Businesses can't operate effectively without an intranet that allows internal communication, resource sharing, and collaboration. It can be challenging to know where to begin when developing an intranet.
This blog offers a detailed guide for building an intranet, plus its types and purpose.
A Brief History
Intranets have been around since the 1990s and are currently seeing a rebirth because of the rise in popularity of work-from-home (WFH) policies. Although there are numerous benefits to the remote office model, it can often be difficult to keep staff members informed, involved, and connected.
These issues worsened when the world's commercial sector closed because of the Covid-19 pandemic. The idea of an intranet quickly gained popularity in computer communities and businesses worldwide.
What is an Intranet?
An intranet is a private business network created to enable staff members to interact, communicate, and operate as efficiently as possible. Although there are many uses and reasons for intranets, they are mostly utilized to support and engage employees.
What Are the Types of Intranets?
Companies can choose from two alternative intranet platform types, each of which requires a different kind of hardware.
On-Premise:
An intranet of this type is fully hosted within a business organization. A specialized IT team maintains, updates, and backs up their systems. Nevertheless, because of their complexity, only large businesses can commit sufficient resources to maintain intranets on-site.
Cloud-based:
These days, cloud-based intranet applications are common. Cloud-based, which entails immediate creation, maintenance, and internet accessibility. This eliminates the requirement for any on-premise infrastructure to be developed and maintained.
What’s the Purpose of an Intranet?
Perhaps you're asking yourself, "Are intranets still relevant?" Indeed, they are! The antiquated, cumbersome traditional intranets are no more. A contemporary intranet serves many functions and is immensely helpful. which consist of:
- Organize workforces
- Share and communicate important company information to foster
- Increase staff cooperation and output
Nowadays, intranets have proven beneficial. It is a tool for internal cooperation and communication that is used to engage staff members and boost output throughout an organization. It serves as a venue for staff interaction and corporate culture immersion in addition to being a content repository.
How to Setup a Company Intranet: 10 Easy Steps
1. Getting Started
An effective corporate intranet provides workers with the resources they require to be more connected, productive, and in line with the objectives of the organization. However, not every organization will benefit from all of the intranet solutions that are offered. Selecting the ideal intranet software for your business is crucial; here's how to accomplish it.
Your internal communications team should ask themselves the following questions before putting an intranet into place to help them better understand what your business hopes to accomplish:
- What makes an intranet necessary?
- What is the purpose of the intranet?
- What results are we hoping to achieve?
- What attributes ought our intranet solution possess?
- What problems might an intranet help with?
- How can we convince staff members to accept the option we decide to use?
2. Define Your Goals and Objectives
As you are reading this blog, it is likely that you are already aware of certain issues your business has and would like the intranet solution to address.
Depending on the business, different intranets will serve different purposes. To help you get started, consider these few suggestions:
- To more effectively manage content and documents: You might want to oversee the creation and delivery of documents and content to your staff. Establishing a safe document management system that enables your staff to swiftly and easily locate critical material should be the aim of your intranet. increasing output in the end.
- Increasing employee engagement: It can be achieved in several ways with the help of a company intranet. Encouragement of communication among staff members should be the main objective, whether it is done via company timelines, social hubs, or SMS.
- To increase cooperation and productivity: It's possible that you'd prefer a digital workplace where staff members may collaborate easily on projects and quickly obtain the data they require.
These are the most common reasons why businesses wish to deploy an intranet, so keeping that in mind will help you identify your goal. Since every intranet solution is unique, determining what pertains to your company's needs is the most valuable component of this process.
3. Identify Content Inventory
Your company's intranet needs to be its main information hub. Even while work takes priority, social spaces should be included. Consider your options carefully, speak with your colleagues, welcome input, and compile a list of suggestions. Don't put off doing this until your intranet is ready.
As the system evolves, add additional information as you go. Start building information as soon as possible. Continue requesting suggestions and comments from all organizational levels. Employees will feel a part of the creation of a joint resource in this way. When it launches, they will eagerly await it and interact with the content.
