How to Create an Intranet for Your Small Business with WordPress (2023 Guide)

Hey there, small business owner! Are you looking for a better way to keep your team connected, aligned and productive? Have you outgrown email and chat apps for internal communication and file sharing? If so, it may be time to set up a company intranet.

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An intranet acts as a central hub where employees can access key information, documents, tools and updates. Research shows that intranets can increase employee productivity by 20-25% by breaking down silos and making it easier to find what they need to do their job.

The good news is, with WordPress, you can create a professional intranet quickly and affordably, without needing to hire developers. 43% of the web is built on WordPress, so it‘s a trusted and flexible solution.

In this guide, I‘ll walk you through the process of configuring WordPress as an intranet step-by-step. No tech skills needed – I‘ll explain everything in plain English and focus on getting you up and running with the essential features. Let‘s get started!

Why Use WordPress for Your Intranet

You might be wondering – isn‘t WordPress mostly for blogs and basic websites? While that‘s how it started, WordPress has evolved into a powerful content management system that can support all kinds of web applications, including intranets.

Here are a few reasons WordPress is ideal for small business intranets:

User-friendly interface – If you know how to use Microsoft Word, you can create pages and posts in WordPress. The admin dashboard is intuitive and the WYSIWYG editor makes formatting a breeze.
Customizable design – WordPress has thousands of pre-made themes you can install to change the look and feel of your intranet instantly. Many are free or very affordable. You can also customize colors, fonts, logos etc. without coding.
Extensible with plugins – The real power of WordPress is the massive library of plugins that can add new features and functionality. With 60,000+ free plugins, you can piece together everything from employee directories to event calendars to helpdesk ticketing systems.
Frequent updates – The WordPress core, as well as most themes and plugins, are frequently updated to add new features, fix bugs, and patch security vulnerabilities. You can update with a few clicks from the dashboard.
Affordable hosting – All you need to run WordPress is a basic web hosting account and a domain name, which can cost less than $10/month. Most hosting providers even have 1-click WordPress installers to get you up and running in minutes.

Sounds good? Great, let‘s walk through the basic steps to get your intranet off the ground.

Step 1: Choose Your Hosting Setup

First, you‘ll need to decide where to host your WordPress intranet. You have two main options:

Self-hosted on a private network – This means installing WordPress on a server that physically lives on your company premises and is only accessible from within the office network. It offers the highest level of control and security, but requires more technical setup and maintenance.
Cloud-hosted on a web server – This means installing WordPress on a web server from a hosting provider, so it‘s accessible from anywhere via the Internet. It‘s easier to manage and more convenient for remote teams, but requires proper security configurations.

For most small businesses, I recommend starting with cloud hosting, as it‘s simpler and more than secure enough with the right precautions. You can always migrate to a self-hosted setup later if needed.

Step 2: Install WordPress

Once you have your hosting account and domain name ready, it‘s time to install WordPress. Many hosts now offer 1-click installers like Fantastico or Softaculous right from the control panel. If yours doesn‘t, you can follow the famous WordPress 5-minute install.

During the install wizard, be sure to:

Choose a strong admin password
Give your site a generic title like "Company Portal"
Don‘t allow search engines to index the site

Once the install is complete, log into the WordPress admin dashboard (usually at yourdomain.com/wp-admin).

Step 3: Configure WordPress Settings

Before we start adding content and features, let‘s adjust a few key WordPress settings. Head to Settings > General and make the following changes:

Membership: Anyone can register (uncheck this)
New User Default Role: Subscriber
Timezone: Set to your local timezone
Date Format: Choose your preferred format

Next, go to Settings > Reading and do the following:

Discourage search engines from indexing this site (check this)
Your homepage displays: A static page
Homepage: Choose or create an "Intranet Home" page

Under Settings > Discussion, uncheck "Allow people to post comments on new articles". Finally, under Settings > Permalinks, select the "Post name" option for clean URLs.

Step 4: Install Essential Plugins

Now the fun part – extending WordPress with plugins to add must-have intranet features! Here are a few of my top recommendations:

BuddyPress – Adds social networking features like user profiles, activity feeds, direct messaging, and groups. The foundation of many WordPress intranets. Pair with the BuddyBoss Theme for an instant intranet design.
Ultimate Member – Powerful user profile and membership plugin. Allows you to create custom user roles, registration forms, directories and more. Offers more granular control than BuddyPress.
bbPress – Adds discussion forums to your intranet for topic-based conversations. Integrates seamlessly with BuddyPress.
ThriveCart – Intranet owners can use this WordPress shopping cart to sell internal products or to facilitate the checkout process for employee purchases.
The Events Calendar – Enables you to create a master calendar of company events, holidays, meetings etc. Employees can RSVP and get automated email reminders.
WP Job Manager – Post internal job openings and allow employees to submit applications through the intranet.
Documentor – Create a searchable knowledge base with how-to articles, FAQs, policies, and other important documentation. Employees can rate and comment on articles.
ProjectHuddle – Share creative assets for feedback and approval for internal marketing collateral and content creation.
WP ERP – A full-fledged enterprise resource planning solution including HR management, accounting, CRM and project management. Overkill for some, but powerful for fast-growing small businesses.

