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How to create a step-by-step guide: examples and tips
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How to create a step-by-step guide: examples and tips
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What is a step-by-step guide?
Why are step-by-step guides important?
5 benefits of a step-by-step guide
What can step-by-step guides be used for?
How to create a step-by-step guide
Examples of great step-by-step guides
Want to create a step-by-step guide? Follow these steps to build clear, easy-to-follow pathways for any process.
Whether you’re using a new machine, setting up new software, or putting together flat-pack furniture, having a step-by-step guide to hand makes it far easier.
A step-by-step guide (sometimes called a how-to guide) offers crystal-clear instructions complemented by illustrative images, extra information, and just enough detail to complete the task without getting overwhelmed. This bite-sized learning style, delivering just the right amount of intelligence for the task at hand, can reduce support time and speed up employee onboarding.
A step-by-step guide (sometimes called a how-to guide) offers crystal-clear instructions complemented by illustrative images, extra information, and just enough detail to complete the task without getting overwhelmed. This bite-sized learning style, delivering just the right amount of intelligence for the task at hand, can reduce support time and speed up employee onboarding.
What is a step-by-step guide?
A step-by-step guide is a set of instructions designed to walk someone through a specific process, broken down into individual tasks to make it easy to follow.
Typically, a step-by-step guide is a document that includes clear instructions, concise language, and progressive disclosure, which gradually reveals more information to the user to avoid overwhelming them.
Step-by-step guides can be invaluable for both employees and customers. They provide a blueprint that can be shared whenever needed, improving knowledge transfer.
Typically, a step-by-step guide is a document that includes clear instructions, concise language, and progressive disclosure, which gradually reveals more information to the user to avoid overwhelming them.
Step-by-step guides can be invaluable for both employees and customers. They provide a blueprint that can be shared whenever needed, improving knowledge transfer.
Why are step-by-step guides important?
The biggest advantage of a step-by-step guide is its speed and efficiency in imparting information. Many businesses have a big problem with customer and client onboarding times. According to McKinsey, the average time to onboard a new corporate client is 100 days, and 37% of businesses say their employee onboarding programmes last more than a month.
With no time to waste, digital training resources like step-by-step guides are appealing. These aren’t just paper documents or thick PDFs of information that gather dust but evergreen tools for learning.
With no time to waste, digital training resources like step-by-step guides are appealing. These aren’t just paper documents or thick PDFs of information that gather dust but evergreen tools for learning.
5 benefits of a step-by-step guide
- Increase retention: Show new users how your product works and lead them to success.
- Decrease churn: The sooner people engage with your product, the quicker they become active users.
- Promote new features: With a quick get-started guide, you can easily inform your customers about the new features you have released.
- Suitable for all: Some people learn visually, while others prefer audio or the written word. A great step-by-step guide covers all your bases without creating multiple versions of the same content.
- Editable: Your step-by-step guide can be revised and edited repeatedly, offering far more flexibility than a paper document.
What can step-by-step guides be used for?
Step-by-step guides are versatile enough for customer-facing and internal workplace scenarios, including onboarding, training, installations, and troubleshooting.
Step-by-step navigation is an ideal way to deliver the instructions needed to make any end-to-end journeys where there is a specific start and end point, where they must interact with several pieces of guidance, or where it’s helpful to complete tasks within a particular order.
Some common examples include:
Step-by-step navigation is an ideal way to deliver the instructions needed to make any end-to-end journeys where there is a specific start and end point, where they must interact with several pieces of guidance, or where it’s helpful to complete tasks within a particular order.
Some common examples include:
- Installations: A step-by-step guide on how to set up and configure software.
- Troubleshooting: Instructions to help customers solve common issues with a product.
- Navigating: Guides to assist users in finding specific features or services online.
- Onboarding: A guide for new hires to familiarise themselves with company policies and culture, and to help them settle in quickly.
- Product guides: A step-by-step product knowledge guide can ensure that customers are up to speed on new services you’ve released.
- Understanding: For example, clear instructions on how employees can use their benefits.
