Elevating your Knowledge Portal: 9 Must-have features

Looking to empower your employees or customers with easy access to valuable information? A well-designed knowledge portal can be a game-changer. A feature-rich Knowledge Portal offers a multitude of benefits that enhance the user experience and drive productivity.

As the cornerstone of your knowledge management strategy, your knowledge portal should be a beacon of efficiency, a wellspring of information, and a hub for seamless answers to common questions. It should serve as a hub where individuals can find solutions to problems, and share insights with colleagues and peers.

It’s just knowledge, do I really need all these features?

A knowledge portal is only as effective as the features it offers and the experience it provides to its users. In this blog post, we’ll explore why your knowledge portal should incorporate eight essential features, each contributing to a more user-friendly, informative, and productive environment for your audience.

From ease of search to engaging aesthetics, valuable widgets and interactive feedback options. These features are not just enhancements; they are the keys to unlocking the full potential of your knowledge portal.

Let’s explore why these features are not just nice-to-haves but essential components that can define the success of your knowledge strategy.

The 9 must-have knowledge portal features

  1. Aesthetic appeal: Visual appeal matters. A well-designed portal makes visitors feel comfortable and engaged. A clean and attractive interface can increase the time users spend on your portal and encourage them to return for more information.
  2. Company branding: A consistent visual representation across all your digital assets, including the knowledge portal, instills trust and familiarity in users. This can lead to increased knowledge consumption and user satisfaction.
  3. Ease of Search: An advanced search engine with filters and keyword suggestions can save time and frustration, ensuring that users always land on the right page. Your search engine should be capable of searching the title, article content, and any meta that’s been added by the author.
  4. Featured, Most Useful, and Most Viewed widgets: Highlighting featured, most useful, and most viewed articles helps users discover high-value content. It guides them toward the information that others have found valuable, reducing search time and increasing user satisfaction.
  5. User Feedback and Star Ratings: Allowing visitors to leave feedback or star ratings on articles fosters user engagement and trust. It also provides valuable insights for continuous improvement, as you can identify which articles are performing well and which may need updates or revisions.
  6. Article Suggestions: Suggesting related articles can keep users engaged and provide them with a more holistic understanding of a topic. This feature ensures that users don’t miss out on relevant information that could benefit them.
  7. Option to create a support request: Sometimes, users can’t find the answers they’re looking for. Make it easy for them to log a support request directly from the knowledge portal. A seamless transition from self-service to assisted support is crucial for user satisfaction.
  8. Filtering results: Empower users with the ability to filter search results. Filters can include content type, date, popularity, and relevance. Providing these options lets users customise their search experience, making it more efficient and productive.
  9. Social sharing: Encourage knowledge sharing. Include a link or button that enables users to easily share articles with their colleagues. This not only spreads knowledge but also promotes your portal’s usability.

A well-crafted knowledge portal with these essential features offers immense benefits, ranging from improved user experience and efficiency to enhanced collaboration and knowledge dissemination.

It’s a strategic investment that can boost employee and customer satisfaction while streamlining access to vital information.

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Written by Trevor Petrie

Trevor Petrie is a Knowledge Management Specialist, Accredited Lean Practitioner and Certified ServiceNow Administrator. Connect on LinkedIn or view Trevor's ServiceNow Resume.