Install and activate the plugins that fit your needs. Each one will add new menu options to the WordPress dashboard where you can configure settings. Refer to their documentation for help.

Step 5: Lock Down Security and User Permissions

Security is critical for intranets, as they often contain sensitive company data. Here are a few best practices to harden WordPress:

Install a security plugin like Wordfence or Sucuri to monitor for brute force attacks and malware. They also add two-factor authentication options.
Follow the WordPress Security Checklist by WP Explore to properly configure user roles and capabilities.
Require users to set up strong passwords and enable password expiration.
Implement single sign-on via your G Suite or Office 365 account for seamless employee access
Restrict the intranet to your office IP address for self-hosted setups.
Keep WordPress core, plugins and themes updated.
Regularly backup the WordPress database and files.

I also recommend installing the Remove Dashboard Access plugin to prevent non-admin users from accessing the WordPress backend. Instead, they will be redirected to the intranet homepage. This prevents accidental changes and simplifies the user experience.

Step 6: Design Your Intranet Structure and Navigation

Now that the technical foundation is in place, it‘s time to plan out your intranet content and organization. The goal is to design an intuitive information architecture and navigation system so employees can find what they need quickly.

Start by mapping out the key sections and subsections of your intranet. Common top-level categories include:

Company Home (news, quick links, search)
Employee Directory (org chart, profiles, who‘s who)
Departments (sub-pages for each team)
Resources (benefits, policies, forms, templates)
Training (onboarding materials, how-to guides)
Projects (team sites, task management, wikis)
Social (forums, activity feeds, interest groups)

Create a Navigation Menu in WordPress under Appearance > Menus with your top-level sections. Add a search box in the header using the native WordPress search widget.

Tip: Use a "flat" hierarchy with minimal nested pages for better usability on mobile devices.

Step 7: Establish Guidelines and Encourage Adoption

Congrats, your WordPress intranet is ready to launch! But your work isn‘t done yet. To make your intranet successful, you need to drive adoption with proactive communication and change management.

Consider doing the following:

Announce the intranet launch with an company-wide email and demo video
Schedule lunch-and-learn training sessions on key features
Encourage executives to post updates and participate in discussions
Assign department admins to keep content fresh and relevant
Run contests and spotlight power users to generate excitement
Survey employees quarterly for feedback and ideas
Add new features and integrations as your intranet matures

Remember, an intranet is only as valuable as the information and activity it contains. Make it the go-to resource for employees and celebrate your wins together!

Common Questions and Troubleshooting

What‘s the best WordPress hosting provider?
I recommend Kinsta, WP Engine and SiteGround for their performance, security and support. For self-hosted intranets, try Microsoft Azure or Amazon AWS.
How much does it cost to run a WordPress intranet?
Hosting starts at $10-30/month from reputable providers. Premium plugins and themes can add anywhere from $100-500/year depending on your needs. Most small businesses can get started for under $1,000 all-in.
How do I migrate from another intranet platform?
If moving from another self-hosted app, you can export and import the database via phpMyAdmin. For cloud platforms, look for data export tools, then use the WordPress Importer Plugin or convert CSV files. Consult with an expert if you have a lot of data.
What if I have a remote team?
Cloud-hosted WordPress intranets are ideal for distributed teams, as they can log in from anywhere. Just be sure to enforce security best practices like strong passwords and two-factor authentication.
How do I backup my WordPress intranet?
Install a plugin like UpdraftPlus or BackupBuddy and schedule daily backups to Amazon S3 or Dropbox. For self-hosted setups, include the files and database in the regular server backup image.

Inspiration and Resources

Looking for inspiration for your WordPress intranet? Check out these examples:

For more tips, tutorials and best practices, bookmark these sites:

Lastly, if you need personalized help scoping and implementing your WordPress intranet, feel free to reach out to me for consulting. I‘d be happy to jump on a call and discuss your needs.

Happy intranet building!

John Smith
WordPress Intranet Consultant
yourwebsite.com