1. Using Team Sites Instead of Communication Sites for the Intranet Homepage

Mistake: Employing a Team Site as the main intranet portal.​

Why It’s a Problem: Team Sites are designed for collaboration among specific groups and come with Microsoft 365 Group integrations, which may introduce unnecessary features for an intranet.​

Best Practice: Utilize a Communication Site for the intranet homepage. Communication Sites are optimized for broad communication and are compatible with features like Viva Connections and Home Site designation.

2. Neglecting Metadata and Content Types

Mistake: Relying solely on folder structures without implementing metadata.​

Why It’s a Problem: Folders can become deeply nested, making content hard to find and manage.​

Best Practice: Define and apply consistent metadata and content types across libraries. This enhances searchability and allows for more dynamic content organization.

3. Overlooking Search Schema Configuration

Mistake: Failing to customize the search schema to reflect organizational content.​

Why It’s a Problem: Default search settings may not prioritize relevant content, leading to inefficient search results.​

Best Practice: Customize the search schema by defining managed properties and promoting important content through search result configurations.

4. Inadequate Permission Management

Mistake: Assigning excessive permissions, such as making all users Site Owners.​

Why It’s a Problem: Over-permissioning can lead to accidental deletions or unauthorized access to sensitive content.​ShareGate

Best Practice: Implement role-based access controls using SharePoint groups (Owners, Members, Visitors) and regularly audit permissions to ensure compliance. ​SharePoint Maven

5. Failing to Implement a Governance Plan

Mistake: Launching the intranet without defined policies and procedures.​Content Formula

Why It’s a Problem: Lack of governance can result in content sprawl, inconsistent site structures, and security risks.​

Best Practice: Develop a governance plan outlining site provisioning processes, content management policies, and user responsibilities. ​ShareGate

6. Not Leveraging Hub Sites for Unified Navigation

Mistake: Creating isolated sites without a centralized navigation system.​

Why It’s a Problem: Users may struggle to navigate between related sites, leading to a fragmented user experience.​

Best Practice: Use Hub Sites to connect related sites, providing consistent navigation, branding, and search capabilities across the intranet.

7. Ignoring Responsive Design and Mobile Optimization

Mistake: Designing the intranet without considering mobile users.​

Why It’s a Problem: A non-responsive design can hinder access for users on mobile devices, reducing overall engagement.​

Best Practice: Ensure that site pages and web parts are responsive and test the intranet on various devices to guarantee accessibility.

8. Underutilizing Audience Targeting

Mistake: Presenting the same content to all users, regardless of relevance.​

Why It’s a Problem: Users may be overwhelmed with information not pertinent to their role, leading to disengagement.​

Best Practice: Implement audience targeting to display content tailored to specific user groups based on their roles or departments. ​

9. Overcomplicating the Site Structure

Mistake: Creating a deep hierarchy of subsites and folders.​

Why It’s a Problem: Complex structures can make navigation and content management cumbersome.​

Best Practice: Adopt a flat architecture using modern site collections and Hub Sites, which simplifies navigation and enhances scalability.

10. Not Integrating with Microsoft Teams and Viva Connections

Mistake: Keeping the intranet separate from collaboration tools like Teams.​

Why It’s a Problem: Users spend significant time in Teams; a disconnected intranet can reduce visibility and usage.​

Best Practice: Integrate the SharePoint intranet with Microsoft Teams using Viva Connections, allowing users to access intranet content directly within Teams.