FAQs on Creating Effective Guiders

Getting Started

What is a Guider?
A Guider™ is the first web-based means of guiding an Internet user through the ‘thought process’ of a decision. Using a guided decision platform composed of series of questions and answers created by subject matter experts like you, Guiders help people quickly identify what they want, lead them to the exact information they need online, and help them make decisions.

What can I do with a Guider?
Guiders are universally adaptable and have many great uses. They can help users find the right products, they can help people navigate websites more efficiently, and they can walk users through complex process. Since you decide the content and layout of your Guider, it’s entirely up to you where you go with it. You decide the purpose, the benefits and the goal of your Guider. After creating a Guider to your satisfaction, you can place it on your website for your visitors to use.

How do I get started creating a Guider?
The first step is to sign up for an account. iGuiders will send you a confirmation e-mail. When you click the link in your e-mail from iGuiders, you will be taken to your account page. There, click “Add a new Guider” to start creating your first Guider.

How do I ensure my Guider is effective?
Before you start building your Guider, consider reviewing our Guider creation worksheets. Make sure that you’re framing all your questions properly, and that you’re covering all topics with the correct levels of explanation. Include relevant answers in your Guider, and don’t hesitate to make changes and edits to your Guider as you learn how people use it.

What’s the right size for my Guider?
It depends upon the use of the Guider. In some cases, Guiders are only three questions deep, in other cases, you may need seven or eight levels. Use as many questions as you need to make the final choice easy for your visitors. In general, most Guiders are about five questions deep.

What style suggestions do you have for Guiders?

• Use proper spelling and grammar.
• Use easy to understand terms and language. Try to avoid using unfamiliar industry jargon or company-specific acronyms unless you offer further explanation. If you need to explain terms, consider using “What’s this” text or a Solution Page.
• Try to have each answer be mutually exclusive (not overlapping with other answers). Ex: Q:”Do you wear corrective lenses?” A: “Yes, glasses”, “Yes, contacts”, “No” isn’t great because 2 different answers might apply.
• Phrase the question using ‘you’, but the answer using ‘I’. Example: “How often do you use your washing machine?” Answer: “I use it several times a day”, or “I use it a few times a week.”
• Try to have no more than six possible answers to a question. Two to four is ideal. If you have too many answers, consider asking another question.
• Capitalize only the first word of each answer, unless it’s a proper product name.
• We suggest not ending answers with a period, unless the answer has more than one sentence.
• For more complete style suggestions and examples, please see the iGuiders style guide.

Editing your Guider

How do I edit text in my Guider?
Editing your Guider is easy. Simply type into the text box you wish to edit to change your answer, and click outside it when you’re done. If you need to edit a question other than the one you’re currently working on, just click the answer you want to edit by locating it in the outline or treeview.

How is my work saved?
As you populate your Guider, your work is automatically saved when you click off a question. Any text box highlighted in yellow is currently unsaved. You can also check your save state by looking at the save icon in the editor toolbar. If the light is red, you have unsaved work. A green light indicates that all your work is currently saved.

How do I move to the next question in my Guider?
To the right of each answer space is a button titled “New Question.” There is also an arrow next to this text. To create a new question, click on “New Question.” To create a different type of answer, click on the drop-down arrow, and make your appropriate selection from the menu.

What can I do with each question?
Besides moving to a new question, you have several options with each answer:

Existing Question- you can link an answer to another answer that you’ve already created with this option.

Link to Web Page- This links your answer to an external website/webpage, so that when a user clicks on the answer, the webpage will appear in a new browser window.

Solution Page- A solution page is a page within the Guider that allows you to type in free text. You can use solution pages throughout your Guider for such needs as introducing or explaining a new product, explaining or comparing features, products or services, or to further explain a concept or term that won’t fit in the character limit of “what’s this” text.

Google Search- This option allows you to perform a Google search for your visitors. You select the keywords or search phrase and they’ll see the results.

External Guider- This option allows you to link to another Guider. This can be helpful when used to break up a very large Guider, or if you want to link to someone else’s Guider.

How do I add pictures to my Guider?
Next to your question text is this icon: Clicking it will send you to the picture gallery. Here you can upload and resize images, and drag them onto positions to illustrate the answers to your current question.

