How to build a SharePoint site that actually works for your people

If you use Microsoft 365, you already have access to one of the most powerful collaboration tools around: SharePoint. It is the foundation for many modern intranets, bringing together content, communication and teamwork in one secure place. 

But let’s be honest, building your first SharePoint site can feel intimidating. You open SharePoint, see a blank homepage and wonder where to start. What kind of site do you need? How do you make it look right and work smoothly for everyone? 

In this guide, we’ll explain how to build a SharePoint. You’ll learn the difference between sites and pages, how to set up and customize your layout, add content and functionality and manage permissions like a pro. Let’s help you build something your team will actually enjoy using. 

What a SharePoint site really is 

A SharePoint site is your team’s digital workspace, a secure place to create, share and collaborate on content. It can hold documents, news, calendars, task lists and anything else that keeps projects moving and teams productive. 

There are two main types of sites: 

• Team sites are built for collaboration. They connect to Microsoft 365 groups and come with shared files, Teams and Planner. 

• Communication sites are designed for broadcasting information to a wider audience, like company news or department updates. 

Every site is made up of pages, which are the building blocks of your content. Think of it like this: 

• A site is the house. 

• A page is the room where things happen. 

Today’s modern SharePoint sites are fast, responsive and far easier to build than older versions. Once you know which type fits your goal, you’ll be ready to start creating. 

Step 1: Create your SharePoint site 

Getting started is easier than it looks. 

1. Go to SharePoint in Microsoft 365. 
2. Select + Create site. 
3. Choose either a Team site or a Communication site. 
4. Select a template that reflects your use case; e.g., Department, Showcase, or Standard for full control. 
5. Enter a site name and short description. 
6. Adjust your privacy settings to decide who can access it. 
7. Select Finish to build your site. 

SharePoint will instantly create a working site with a clean default layout and a few example pages to get you started. From here, the fun begins… making it yours. 

Step 2: Design it to fit your brand 

Once your site exists, the next step is giving it personality. A great SharePoint site doesn’t just work well, it looks and feels like part of your organization. 

Here’s where to focus: 

• Choose a theme. Go to Settings → Change the look → Theme to apply your brand colors and style. 

• Apply custom fonts. Use your organization’s fonts configured in the SharePoint Brand Center. Under Fonts apply a specific font to your site. 

• Add your logo. Under Header → Site logo, upload your organization’s logo for instant recognition. 

• Tidy your header and footer. Decide how much information belongs at the top and bottom of each page. 

• Simplify navigation. Use Edit navigation to reorder or rename links so people can find what they need quickly. 

If you have a Fresh intranet, your branding configuration and navigation structure will automatically align with your organization’s requirements, so you can skip the guesswork and start building right away. 

Keep your design simple and consistent. A clean structure builds trust and helps users feel at home. 

Step 3: Add pages, content and functionality 

This is where your SharePoint site comes to life. Pages and web parts turn a blank canvas into something useful. 

• Add a page. Select New → Page from your homepage or Site contents. Choose a layout that fits your goal, like News or About, and configure the content sections (e.g., flexible, one column, and two columns). 

• Add web parts. Web parts are modular blocks that hold text, images, videos or dynamic content like lists and news feeds. Use the + icon on the page body to insert and configure them. 

• Upload documents. Store files in your Documents library so your team can work together in real time. 

• Highlight key information. Use web parts like Hero, Quick Links and News to surface what matters most. 

• Organize with lists and libraries. Lists track data such as tasks or contacts, while libraries handle version history and document management. 

If you’re using Fresh, you’ll find ready-made templates, personalization options and design-enabled components that make it faster to create consistent, high-quality pages across your intranet.  

Step 4: Manage permissions and access 

A beautiful SharePoint site is useless if the wrong people have access, or if the right people don’t. Managing permissions keeps your information secure while helping collaboration thrive. 

1. Go to Settings → Site Permissions.
2. You’ll see three standard groups: 
   1. Owners: full control over site settings and permissions. 
   2. Members: can add and edit content. 
   3. Visitors: can view content only.
3. Select Invite people to add users or groups. 
4. Choose their role, owner, member or visitor. 

For larger organizations, it’s best to manage access through Microsoft 365 Groups or Active Directory so permissions update automatically as teams change. 

If you plan to work with partners or clients, external sharing is an option too. Just make sure your admin has it enabled before sending any invitations. 

Build a better SharePoint site, together 

Building a SharePoint site doesn’t have to be complicated. With the right setup and design, it becomes the digital home where your teams connect, collaborate and get work done. 

Fresh helps organizations get even more from SharePoint with ready-made templates, personalization and design-enabled components that make creating and managing intranets effortless. Built on SharePoint, and integrating natively with Microsoft 365 services such as, Teams, Viva Connections, and Viva Engage, Fresh runs in your Microsoft environment, complies with your security standards and can help you launch an on-brand intranet, quickly. 

Your intranet should bring people together, not hold them back. Fresh works with a network of trusted partners who can help you create a SharePoint experience that connects everyone, inside and outside your organization.  Get in touch to find out more.