Do we need live chat from day one?

Not necessarily. Launch with a searchable knowledge base and add live chat once volume or customer expectations justify it.

How many FAQs should we start with?

Start with 10–20 FAQs covering the most common issues. Expand as new questions arise from tickets and product updates.

Which platform should we use for a Help Centre?

For lightweight needs, use a CMS plugin or Intercom Articles. For scale and workflows, consider Zendesk, Help Scout, or Freshdesk.

Should we offer phone support?

Only if your model requires it (enterprise clients, urgent/regulated services). For most startups, chat + email is sufficient at launch.

How often should we review Help Centre content?

Quarterly at minimum, and immediately after product changes. Stale screenshots and steps erode trust and increase tickets.

What’s the fastest way to cut ticket volume?

Prioritise high-intent FAQs, add step-by-step visuals, enable autosuggest search, and surface related articles in chat and forms.

Do we need a service status page?

If you run a SaaS or digital product, yes. A public status page builds trust and reduces 'is it down?' contacts during incidents.

Can a community forum reduce support costs?

Yes. Peer answers scale support and build loyalty. Moderate for accuracy, and link best threads from relevant articles.

How do we measure Help Centre success?

Track self-serve rate, search success, article helpfulness votes, time-to-first-response, first contact resolution, and repeat contacts.

What’s the best tone for support content?

Plain, friendly, and concise. Match your brand voice but prioritise clarity: short sentences, imperative steps, and scannable headings.

How to Build a Support and Help Centre Page in Australia: The Complete Guide for Startup Founders

Rachel. M
Oct 27
5 min read

Updated: Oct 27

I’ve seen founders underestimate this page more than any other. Customers rarely judge you by how few issues arise—they judge you by how fast and simple it is to resolve them. That’s where your Support and Help Centre Page earns its keep.

A Brisbane founder I mentored launched with only a “Contact us” email link. Within weeks, the inbox was swamped, customers churned, and staff burned out. After we built a structured Help Centre with FAQs, guides, and live chat access, ticket volume dropped by 40% and customer satisfaction spiked.

This isn’t just about solving problems—it’s about proving you care, building trust, and giving customers control.

building a website support and help centre page on a laptop — **More than solving problems—it’s about proving you care, building trust, and giving customers control.**

What Exactly Is a Support and Help Centre?

A Support and Help Centre is the central hub where customers go when they need answers, troubleshooting, or assistance. Think of it as a self-service library plus a direct line to your team.

Core elements usually include:

Searchable knowledge base or FAQ section
Troubleshooting guides and how-to articles
Contact options (chat, email, phone, ticket form)
Account management links (reset password, billing help)

Extra features that elevate the experience:

Contextual suggestions (“related articles” when typing a query)
Video tutorials or screen recordings
Community forum or discussion area
Service status page (for SaaS or digital products)
AI-powered instant answers (chatbots tied to knowledge base)

The goal: empower customers to solve issues fast and give them confidence in your product.

Why This Could Make or Break Your Business

Customer trust: A professional support hub signals you’ll be there when needed.

Retention: Customers are more forgiving of issues if help is easy to find.

Cost savings: Self-service reduces ticket volume and frees up your team.

Scalability: Support systems let you grow without drowning in emails.

Brand reputation: Fast, reliable help turns frustrated users into advocates.

Your Help Centre is as much about brand empathy as it is about efficiency. Customers want to feel heard, even if the fix is automated.

Before You Start

Line up these essentials before building:

FAQ list from recurring support tickets
Step-by-step guides for top 10 issues
Screenshots, screen recordings, or GIFs for visual clarity
Tone of voice guidelines (support copy should match brand personality)
A support platform (Zendesk, Help Scout, Freshdesk, Intercom, or CMS plugin)
Escalation paths (self-service → chatbot → human agent)

How to Build a Support and Help Centre:

Step by Step

Step 1: Start with a Searchable Knowledge Base

Organise content into categories (billing, technical, onboarding).
Add a smart search bar that auto-suggests results.

Result: Customers find answers fast without tickets.

Step 2: Write Clear FAQs and Guides

Use plain English and short steps.
Include visuals: screenshots, short video walkthroughs.
Cover top repeat issues first (e.g., password resets, shipping questions).

Result: Customers solve 80% of issues independently.