How do I add “what’s this” text to my Guider?
Next to your question and answer text is this icon: Clicking on it will toggle between opening and closing the “what’s this” edit box. Text you enter here will show up in your Guider to help explain terms and phrases to users. Use this feature for brief copy or text.

How do I delete an answer
To delete an unwanted answer, simply click on the trash can icon at the end of the answer space. If you accidentally add a new question, you can use the “undo” feature to go back. You can disconnect a question from the answer above it by selecting a new answer option.

What if I delete something accidentally?
If you inadvertently delete something, you can use the “undo” function in the editor toolbar to get it back.

Guider Toolbar

What are the icons in the Guider toolbar?
The icons in the Guider toolbar are as follows, from left to right:
Back: Go back to the previous page

Preview Guider: View your guider as a user sees it

Add new root question: If you’re at the top question of a guider, this allows you to add a question above the current top one.

Guider customization center: This is where you add logos, introductory text, contact e-mail and choose the look for your guider.

Contact iGuiders technical support: You can send an e-mail to iGuiders if you need technical assistance, or notice a bug.

FAQ’s/ help documentation: To see this document, and other available help documentation, click here.

Undo: This will undo your last action.

Publishing your Guider

What does it mean to “publish” my Guider?
Before you place a Guider on your website, you need to “publish” it. A Guider publish preserves a copy of your Guider at that moment. This version of your Guider will be served up to your visitors. If you want to make changes to your Guider after it is published, you can do so at anytime by logging into your account. A “working version” of your Guider will be listed in the “Inactive Guiders” section of your account with the same name as your published Guider. If you want to make changes to your Guider, edit the copy in the “Inactive Guiders” section of your account. If you’re satisfied with the changes you made, you can then re-publish it. The changed version of your Guider will then replace the previous version on your website.

What steps should I take before publishing my Guider?
To make your Guider ready for public viewing, we suggest the following steps:

• Make sure there are no incomplete answers. You don’t want to send visitors through a Guider, only for them to discover that they can’t take any action at the end. You can identify incomplete answers in the tree view within the Editor tool.
• Ensure you have proper grammar, writing style, spelling and punctuation throughout your Guider. We suggest that you keep your entire Guider in a single tense, and use punctuation at the end of every question (question mark, colon or semi-colon.)
• If your Guider has images, check to make sure that all answers that should have images have them attached.
• Visit the Guider customization center to select your design features and to attach your company images.
• We also suggest using the preview function to walk yourself through your Guider before you publish it so you know that the order of your questions and answers will meet the needs of your audience.

How do I publish my Guider?
To publish your Guider, first go to your account screen. There you will see a list of your Guiders. Find the Guider you wish to publish, and click the “publish” button to the right of its name. This will submit your request to iGuiders for approval. Once we have approved your Guider, it will appear in the “Published Guiders” section of your account, and is ready to be posted on your website.

Can I make changes to my Guider after it has been published?
You cannot make changes directly to Guiders appearing in the “Published Guiders” section of your account. However, you can edit the exact duplicate copy of the Guider that exists in the “Inactive Guiders” section of your account. Once you’re satisfied with your changes, you can re-publish this version of your Guider, and continue to make further changes to the inactive version. Please note that any changes made will not be reflected on your website until you re-publish your Guider.

How do I get a published Guider onto my website?
If you need help placing your Guider on your site, please contact our service department for help.

Account Management

How do I change my password?
On your account page are several tabs. If you click the “settings” tab, you can set a new password. Type in your old password, and your new password where prompted. You will receive a confirmation e-mail from iGuiders.

What if I forget my password?
On the login page, there is a link that will allow you to recover your password. Click the link to send an e-mail request and we will respond to the e-mail address we have on file for you. The e-mail you receive will contain a link to allow you to enter a new password. Please note that iGuiders does not have access to your password and cannot send it to you. (No matter how nicely you ask.)

iGuiders Policies

What happens if a page doesn’t meet the Content Policy guidelines?
If iGuiders flags a page for removal, we cease serving it to the public. It may remain temporarily in a non-editable transitional state where it may be visible to its author. After some point, it may be deleted. Some accounts associated with flagged content may be terminated — see the Term and Termination section of the Terms of Service.

What is your privacy policy?
You can view the iGuiders privacy policy here.

Will you reinstate removed content?
iGuiders generally does not reinstate removed content. However, if you believe a Guider was removed in error, please contact us.