For many SMEs, the idea of launching or improving a SharePoint intranet often starts with big goals:
Better communication, streamlined processes and fewer document silos.
But, in reality, it can get messy, fast.
Teams end up with a cluttered homepage with unused links, no one can find that holiday booking form and policies are scattered across email chains.
This guide helps you create a SharePoint intranet that your team actually want to use.
What to include in your business internet | Web Parts for Business SharePoint
Based on real experiences working with fast-paced organisations over the past decade, we’ve compiled a practical guide on what to include in your intranet and how to start building it. Explore below to discover some of our exclusive Web Parts for your business SharePoint.
One place for everything important
“Where’s that client onboarding checklist again?”
Your intranet should be a single, central hub where people can:
- Access templates, policy documents and internal tools.
- Get to their key apps and dashboards without trawling through their inbox.
- See what’s happening across the organisation this week and next.
Tips to get started:
- Create a clean homepage with clear links, a live calendar and important documents front and centre.
- Use the CDB Promoted Links Web Part to highlight your most-used tools and resources. It’s flexible, dynamic and incredibly easy to update.
A central place for news and updates
“I didn’t even see that update.”
Emails get buried. Your intranet should be your team’s go-to place for the latest updates, whether that’s operational information, team news or new processes.
Tips to get started:
- Add a news feed and pin key updates to the top.
- Set a habit of sharing internal news here first, not last.
- Add eye-catching alert banners for important announcements at the top of your SharePoint Homepage with our exclusive CDB Alerts Web Parts is great for a business SharePoint. Pair with the CDB News Ticker in the Mega Menu to surface important headlines.
Navigation that matches your team’s workflow
“I just want to get to the right file.”
If your people are stuck guessing where documents live or clicking endlessly through folders, they’re not going to use your intranet.
Tips to get started:
- Group pages and tools by how people actually work.
- Keep navigation simple, clean, and role-specific.
- Use the CDB Mega Menu with custom headings and personalised My Links to help everyone find what they need, fast.
Tools for everyday collaboration
“Can we just all use the same version of the document?”
Your intranet should reduce email chains and version chaos. Instead, create working spaces where teams can share and collaborate on files, plan projects and save useful resources.
Tips to get started:
- Build out team-specific SharePoint sites.
- Use these spaces to manage documents, meetings and internal comms.
- With CDB templates and architecture advice, your teams get collaborative workspaces that feel tailored to you.
Culture that feels connected, even remotely
“It’s nice when people get recognised.”
Whether you’re remote, hybrid or in the office, your intranet can play a big role in shaping organisational culture.
Tips to get started:
- Celebrate milestones, successes and new joiners.
- Personalise pages with real people and stories.
- The CDB Staff Directory allows you to show contact details for colleagues from their Microsoft 365 profiles, with filters for name, job title, department and location.
Meanwhile, use the CDB Birthdays and Anniversaries Web Part to mark staff milestones, and CDB Highlight Employee to feature a different team member each month.
Accessible anywhere, anytime
“Can I check this on my phone between meetings?”
If your intranet doesn’t work on the move, it won’t work at all for busy staff.
Tips to get started:
- Optimise your homepage for mobile.
- Integrate SharePoint into Microsoft Teams.
- With Viva Connections support in Cloud Design Box, you can pin your intranet right into the Teams mobile app, making it accessible in just two taps.
How to build an intranet everyone your SME will love
At Cloud Design Box, we specialise in SharePoint and Microsoft 365 solutions that make sense for organisations of all sizes.
We offer:
- Fully branded intranet hubs tailored to your workflows
- Custom architecture designed for simplicity, scalability and speed
- Exclusive SharePoint Web Parts built for busy employees
- Support and training to get all your staff up and running fast
With Cloud Design Box, your intranet becomes your organisation’s digital HQ. Book a demo with Cloud Design Box to see how it could work for you.
