Wiki vs knowledge base compared: which is right for me?

What is a knowledge base?

What is the difference between a knowledge base and a wiki?

Wiki vs knowledge base: pros and cons of each

Advantages of a wiki

• Simple to learn: A wiki’s simple 'edit and save' functionality allows users to add information without getting bogged down in formatting details.
  
  
• Collaborative: One of the main advantages of a wiki is that it isn’t controlled and, therefore, doesn’t need to be managed and updated by one person or team. If you need some control, wikis can be 'semi-protected' or fully protected, where only certain people can access change pages.
  
  
• Keeps users connected: Because a wiki can be edited, employees who work together on wiki pages and topics can learn from each other and connect.
  
  
• Provides rich information: Many people can collaborate to share their learnings, opinions, and supporting information, making the results richer and potentially more useful.
  
  
• Responsive: As the workload is spread, changes are made fast. There’s no need to wait around for someone else to action your suggested changes.
  
  
• Version history: A tracked history means information is preserved, and changes can be undone if required.
  
  

Disadvantages of a wiki

• Potentially unreliable: Because a wiki is collaborative, it can’t always be trusted as a resource. Anyone with access can edit the content, meaning false or unhelpful information can be added through foul play or misunderstanding.
  
  
• Can be seen as untrustworthy: While editors can reference sources, users may not have confidence that the information is legitimate.
  
  
• Not always created with end users in mind: Jargon and technical terms may be included without further explanation, which can be confusing to end users less in the know.
  
  
• Confusing to navigate: A wiki can be really hard to navigate, and some topics may not have enough coverage.
  
  

Advantages of a knowledge base

• Easily accessible: Documentation can be accessed with ease for customers and employees. According to Forrester, about 70% of consumers prefer the self-service option to resolve issues rather than calling or sending an email, so providing this information is vital.
  
  
• Reduces wastage: A knowledge base may improve many business areas and decrease service cost, and can reduce the support and account manager workload. With fast, easy access to information, customers are less likely to contact support or account managers. At the same time, employees don't waste time looking for information, which boosts productivity.
  
  
• Encourages sales: Users can also find answers. If someone is considering your service or product, content in a knowledge base may help them gather information that leads to a sale.
  
  
• Improves institutional memory: If employee churn is an issue in your business, a knowledge base can help you save and document relevant information before key employees leave the business.
  
  
• Provides faster support: Support time can be reduced by making the knowledge base the first place for employees or customers to check.
  
  
• Improves employee onboarding: When employees join your business, they too can get up to speed faster by exploring the knowledge base as part of their onboarding journey and accessing all the documentation in one place.

Disadvantages of a knowledge base

• Can be overwhelming: Because there is so much information, a knowledge base can be extensive and consequently overwhelming, with hundreds of videos, documents, and images. By creating a knowledge base in the right way, this can be avoided.
  
  
• Must be constantly maintained: It requires ongoing maintenance, pruning, checking, and updating to ensure each item performs as intended, which requires dedication to making systematic updates.
  
  
• Requires planning and organisation: A knowledge base may need to be divided into a customer-facing knowledge base and an internal one, as some items may not be suitable for external viewing.
  
  
• Users may need training: Getting information by asking someone is more straightforward than reading or absorbing documentation. As such, users must be trained to use the knowledge base in the first instance.
  
  
• Regular assessment needed: Analytics and reporting must also be undertaken to ensure that maintaining the knowledge base delivers an ROI.

Wiki or knowledge base: what's right for you?

• Do you need the speed of a wiki for fast updates, or would you prefer consistent, branded, and rich content from a knowledge base?
  
  
• Can you risk having collaborative content that may not be quite right (with less effort), or do you need to know that your information is always perfect (but time-consuming to maintain)?
  
  
• Does the way users will work with your system or product change often? Do they need to share code changes, hacks, or tips? If so, a wiki may help them.
  
  
• Have you had issues with inconsistent communication before? A knowledge base may be helpful.
  
  
• Do you have an extensive network of people invested in your business as a community? If your customers are more like fans, you should allow the freedom of an open wiki rather than the strict approach of a knowledge base.
  
  
• Do you have lots of resources, or plan to use your resources wisely? If you have guides, videos, and extra information, putting it to work as a knowledge base may be a smart choice.

In summary: when to use a wiki

• You’ll need to evaluate who in your company needs to view and author content, and where that content needs to be exposed.
  
  
• You need to be comfortable with a potential loss in quality in place of a speedier creation process.

In summary: when to use a knowledge base

• You’ll need a dedicated team or individual to manage the content.
  
  
• You must be confident that slower progress is worth it for the richer experience available with a knowledge base.

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