4. Pick the Right System
Not all intranet systems fit every company’s needs, and technology changes fast. A system from just a few years ago might already be outdated. So, how do you choose the best one?
You need a system that works now and keeps up with future changes. It should fit your budget and work well with your IT team’s skills. To help decide, ask for a demo from an intranet supplier and consider these tips:
- Make sure the system allows two-way communication, not just top-down. Employees should be able to interact, not just receive information.
- The system should be easy to use. If it's hard, people won't use it.
- Choose a cloud-based platform that's quick and simple to set up.
- Make sure the system works smoothly with tools like Google Workspace or Microsoft 365.
- The intranet should reflect your company’s brand and goals.
- Ensure the system is mobile-friendly, so employees can use it on their phones.
- Finally, confirm it meets compliance and certification standards.
5. Build Your Team
Setting up an intranet needs teamwork. Bring together people from IT, different departments, and key decision-makers. Make sure to include remote workers too. This group can help figure out what your company needs and how the intranet can meet those needs.
6. Pick Your Platform
There are many ways to create an intranet, from pre-built options to custom ones. Consider your company’s needs and budget when choosing. Popular choices include platforms like SharePoint or WordPress, which have been around for years and are reliable.
7. Fill It with Content
Having an intranet is pointless if there’s no useful content. Before you start, decide how you will move or create content for the new system. Make sure your platform can handle large uploads and integrates well with other services.
To keep your intranet relevant, have a content strategy. Contributors need to know how to create, publish, and manage content, including getting rid of old information. An intranet with auto-cleanup tools can make this easy.
People are busy, so they tend to skim through digital content. Keep them engaged by organizing information clearly and using simple visuals.
- Group content by topic and keep it updated.
- Use catchy titles, short paragraphs, and useful links.
- Add visuals like real photos, infographics, or short videos.
- Avoid complicated language and jargon that can confuse people.
- Keep things lively. Let people interact with content by commenting or giving feedback.
8. Enhance Your Intranet
Once your team and platform are in place, it’s time to set up the intranet. This includes designing the layout and adding features as needed.
The key purpose of an intranet is to help employees easily find what they need to do their jobs. Involve employees in the design process to understand their requirements.
A good design can boost engagement. If it’s cluttered or hard to navigate, it won’t be used.
- Start with a clear, visually appealing homepage.
- Make sure it matches the company’s branding.
- Include tools and a strong search function for daily tasks.
- Have a space for important announcements and policies.
- Add an employee directory so people know who does what.
- Encourage interaction with discussion boards and surveys.
- Celebrate success by recognizing employee achievements.
- Include sections for well-being and company events.
- Make sure there’s a secure HR section for managing employee data.
Remember, your intranet should be a work tool but also offer some fun.
- Promote local cafes or new menu items at the office canteen.
- Create spaces for hobbies, like book clubs or travel recommendations.
- Run a contest to name your intranet and celebrate the winner!
Test your intranet during the entire process to make sure it meets company needs and works well.
9. Design a Great Homepage
The homepage is the first thing people see, so make it count! It needs to look great and provide quick access to essential tools and info. Keep it simple with:
- Links to important apps and tools for work.
- Spaces to stay updated on company news.
- Areas for employees to learn, connect, and engage with each other.
10. Launch and Maintain
Now it’s time to launch your intranet! Take the time to train your employees on how to use it, even if they helped create it. Keep an open door for feedback and be ready to make changes as needed.
Regularly review content and make updates to keep everything fresh and relevant. This way, your intranet will continue to meet your company’s needs.
Conclusion
The internets of today are very different from their complicated, bulky counterparts of twenty years ago. They are much simpler to think through and execute now that they have been greatly streamlined. They are the best option for establishing and maintaining order as well as for efficient communication between all organizational levels.
When implemented properly, intranets improve workplace culture by fostering more employee engagement and teamwork as well as creative problem-solving. Request a demo from an intranet portal development company to discover how easy it is to build an environment that will allow your staff to thrive and your business to grow!
