How to Make Your Next Intranet a Success?

Below, we’ve outlined seven proven success factors to help you plan a successful intranet that meets today’s digital workplace demands and evolves with your organization’s needs. 

If you want to learn more about how to implement a successful intranet, check out our popular, long-running webinar.

A well-defined governance model is a cornerstone of any successful intranet. It outlines clear responsibilities, rules for content management, compliance requirements, and user roles—ensuring consistent quality and security across the platform. Good governance also aligns the intranet with your broader business goals, helping to prioritize content, workflows, and user needs during planning and over time.

Be sure to include key stakeholders from communications, HR, IT, and business units when setting up your governance structure.

Effective internal communication is a primary driver of intranet value. As you plan your intranet, develop a clear communication strategy that defines audiences, goals, and the types of content you’ll need to publish. Empower local and global communicators with tools, templates, and scheduling features to keep the intranet active and relevant.

A successful communication plan ensures the intranet becomes the go-to source for updates, resources, and strategic messaging.

Modern intranet platforms offer powerful tools for content creation, publishing, and collaboration. Your intranet planning strategy should include a review of platform capabilities and integrations to ensure they meet user needs across functions and locations. Focus on features that drive consistency—like templates, branding controls, social tools, and integrations with Microsoft 365 or other key systems. Choosing the right tools up front will streamline launch and long-term management.

Want to see key features in action? Check out our post on top intranet features. 

User experience (UX) is a make-or-break factor for intranet success. As you plan your intranet, prioritize intuitive navigation, a modern visual design, and mobile responsiveness. Employees should be able to quickly find what they need, from anywhere. Consider involving end users in early design reviews or testing. Gathering feedback pre-launch helps tailor the experience and improves adoption. Continually evolve the UX based on behavior data and user insights. 

Even the best-planned intranet needs consistent adoption to deliver value. During intranet planning, define an adoption and change management plan that includes training, stakeholder engagement, and launch campaigns. Use champions and early adopters to build internal momentum, and regularly communicate the intranet’s benefits.

Highlight features that save time, improve collaboration, or support key processes to encourage ongoing use.

With hybrid work becoming the norm, planning for mobile access is essential. Your intranet should be optimized for all devices, ensuring that frontline staff and remote employees can stay connected and informed—regardless of location or schedule. Check that navigation, search, and key services (like HR forms or company news) are accessible and easy to use on mobile.

A mobile intranet is a vital part of a truly inclusive digital workplace. 

You can’t improve what you don’t measure. As part of your intranet planning, define which analytics you’ll use to evaluate success—such as user engagement, content performance, search trends, or page visits. Build dashboards that track adoption, identify content gaps, and highlight areas for improvement.

Use this data to continuously refine your strategy and demonstrate ROI to stakeholders. 

A successful intranet doesn’t happen by accident. It requires clear goals, strong governance, user-centric design, and ongoing improvement. By following these intranet planning best practices, you’ll set your organization up for long-term intranet success—delivering value from day one and well into the future. 

Want to learn more about how to plan, implement, and manage a successful intranet? Download our free document to learn more: Step-by-Step Guide to Achieving Intranet Success.