Step 3: Offer Multiple Contact Channels

Add live chat (during business hours).
Provide email form for after-hours.
For higher-tier or enterprise, list phone support.

Result: Customers choose the fastest, most comfortable option.

Step 4: Add Automation for Speed

Use chatbots to surface FAQs instantly.
Offer “related articles” when typing a query.
Send proactive messages (e.g., known outage alerts).

Result: Tickets are reduced before they even start.

Step 5: Create a Service Status Page (for SaaS/Digital)

Show uptime, outages, and maintenance windows.
Link from your Help Centre menu.

Result: Transparency builds trust and cuts “is it down?” emails.

Step 6: Add Community or Peer Support (Optional)

Forum, Slack/Discord group, or Q&A threads.
Moderate for accuracy and tone.

Result: Customers help each other, building loyalty and scale.

Step 7: Keep Content Updated

Review and refresh articles quarterly.
Tag outdated content and archive with redirects.

Result: Your Help Centre stays relevant and trustworthy.

Mistakes to Avoid

Wall of text: A Melbourne e-commerce brand dumped 5,000 words into one FAQ page. Users gave up. Fix: split into short, searchable articles.

No contact option: A Perth startup hid their email link. Customers posted complaints on social media. Fix: always offer a way to reach a human.

Stale content: A Brisbane SaaS left outdated screenshots for 18 months. Support tickets doubled because guides didn’t match the product. Fix: set a quarterly review cycle.

Real-World Examples

A Sydney coaching platform added 20 short video tutorials. Tickets dropped 35% and customer reviews mentioned “easy to use support.”
An Adelaide SaaS linked a status page to their Help Centre. Transparency during outages turned frustration into trust, even improving NPS.

What It Costs and How Long It Takes

You’ll need to budget for both money and time.

Here’s what founders usually face:

DIY / In-house: $0–$200 AUD | 5–8 hours | CMS-based FAQs or lightweight plugins.
Template/Resource: $200–$600 AUD | 8–12 hours | ProDesk® templates with FAQ and guide layouts.
Professional / Done-for-you: $1,500–$7,000 AUD | 2–4 weeks | Branded Help Centre with integrated chat + ticketing.
Ongoing: $50–$500 AUD/month | 1–3 hours | Hosting, ticketing platform, and article updates.

Hidden Costs

Churn from frustrated customers who can’t find help.
Higher CAC if reputation suffers from poor support.
Staff burnout from repetitive questions.

Mentor Tip

Always design your Help Centre for self-service first—but make escalation to a human obvious and easy.

What to Do Next

✅ Download the Support & Help Centre Builder Kit from ProDesk

Build your Help Centre faster with proven, plug-and-play tools made for startup founders. Includes the FAQ Architecture Grid, Escalation Flow Map, Support Script Library, Content Refresh Tracker, and Customer Empathy Tone Guide — everything you need to turn chaos into a calm, customer-first support system. [ProDesk.com]

✅ Book a Optimisation Session with Noize

Don’t just fix problems — design for prevention.

Map your customer support lifecycle from first ticket to resolution.
Streamline hand-offs between self-service, chat, and human help.
Optimise workflows to reduce ticket volume and increase satisfaction.

[Book at Noize.com.au]

✅ Get The StartUp Deck

Access 200+ tested startup strategies and page-building frameworks — The deck helps you design every page (from Help Centre to Dashboard) for clarity, conversion, and loyalty. [Grab your deck at TheStartUpDeck.com]

By acting now, you’ll turn customer problems into loyalty opportunities.

The Bottom Line

Your Support and Help Centre is not a cost centre—it’s a retention tool. Done well, it reduces churn, cuts costs, and strengthens customer relationships. Done poorly, it frustrates users and damages your reputation.

Founders who prioritise customer support early build businesses that last. Start now, and your customers will thank you later.

FAQs

Do I need live chat from day one?

Not always. Start with searchable FAQs. Add chat once ticket volume or customer expectations demand it.

How many FAQs should I start with?

10–20 covering your most common issues is enough for launch. Expand as new questions arise.

What platform should I use for a Help Centre?

Lightweight: CMS plugins or Intercom Articles. Scalable: Zendesk, Help Scout, Freshdesk.

Should I offer phone support?

Only if your model justifies it (e.g., enterprise clients, urgent services). For most startups, chat + email suffice.

How often should I review content?

Quarterly, or immediately after a product update or new feature launch.