A tech startup without a technical writer is like a business without a marketing plan. The past few years have seen significant inflation in the number of startups based on cloud computing, blockchain, robotics, Artificial Intelligence(AI), and the Internet of Things(IoT). Almost all upcoming startups have technology as the base to leverage and provide premium user experience. However, due to the intricacy of the subject matter, these startups are often unable to connect and communicate with the average user who doesn’t have an in-depth understanding of the complicated technology. This is where technical writers come to the rescue.
Who is a Technical Writer?
Technical writers typically prepare instruction manuals, write blogs, journals, white papers and other documents to explain complex technical information in an easy to understand manner to the users and readers. They make information that is otherwise dull, interesting to read for people of all educational backgrounds. Demand for technical writers is expected to grow by an average of 8% until 2028. This makes technical writing one of the fastest-growing jobs in the market. Technical writers work both as full-time workers for specific corporations as well as freelancers.
Now, the question that arises is why should you hire a technical writer for your product or your website, and what are the benefits?
What is Documentation and why is it Important?
Documentation is the process of keeping a record of different features, additions, and modus operandi of a website, product, or project. Documentation ensures that when the need arises, anyone can go through the documentation to understand the sequence of website and product development. Documentation is done at two levels.
The first is meant for internal purposes. It records the highly technical information about the website. Internal documentation helps when a new developer is joining the company, establishing processes for fast execution and transparency. Or when a merger is taking place by helping the newcomers in understanding the details about the organization. Usually, the documentation for internal purposes is done by a developer, who has a good understanding of the website and the product; or a technical writer with prior IT/ITES experience.
The second type of documentation is done for the users of the website or the product a company has to offer. Often, a developer might not be able to explain intricate technical specifications in a language that can be understood by a layman. Hence, a technical writer does this job for the website.
Technical writers understand the technicalities from the developer, pre-sales team and marketing team. They then combine it with their previous understanding of a myriad of topics to communicate the information to the general user without using complex jargon or compromising on the quality of the information conveyed. They are often responsible for presentations, design documents, social media content also. Let us now understand how hiring a technical writer will directly benefit your website and business.
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Direct Benefits of Having a Technical Writer in Your Team:
Clearer Communication
Programmers, scientists, lawyers, and engineers are experts in their field. However, they may not be comfortable in writing for an audience that is completely different from their domain. Technical writers translate jargon into simple language and thus communicate more effectively about the subject matter. Technical writers also often use a combination of graphics and text to effectively communicate with the audience.
Awareness and Engagement
Technical Writers create content from the user’s point of view. They have an understanding of the needs and demands of the users which enables them to create content that resonates well with the users. Having content related to your business for the general audience builds trust and improves your reach among potential customers and engage with them.
Reduction In Customer Support Costs
Properly written manuals reduce the number of calls to your technical support department. A technical writer explains from the user’s perspective and not the designer’s and thus makes it easier for a user to troubleshoot problems on their own.
Impartiality
If the developer or designer writes about the products, then there is a chance that he will be biased towards the details and may write a superfluous description. A technical writer, however, will write from the user’s end and thus ensure that the user gets to read exactly what the product is about.
Professional Documentation
High-Quality documentation helps to build the brand value of your product and website. If the interface and content are of high quality, there is a greater chance that users will think positively about your product. If the documentation is not user-friendly and easy to understand, there are very low chances that people will trust your product.
