A complete waste of time
1. Customers who know how to google will google - not look up a pc repairs website for information on how to fix computers.
2. You risk customers solving their own problems. Just costs you money outright.
3. You just confuse the purpose of your website. Customers who search for you and click on you are not looking for a knowledge base. they are looking for information on services. Adding red herrings to the site only makes it unnecessarily complex and detracts from its core purpose of generating conversions.
4. A knowledge base will take a lot of YOUR time. Time which could otherwise be spent building and promoting your business in known effective ways.
If you want to 'share knowledge', then offer a mailing list. A mailing list is an excellent way to generate direct marketing to your target market. The trick with a list is to give value with quality content. In among this content, add 'hooks' for special offers, and continue to reach out to your customers to ensure a lasting quality relationship[ with them. Note LISA (callthatgirl) is very good at this
Jim
I agree with your points. Especially the news letter. What about existing customers? Would they see it as a point of above and beyond support that may make them more appreciative or bolster consumer confidence?
The time and effort aspect, don't sit down and shut everything down as you write a complete knowledge base, start out with a set number and then just add to it, not to much unlike posting to a blog.
I truly believe that you have to have something the separates you from the rest of the pack, offering knowledge to others does have an adverse effect with some, it also offers a positive effect with others. A decent writing of certain information may even prompt someone to recommend you that may not have ever thought of you had they not happened along that how to remove the FBI virus article in your knowledge base.
Backed up with a good news letter that you perhaps use to promote the new additions to your free knowledge base with the hooks of have us do it for you, or did you know that we type hooks.
Is it a business killer if you do? No, by no means, while those trolling for information may use yours and you get nothing out of it, it does allow the added possibility of a new customer stream in conjunction to the others you may use.
Is it going to put you on the map? No, there are thousands in existence already, but if you have a remote assistance program, or continued support service that some pay yearly or monthly for you may save yourself a service call that isn't immediately paid for when you client gets a wild hair and decides to give it a try for a simple problem.
So to summarize it is entirely possible you put up an excellent Knowledge base that is used by thousands and you never see a dime from it, you may develop consumer confidence in a way that may not have happened without it, you may open a new prospect procurement stream that when combined with other methods like the above news letter with hooks enhances effectiveness of both. So half a dozen one way six the other to be perfectly frank.
I know warmzies fuzzies right? But the more information the better SEO straight and simple, especially if you put in a base area and then add to it on a consistent or at least semi-consistent basis. These articles if you will are also likely to cause people who where looking to do it themselves to go ahead and buy and not bother with all the hassle and let someone that knows what they are doing take care of it. A good and well presented knowledge base would give you the professionalism that may close that deal.
