Building a SharePoint Online intranet is one thing. Building one that people actually use is another. Most intranet projects succeed technically and then slowly fade as employees stop visiting. These four tips address the factors that separate intranets people return to from ones they ignore.
Keep It on the Rails
An intranet without governance becomes a dumping ground. Pages multiply without purpose, outdated content stays up indefinitely, and navigation grows until it stops making sense. The fix is not more technology. It is clear ownership and simple rules.
Assign a content owner for every section. Set a review schedule, even if it is only once a year for stable content. Establish a process for requesting new pages so additions go through a single point of review rather than being created freely by anyone with edit access. When the structure stays clean, users trust that what they find is current and relevant.
Get Creative With Your Design
SharePoint gives you more design flexibility than most organizations use. News web parts, quick links, hero images, and countdown timers can make a homepage feel like an actual communications hub rather than a file directory. Departments can personalize their own sections within consistent brand guidelines.
Think about the intranet as a destination, not just a storage location. What would make someone want to open it first thing in the morning? Announcements, upcoming events, recently updated resources, and team highlights all give the site a reason to exist beyond housing documents.
Site It Out
Not everything belongs in one place. A common intranet mistake is trying to make a single site serve every purpose. SharePoint's hub site architecture exists for a reason. Connect related sites under a shared hub and let each section have its own space, navigation, and ownership.
Team sites work well for active collaboration and document libraries. Communication sites work better for broadcasting information to a broad audience. Knowing which type to use for each purpose makes the whole structure more intuitive.
Use Global Navigation Thoughtfully
Global navigation is the persistent menu that appears across all hub-connected sites. It is your users' primary tool for getting around. If it is cluttered or inconsistent, people stop using the intranet and start asking colleagues where things are instead.
Limit global navigation to the most important top-level destinations. Use consistent naming. Test navigation with real users before launch. The goal is that someone who has never seen the intranet before can find what they need without asking for help.
A well-structured, well-maintained intranet reduces the volume of "where do I find this?" questions your team fields every week. That alone justifies the investment in getting it right.