theatre; the actors, set design and music create and evoke a certain atmosphere and feelings, impressions and emotions in you, and they create an experience that could be positive, negative or neutral. Based on this experience, you will be either satisfied or not, you will recommend this play to others or not.
Hence, atmosphere is a big part of an overall experience, which SELLS. The look and feel of your Zendesk Guide is no different and has the same qualities as those listed above.
Why do you need branding and customizing of Zendesk pages?
If a stage set looks poor, you form an opinion about the director and producers of this play; they are seen as being cheap. If we think of a standard help center design, which the users have seen hundreds of times before, their judgments about the entire business will not be as serious as the judgments about the producers of the play. However, if you want to stand out and make the best impression that you possibly can, it’s better to consider customizing your Zendesk pages too.
Creating the RIGHT impression
The very first thing a suitable look and feel will do to your Zendesk Guide is create the right impression, and it’s so important to form a general opinion about your professionalism in your business niche.
If you have a law firm or a financial business, you need to present your business as smart, professional, official and like “nothing else”.
On the other hand, if your business is related to entertainment or the artistic industry, you need to demonstrate your potential in every creative detail on your business card, website and help center.
Remember, the quality of your presence on the internet speaks on behalf of your level of service on its own.
Specific topics require specific packaging
If you have a specific topic listed in your Zendesk Guide or a specific business niche, then it’s even more important to highlight their distinctiveness through special design.
Making it fun
Furthermore, if you want to increase the engagement of your users, it’s worth adding some fun visuals to the help center design. Then it will be easier to create a closer emotional bond with your audience.
Ideal solution for your Zendesk Guide
Generally speaking, Zendesk Guide branding and customization is the best solution; it allows you to achieve a correct and, even more importantly, a consistent look and feel throughout the help center and main website pages for your customers.
An ideal Zendesk help center design should convey a look and feel that would be typical of your industry and your values so that the customer may feel the right vibe (official, fun, reliable, trustworthy, truly creative business and so forth) even without reading a single word on your web pages. In this case, you will win over your audience with their first impression of your company by presenting yourself as a true business guru of this niche!