It's really quite simple - if you can reduce the need for support calls, you'll have happier customers and lower support costs.

With a well-crafted User Guide, end-users will get up and running more quickly, use more of the features you have built into your product, and have a better user experience. Referral and repeat sales are likely to follow.

It's well known that the cost of installation and field support is the major cost factor after a product is sold. If you can reduce the time it takes to install and test - through an effective Installation Manual - your costs are bound to go down.

How are Print-Based Documents developed?

When it comes to print materials, a picture is worth a thousand words and a fair amount of money.

We prefer to use a lot of illustrations - line art, screen images, digital photos - to make our documents come alive. Illustrations improve usability.

When it comes to words, simple is smart. We use simple language wherever possible, taking into account the education and experience level of the target audience.

There's another advantage to simple language and generous use of illustrations - if you are translating your documents, they will be much more effective - and less expensive to produce - if the language is less dense and they rely on illustrations to deliver their message.