Intranets built on SharePoint and Office 365 have become Office 365 intranet powerhouses for companies looking to improve communication, collaboration, and productivity.
However, getting started with a SharePoint intranet can be daunting if you don’t know where to begin.
In this article, I’ll walk you through the key steps and best practices for launching your own SharePoint intranet on Office 365 from scratch.
Step 1: Plan Your Intranet’s Purpose and Structure
The first step is deciding the main goals and use cases for your intranet. Do you want a space for company-wide announcements and news?
A place to store files and documents? A hub for team sites and pages? Defining the vision and purpose upfront will shape the structure and navigation.
I recommend drafting a simple sitemap to outline the main sections and pages needed. Common intranet sections include
- Homepage – top news, announcements, events
- Employee directory – org chart, profiles, contact info
- Documents – centralized files, libraries
- Departments – pages for each team with news/info
- Resources – knowledge base, policies, training
Thinking through the taxonomy early on will make it easier to organize content and build out the site architecture later.
Step 2: Set Up Team Sites and Permissions
Once the structure is defined, it’s time to start configuring your SharePoint tenant and sites. Begin by setting up a top-level intranet site, then create team sites for each department.
Carefully plan permissions so employees only have access to sites and content relevant to their role.
For example, HR content should be kept limited to the HR team site. Setting up permissions and governance early is crucial for intranet security and preventing “information sprawl.”
Step 3: Add Web Parts and Customize Navigation
Now, you can start shaping the intranet experience by adding web parts and customizing navigation.
Useful web parts include news carousels, site directories, embedded videos, and the company org chart.
For navigation, set up clear global and local options so users can easily browse within their team site and the broader intranet. A search bar is also essential to help employees find what they need quickly.
Make sure branding elements like colors, fonts, and logos align across sites to maintain a consistent look and feel.
Step 4: Migrate and Organize Content
If you have existing file shares or intranet content, the next step is migrating it into SharePoint. This gives employees one centralized hub to access the latest documents, resources, and information.
Organizing content in a structured taxonomy from the start enables intuitive self-service.
Work with site owners to tag and classify content to make it easy for users to navigate the intranet and find what they need.
You can also set up managed metadata and content types to maintain consistency as the intranet grows.
Step 5: Promote Adoption and Listen to Feedback
The technical setup is only half the battle – user adoption is crucial for intranet success. Offer training resources and support so employees embrace the new platform versus resist it.
Actively promote the intranet and highlight new features to drive engagement. Gather employee feedback through surveys and then use it to continuously refine and improve the intranet experience. Launching a SharePoint intranet on Office 365 takes forethought and effort. However, following these best practices will set your company up for an intranet that supercharges communication, collaboration, and productivity across the organization. The result is well worth the investment.
