There are some areas in life where I'm like that, in that I prefer to just be given a quick checksheet or be walked through something (cooking)...and other situations where I'd prefer to read up on things myself (coding). Amusing, since cooking is essentially coding with food instead of electrons...but there you go. I know coding. Cooking - ebbeh. If it doesn't have simple-stovetop or microwave directions, I'm not interested.

I've never thought about it like that. I'm a dab hand in the kitchen but coding-set me infront of a java program and I want to put my head through the screen. Its been a struggle since day one.

Cheatsheets might not be a bad idea though-maybe, you could make your instructions in two sets. One for the avid instruction follower, and the other for the people in the world who like to learn by playing and only ask for help or look at instructions if things go wrong.

It's a truism of the technical writing industry: customers expect manuals, but most in truth do not read them.

Probably new users are more willing to look through a manual, and they're the ones that would be attracted by the manual's availability. Other users prefer either handholding, if you do that, or forums, knowledge bases, and help tickets.

I've found that flowcharts work well, as do checklists. Flash videos (like demodemo) are one tool...but they don't let the person get an overall view of what's going on and how a particular step fits into the process.

That overall view gives them more confidence in the process as a whole. And when they want to check out the expanded text with reasons why this is done like thus-and-such, they can...meanwhile, the flowcharts and cheatsheets let them get the job done.

This is very true, you can provide directions that are plain as day and as easy as pie to understand and people will still contact you with the silliest questions that were answered in your directions.

The overall view is really only something that is obtained after you've been handling it for a while. Being told once or doing it once isn't still going to give you the overall picture and neither is a flowchart or cheat-sheet most likely.

Different learning styles prefer information in different formats. So if I can put up a flowchart and it helps even 5% of my client base, that's 5% that have a greater confidence in both their own skillset and in my ability to provide quality support / expertise...and more people who are more likely to refer clients to me as someone who provides superior support and resources. Some people have no use for flowcharts or cheatsheets. Myself, I dislike having only "instructional videos" as a learning tool - it forces me to go at its pace, rather than my own. Each person digests information in their own fashion.

Creating documentation is an investment - same as buying quality hardware, or a billing system that works for your business. Do it intelligently, and maintenance / updates are minimal...and yet the documentation is still usable, even years after it's been created.

This is a smart idea.

Good post and very well put. I really need to focus on my knowledge base a lot more and now come to realize that it is an investment because In the end it will save me time from dealing with clients common questions etc.. And once I get my knowledge base completed If clients ask the questions with are in my knowledge base I will just redirect them to that link. Then they might realize to look there first then to email me.

How about a free billing system to make their life easier?

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Its hard thing to do.

Like some have said an ebook would be a good way of doing it, if not a funny way. But to an extent its not your problem, but then it is, the better your customers do at reselling hosting, the better you will do with this customer wanting a higher package.

So, I would help out as much as possible in advice terms but draw th eline with any other help.

I think it's best to provide as many different avenues for knowledge base information as possible. In the end, a conference call clears up 99 percent of all issues.

Hahaha ..I really agree with you..we can just offer promo offers to reseller and not to there clients..they can accordingly set there prices to make offers to there cleints.

I think that the reseller hosting offer mus ve to be more cheapier to atracct more people.

Second AbbieRose, Yes, you will have to provide something extra with your current resellers promotion codes.