Why should it matter if you change something in the visual representation of your help center? Wouldn’t it be a waste of money, or a CX manager’s aesthetic caprice? Isn’t it more important to just update the text content and make sure you have a stable interface, and not make any other additions? Well, our clients say “no,” loud and clear.
"We needed a massive visual overhaul of our help center without involving our IT team, which is busy these days."
Maxime from Le Petit Ballon
"We needed a whole new design for our Help Center and Lotus gave us a great new look at a good price."
Ryan Beardsley Easyship
There’s profit to be made in redesigning a help center. We take it from the most trusted opinion leaders — CX experts — and rely on our own observations to meet our clients' business needs.
Before beginning to implement modifications, don't forget that changing an interface is a double-edged sword. When you do it too often, it can cause pushback, but if you don't do it enough, your customers can forget you forever.
Here are five reasons why it’s essential to refresh your help center design:
1. Self-service is gaining popularity
Of course, a help center, like the company’s website, should not be a motley and flashy tapestry of promotions and seasonal banners. That said, its visual appearance should also not be cast by the wayside. The research has shown us that customers increasingly prefer to help themselves instead of using traditional service solutions like call centers or offline meeting platforms. With that in mind, don't hesitate to upgrade the look of your support website — it’s definitely not invisible; just be consistent and appropriate throughout all your channels.
The help center page of Easyship by Lotus Themes.
2. Visuals rule the market
Why? Because 60% of people are visual learners, and the help center, as a know-how base, should not lag behind in that department. It is one of the touchpoints of communication with your customers. Many help center owners use infographics, illustrations, videos, emojis, and memes (depending on trends) while freshening up their content and its display on a consistent basis.
The help center page of Loom by Lotus Themes.
3. The most precious of them all: Gen Z customers
Gen Zers are pretty judgemental when they see that something is stagnating. Whether at home in the digital realm or in the flesh at a store, Gen Zers get fatigued. Of course, dynamism is more about your company’s home page (oriented towards sales) than it is about the consulting page of your help center. But, don’t forget that Gen Zers don’t just buy products, they buy the brand’s communication style. So, make no mistake that they’ll be checking out your self-service page and will be disappointed to find it's outdated.
Help center page of Le Petit Ballon by Lotus Themes
4. Changes should be synchronized
Once you do rebranding or change your main website, don't forget about your help center design. The self-service page is not an appendix to communication channels—it is an important part of the system. As a result, your main site, social media platform, or phone calls to the support department can and should always forward you there.
How to build a help center capable of reducing tickets?
Read the white paper and learn how to make the most of your self-service.
5. A glance into a UX future
If you’re asking yourself Do I need to refresh the help center? and How should I do it?, check out trends in UX design and info on the customer experience. Did you know, for example, that US consumers choose AR technologies while also looking for support solutions? So do some basic analytics and try to answer the question — is your help center design trendy enough?
We hope we can encourage you to refresh your help center. If you’re curious to know more, don't hesitate to contact us and we’ll personally guide you.