- Safety: A guide for following compliance procedures in the workplace.
How to create a step-by-step guide
Create a step-by-step guide with an online template that lets you add each step, as well as links, images, and more, to maintain your brand identity. If you’re a Confluence user, we recommend using the Progress Bar macro to create a seamless experience with visuals to indicate a user's progress.
Step 1: Plan your guide
Step 1: Plan your guide
Unsure what your guide should cover? You’ll need to undertake some research to find the real pain points for new employees or customers. You could:
- Ask your support teams what queries they get
- See your site analytics
- Check your FAQ guides
- Ask account managers
- Run a Google search for competitor’s name + issue
- Undertake social listening
- Ask AI to find common complaints in your sector
- Ask team members or current customers
- Look in your CRM
- Speak to HR
- Send out a survey
Step 2: Map the stages
First, name your guide based on its aims, e.g. 'How To Set Up A New User Account' or 'How To Delete A User'. Then, find experts to help support the content writing and work together to map out the best systematic approach.
It can be helpful for an expert to write down every step in the process and for someone else to edit this into a clear and coherent narrative.
It can be helpful for an expert to write down every step in the process and for someone else to edit this into a clear and coherent narrative.
Step 3: Make it visual
You can use a variety of techniques to add appeal. Consider:
- Real-life photos
- Illustrations
- Animations
- Flowcharts
- Self-selection buttons
- Checklists
- Pro tips
- Emojis
- Infographics
- Coloured tiles
- Gifs
- Videos - animations or real life
- Embedded presentations
Step 4: Write with clarity
- As you write, ensure you cover just enough to get the task done
- Make it skimmable with different headers and images
- Consider images as a replacement for bulky text
- Ensure jargon is removed
- Use links wherever you aren’t sure whether to include extra information
- Refine and edit as much as possible
Remove barriers to reading the guide. Phrases to add could include:
- Learn X in just a few minutes…
- Quickly get back up and running…
- It’s easy to do X…
- Take 2 minutes to learn how to…
- We know it can be daunting to try and do X. This guide will walk you through each step...
Step 5: Implement and monitor
Once your guide is ready, implement it in your business, gather feedback, and monitor its success.
- Are users able to complete the task at hand efficiently?
- Are there any steps that need further clarification?
- How long does it take for a user to complete a task with the guide?
- Are users exploring internal links?
Regularly reviewing and updating the guide ensures its continued effectiveness.
Examples of great step-by-step guides
1. Trello
- Trello makes use of icons, colours, and fonts to add visual appeal.
- The headline 'Be A Trello Expert in 9 Easy Steps' immediately grabs attention. The body copy ‘Turn Into A Trello Champion’ is an example of a subtle way to break down barriers to learning.
- Features include additional resources, easy-to-navigate tabbed chapters, and practical tips & tricks.
2. Shark
- Self-selection buttons help users troubleshoot in a way that’s easy to digest and makes them feel they’re getting immediate answers to their issue.
- Real-life imagery of a physical product makes it easy for users to see the issue and diagnose faults.
3. Go Army
- A box layout with links to further information breaks down a complex process.
- Information is condensed with plenty of links to provide a straightforward journey, and the boxes stop it from being an intimidating wall of content.
4. Zoom
- Zoom uses basic headers (such as ‘how to’) to answer questions in just a few lines of text.
- Guides don't have to be wordy - Zoom proves brevity can be effective, while simple visuals and minimal colours keep the focus on the content and the user.
5. B2B Broker
- Using various colours, images, and font styles make this guide visually appealing.
- The graphics aren’t just for looks, however. The detailed images enhance understanding of complex processes and replace words.
6. Monday.com
- A tabbed view and animated GIFs make tricky concepts easier to understand.
- The friendly, action-based instructions make tasks feel more achievable for even a new user.
Step-by-step guides are powerful tools for both internal and external use. They improve productivity, reduce errors, and enhance users' overall experience. Whether onboarding employees or guiding customers through a new product, a well-crafted guide can make all the difference.
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