Re: Resistance to allowing anonymous web access to online help?

[John G <john -at- garisons -dot- com>]

Our situation is somewhat similar to Sharon's in that we have an enterprise
product that is highly technical and complex, and is in the health sciences
area. Our customers can access our help when they use the product but it
takes two clicks the way it is currently set up. While our help is pretty
good, I know many people's first reaction is to use Google to search ...
And honestly, I think Google might provide a better search experience than
the one that comes with our help tool.

We, too, use Google analytics to monitor our whole help system
(many hundreds of pages if not more) and it is very helpful to us in seeing
what people search for, and how they move though our system. But looking at
the data indicates to me that if google were handling the searches, the
results might be better. First and foremost, I think it would increase
usage of our help.

Not having a Googleable version to do a side-by-side comparison test with
makes this hard to prove, but people are more familiar with how Google
works, especially when crafting complicated Boolean searches
with ANDs, ORs, and NOTs which our built-in search doesn't support. Not to
mention that they have to actually get into our Help system before they can
start to search whereas they can use Google without having to do that.

Much of the resistance comes from the product owners. The company president
has said he supports open system access to help, but has yet to issue
instructions to everyone to do so. We are trying to approach the issue from
as many fronts as possible, but my fear is that minds have been made up and
a fiat may be the only way to get beyond the current stalemate. I
appreciate the ideas everyone has put forward and we'll be trying them all
out!

Thanks,

JG



On Sunday, June 19, 2016, Sharon Burton <sharon -at- anthrobytes -dot- com> wrote:

> I truly have no more technical details for you. This was handed to me and
> it works so my priorities have been elsewhere. I'm sorry.
>
> Sent from my iPhone
> 951-202-0813
> I am available when online thru Skype at Sharon.v.burton.
>
> > On Jun 19, 2016, at 2:01 PM, Robert Lauriston <robert -at- lauriston -dot- com
> <javascript:;>> wrote:
> >
> > What web server do you use?
> >
> >> On Sun, Jun 19, 2016 at 1:55 PM, Sharon Burton <sharon -at- anthrobytes -dot- com
> <javascript:;>> wrote:
> >> I don't know how it was set up as it was done before I started working
> here.
> >>
> >> But when I started working here, the analytics only tracked a small
> percentage of the total pages. Now, we track all help pages. It's a
> gigantic source of information we're just starting to take action on.
> >>
> >> After implementing a CCMS and changing almost every process for
> creating and releasing our post-sales docs.
> >>
> >> I'm speaking about what we did and how we're doing it  at lavacon in
> the fall with my boss, if you're going to the conference and want to up
> vote our presentations.
> >>
> >> Sent from my iPhone
> >> 951-202-0813
> >> I am available when online thru Skype at Sharon.v.burton.
> >>
> >>> On Jun 19, 2016, at 1:31 PM, Robert Lauriston <robert -at- lauriston -dot- com
> <javascript:;>> wrote:
> >>>
> >>> How do you use Google Analytics on a secure site? Some plugin to the
> web server?
> >>>
> >>>> On Sun, Jun 19, 2016 at 1:04 PM, Sharon Burton <
> sharon -at- anthrobytes -dot- com <javascript:;>> wrote:
> >>>> ... we have a cloud based system and the help can't be seen until you
> log in to use the system.
> >>>>
> >>>> But I also use google analytics to see how and how much my customers
> use the help. The answer is a lot. A lot a lot.
> >>>>
> >>>> We're using that information to improve our help on many levels. ...
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