Unlocking the Power of SharePoint Hub Sites

SharePoint Hub Sites have revolutionized the way organizations structure and connect their intranet, making it easier to find relevant content, promote collaboration, and maintain a consistent user experience. In this blog, we'll explore the concept of SharePoint Hub Sites, their benefits, and how to implement them effectively. 

What are SharePoint Hub Sites? 

Hub Sites are a feature in SharePoint Online that allows you to group related sites together, creating a familial and logical tie between them. By declaring a site as a Hub Site, you can unify branding, navigation, and content discovery across associated sites. 

Benefits of SharePoint Hub Sites

1. Consistent user experience: Hub Sites provide a unified navigation structure and branding across associated sites, making it easier for users to navigate and find relevant content.
2. Content discovery: Hub Sites enable users to easily find news, events, and other content across associated sites, improving content discovery and reducing the time spent searching for information.
3. Flexibility: Hub Sites are flexible and can be easily rebranded as organizational structures change and evolve.
4. Collaboration: Hub Sites promote collaboration by connecting related sites and making it easier for users to find and engage with relevant content.

How to Implement SharePoint Hub Sites

1. Create a Hub Site: Declare a site as a Hub Site by either a site owner or a SharePoint Administrator.
2. Associate sites to the Hub: Connect related sites to the Hub Site, creating a familial and logical tie between them.
3. Plan Hub Navigation: Establish the Hub Navigation, which appears above the local navigation on each site, just below the suite bar.
4. Search across associated sites: A Search Box on the Main Hub now searches across other sites within a Hub, making it easier to find relevant content.

Steps to create a hub site in SharePoint Online

1. Go to Active sites in the SharePoint admin center, and sign in with an account that has admin permissions for your organization.

2. Select the site, select Hub on the command bar, and then select Register as hub site.

   

3. Enter a display name for the hub site, and specify the individual users or security groups you want to allow to associate sites with the hub.

   

4. Select Save.

Use Cases for SharePoint Hub Sites

1. Small businesses: A single Hub Site can tie the Intranet Site together, providing consistent navigation and experience within the Intranet.
2. Large organizations: Multiple Hub Sites can be used to organize content and promote collaboration across different departments or teams.

Best Practices for SharePoint Hub Sites

1. Plan your Hub Sites: Carefully consider the purpose of each site and the relationship between them when creating Hub Sites.
2. Use Hub Navigation: Establish Hub Navigation to provide a consistent navigation experience across associated sites.
3. Connect Hubs together: Use navigation links and associated hubs to connect Hub Sites together, creating a more cohesive intranet.
4. Use local navigation: Use local navigation to provide a persistent experience to allow site visitors to move back and forth among the pages and content.

In conclusion, SharePoint Hub Sites are a powerful tool that can help organizations improve collaboration, content discovery, and user experience. By carefully planning and implementing Hub Sites, you can create a more cohesive and effective intranet that promotes collaboration and information sharing.