Quick Start Guide: What is it & How do you Create one

You’re ready to launch your shiny new software. You’re excited to see how it will be received by your customers and partners. Your UI looks phenomenal, onboarding is complete, and you’ve worked out all the bugs in the back end.

And yet you’ve forgotten one vital thing in your all-important software launch. 

A quick start guide.

What is a Quick Start Guide?

Many people are unfamiliar with quick start guides (QSGs). We’re here to demystify them. Unlike a typical guide or reference document, a QSG supports the user right at the beginning of their journey with your software.

We’re talking, of course, about a type of documentation.

Although concise and to the point, the quick start guide contains everything a user needs to get started and no more. Keep to the minimum amount of information needed for the user to launch the software and obtain a happy customer.

A quick start guide is like a handbook for your new users if they encounter any bumps when they launch your software. 

 Example of Quick Start Guide

Types of Quick Start Guide

Conceptual Quick Start Guide

A conceptual quick-start guide helps users understand exactly what your software is and why it exists to help them.

Procedural Quick Start Guide

A procedural quick start guide teaches users how to operate your software from the get-go, taking them step-by-step through how to operate the software.

What are the benefits of a quick start guide?

A quick start guide has a few important benefits for your customer onboarding process. Having a quick start guide helps you save time and effort on your onboarding team, ensure seamless onboarding and avoid friction for your customers.

• Makes Installation and Setup Easier for Customers

Customers installing your product for the first time may need help with installation and setup, despite your system being as intuitive as possible. The quick start guide provides all the information for a quick launch so customers can get up and running.

• Improves the Experience of new Products and Services

Customers encountering a quick start guide will have a better experience of your new products with a guide on hand to take them through every potential hurdle. A better UX leads to better customer retention overall.

• Decreases the Initial Learning Curve

Customers can learn your products faster with a quick start guide and increase the value they get from your software without waiting for help from your team. A better learning curve leads to less churn and more satisfied customers.

• Leads to a Better Adoption Rate

Customers with a quick start guide are more likely to adopt your product because you’ve provided them with resources to get started. Better adoption means fewer customers abandoning the product for a better solution.

• Allows Support Teams to Handle More Technical Issues

The quick start guide takes the place of the support team in the early stages and is well worth investing in to reduce the support burden. Support teams can focus on higher-level technical issues instead of being overly concerned with onboarding.

• Increases Loyalty and Advocacy

A handy guide increases loyalty and advocacy because you have provided a resource that customers can use in the early stages. When you invest in customers, they won’t forget it. When customers have fewer issues starting the software, they tend to have a better overall experience.

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What should be in a quick start guide?

• How to install the software – getting the software onto your system or integrated with existing platforms is key here.
• How to set up the software – once the software is up and running explain how to set up the software for customer use.
• Explain basic functions – a quick overview of the software’s basic functions so users know how it works.
• How to overcome common bugs – troubleshooting guide in case users run into problems with setting up the software.
• Frequently asked questions – anticipate questions users will ask about your software and answer them.

Also Read: How to Write a Getting Started Guide

Tips for Creating a Quick Start Guide

• Find out what Customers are Asking Already

If customers already have questions about your software then this is fertile ground for a quick start guide. Include common customer questions in your guide and answer them concisely so that customers can turn to your guide in the future.

• Connect with the Onboarded Users to Gather Feedback

If users have already been onboarded, you can contact them to gather feedback about how they found the experience. Use this information for the quick start guide to speed up the onboarding process for future users.

• Understand the Technical Knowledge of your Audience

Try to gather an understanding of just how technical your audience is so you can figure out how to pitch the quick start guide. You don’t want a guide that’s too easy; at the same time, you must avoid content no one can understand.

• Craft Concise Steps

When guiding your users through setup or installation, they need concise step-by-step instructions to take them through each process. Limit each step to one piece of information and try to encapsulate it in a screenshot or even a video.

• Prioritize Immediate User Needs

You can’t include everything in your quick start guide, so try to prioritize your user’s immediate needs. That would be getting set up and started with your software as quickly as possible, ahead of anything else, ideally within minutes.

• Limit information to 1/10th of the accompanying manual

If your entire manual consists of 1000 pages, your quick start guide should be no more than 100. Keep your quick start manual concise so users know that the guide is just for onboarding and no more.

• Maintain Consistency Throughout the Guide

Keep your guide consistent in referencing everything about your software and the language you use. Avoid throwing in any curve balls that might confuse your readers, and stick to a uniform way of expressing yourself.

• Incorporate Clear Visual Aids

Make sure you use images and videos of a significant size to make your documentation clear for your users and use alt text to make it compliant. Visuals will make it easier for your users to follow your documentation and keep up.

• Regularly Update and Improve

Once you’ve created your quick start guide, don’t just forget about it and expect it to keep serving its purpose. Regularly revisit the guide and update it so that it stays relevant and keeps pace with your evolving software.

Sample Quick Start Guides

Upwork

Upwork’s getting started guide is well-designed to smoothly onboard new members. It provides clear and actionable steps and a bunch of checklists for a few job seekers. It also provides profile optimization tips, ebook suggestions, and supportive materials.

Google Docs

Google Docs’ quick start guide is designed for clarity and user-friendliness. It categorizes users based on platform usage: computers, iPhones, and Android users. The guide offers a step-by-step approach, including visual graphics and custom guides for each platform.

HubSpot

Hubspot CMS quick start guide is designed for developers with step-by-step instructions for setting up a development environment. This guide emphasizes practical tasks like using local development tools and editing CSS files.

Wrapping Up

A quick reference guide is something you don’t want to go without. Distinct from other types of documentation, you’ll want to use the right documentation tool like Document360 to create your guide.

Keep it short and sweet so users can get up and running with their brand-new tool. That is the purpose of the quick start guide, after all. It should be the first place your users go when they get stuck with onboarding your software.

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