A perfect intranet homepage – 6 elements that you cannot miss!
They say that the first impression is the most important. Is there any difference in the case of your intranet homepage? After all, the homepage has a strategic role in operating the entire system! However, it is not only about the appearance itself but, most of all, about the functionality of all features.
What is important, you have to remember that no two intranets are the same. Each one is unique because it meets the specific needs of an organization. That is why the process of creating an intranet homepage design should be based on research done within the organization. What should you do to design the perfect intranet homepage?
Well-designed intranet homepage – is it even possible?
Of course, it is possible to have a well-designed intranet homepage! The key is to respect the space it gives you because the readability of the homepage is crucial. You cannot overfill the first page. If it were to happen, it would discourage your employees from using it!
The homepage is the heart of the entire platform. Of course, it should be eye-catching but also easy to navigate and intuitive. Therefore, consider the home page as a place to display general, most important updates and messages. Personalization will support overcoming the clutter. Think carefully about the layout of content on the website and take UX rules into account.
Try to vary the way your content is displayed. Use different fonts, sizes, banners, carousels. Publish your content hierarchically – the most important information should be at the top. Avoid long blocks of texts and links… Spice up the content with quality graphics and photos.
As the navigation is concerned, use a mega menu with logically grouped content areas and sub-menus. Long drop-down menus are inefficient as they are usually illegible and therefore irritating. An extensive search engine located at the top of the page will certainly be a great convenience, providing quick access to the content an employee needs.
How prevent the homepage from being overfilled?
It is very easy to say that the homepage cannot be overfilled but how to achieve it? The solution turns out to be content personalization. What does it mean? All the information, including the welcoming message, should be tailored to an individual user. In this way, the employee has quick access to content that will interest them or affect their work. The company may consist of many divisions, departments, and teams. Not all employees will be interested in the same information! Without personalized content, an employee can overlook something very significant that others can describe as only a detail.
Personalization also plays a significant role in building employee engagement. The ability to find the right information at the right time helps in carrying out daily duties. It makes it easier to organize the working day, considering the latest changes that the employee learns about on the intranet.
Provide your employees with the ability to customize some intranet functions by themselves. Let them choose which widgets they want to see on the homepage or create a list of favorite links. Do not forget that it is the main point of their digital workplace, so it should be as comfortable as possible.
Intranet homepage – strategic point of digital workplace
The homepage is where all the action happens. It should be treated as the main point of the digital workplace. Every day, all employees log in here to get all the information they need to start the work. What should be on it then? Which elements are compulsory?
1️⃣ Welcome message
Do not forget about a nice welcome message! You may say that it’s a detail, but this detail has great potential! With a friendly, personalized welcoming message, you can send positive vibes, make the employee feel valued and liked. That certainly boosts engagement.
2️⃣ News and updates
If you don’t want any important information or announcement to go unnoticed, allocate enough space on the website for them. Remember that the information should be significant to the user. Think about an engaging way of displaying them – the form of a banner or carousel will work.
3️⃣ List of quick links
Creating the list of most important or attractive content is another idea that will provide employees with better access to the information they need in their work. Moreover, they will be able to influence the creation of such a list by evaluating the content and its usefulness. It is also worth creating a list of articles popular in the last two weeks. It will improve the flow of news in the organization. The list of the most used applications will significantly shorten the time to reach them. You can always have the most necessary tools at hand.
4️⃣ Advanced Search Engine
A well-developed and intuitive search engine will simplify the life of your employees. Nothing is so irritating as the inability to find urgent information. Thanks to a search engine that uses artificial intelligence, you reduce this risk to a minimum.
5️⃣ Calendar and Event Management
Planning is essential at work. Quick access to the calendar allows for good organization of work time. It supports your employees in controlling upcoming deadlines.
6️⃣ Social Media Content
Create a dedicated area for your social media content. Put here the links to your profiles and share the last published posts. This way, your employees are always up to date with your publications without checking your profiles on multiple applications. They have simply everything on their intranet homepage.
Of course, having a perfect homepage is not enough. Provide your employees with a perfectly designed intranet to make the digital workplace work for them. Today, you can find multiple intranet design examples and inspirations to use in your organization. However, it is always good practice to use the proven solution delivered by a provider.
To sum up, building an intranet home page is an important endeavor! It requires vigilance when adjusting it to the needs of a user. It must be not only intuitive but also functional. It should also make the employee feel connected with the entire organization. The intranet homepage is a window on the organization world for your employees.
How can Workai help you design the perfect intranet homepage?
Workai helps organizations create the best intranet homepages. The implementation process of our ready-to-use platform is fast. The onboarding process is smooth, and it doesn’t require any technical skills from you. The ready-made blocks make it much easier to create internal communication content. Choosing Workai is the best way to create an intranet homepage that meets all the needs of an organization.