8 Vital Tips to Create Potent SharePoint Team Sites

A SharePoint Team Site helps you to share your thoughts, opinions, and ideas with team members. You can also exchange and synchronize content and information, find insights, and work in a more collaborative way. The platform is quite popular mainly because of its versatility. The numbers speak for themselves as 200,000 organizations use SharePoint worldwide for content management.

In this article we’ll help you incorporate SharePoint in your organization and build productive SharePoint Team Pages, but also ensure that you earn the full ROI on your investment in SharePoint. Here are 8 tips on how to build an effective SharePoint Team Site, based on our experiences.

Tip 1: Construct Your SharePoint Team Site

Think about what your top-level sub-sites are and how you’re going to organize the second and third-level sites as you begin to draft your SharePoint Team Site content and material. Navigation to all the key containers with a basic, clear hierarchy should be included on your homepage, so you can find your information and details faster.

You’d be surprised that a lot of users depend entirely on the smart search feature while choosing to ignore the structure. Although this is a fantastic feature, the end users will often not know which keywords to use to locate the documents they are searching for. They will, however, have a general idea of which libraries to navigate through to find the documents. A structured framework can be very beneficial and significant in increasing the efficiency and productivity of your team.

Tip 2: Modify Your Site Navigation

To customize your site's navigation, you can add, delete, or edit the links on the top navigation bar or the fast launch bar (on the left-hand side, see the image below). This makes it easier for users to find their way around your site. "Click one of the "EDIT LINKS’ options on the homepage of the team site to get started.

If for whatever reason you do not see a "Delete LINKS" option on the homepage of your team, you may not be able to make changes, or your admin may have customized the site to not include the "EDIT LINKS" option on the homepage of the team site. Before you can configure your team site, you need to be a site owner or be granted permission.

Tip 3: Keep in Mind Cross-Device Usability

The fact that your team can access the content from any computer or device at any time is another admired advantage of using a SharePoint Team Site. All that is required is an internet connection. However you need to configure your SharePoint Team Site to be cross-device compatible to ensure that your SharePoint Team Site can be conveniently accessed on all different platforms. Here are a handful of tips:

Sometimes if the top navigation bar and quick launch bar are too long, they won't show on the device being used. Make sure to keep it short and sweet.

To style your content to various devices make sure your SharePoint Team Site uses device channels (part of the SharePoint publishing infrastructure).

Tip 4: On your Homepage Incorporate the Most Frequently Updated Pages

Consider this, what would you like to see on the landing page if you were using a team site for the first time? Would you be able to easily find the content you need if you were a new employee at your organization? Think of the pages that are updated most often and draw more end users. When developing your SharePoint Team Site it’s important to ponder about these things. Good examples include news sites, promotions, corporate activities, job openings, surveys, etc. Display these pages on your homepage with web parts.

Tip 5: Visuals

Simply using text is good and all, however images communicate more effectively. Visuals can offer an exciting look and feel on the homepage of your SharePoint Team Site and can increase the usage rate. In order to improve user engagement, a simple slideshow with pictures of your team is a good element.

Tip 6: Include an Introduction and Guidance

One of the most important things that many users forget to include is a welcoming message at the top of the homepage with a quick introduction to the portal. We recommend including tips like: how to use the SharePoint Team Site. At the end of the introduction, be sure to add a link to an instruction manual that your end users can download. This will serve as a self-training document when your team site is launched and when new hires join your team.

A welcome message on the top of the homepage with a short introduction to the portal is one of the most important items that many users fail to include. Tips such as how to use the SharePoint Team Site, how to keep libraries coordinated, and how to tag. Add a link to comprehensive instructions at the end of the introduction that can be accessed by your end users. When your team site is launched and when new hires join your team, this will serve as self-training content.

Tip 7: Organize Your SharePoint Team Site by Using a Flat Structure

The grouping of your data by metadata rather than files is one of the things you can do with your SharePoint Team Sites. This is referred to as a "flat structure" and relies on marking the content in a particular way. In previous years, this "flat structure with marking" has been commonly used. The three main advantages of a flat structure implementation are:

When you're trying to find the content you need most, you don't have to dig through several layers of folders.

When you use a flat structure approach, you do not need to worry about mistakenly saving content in the wrong folder.

The length of your URL is kept short. There’s a 400-character maximum limit, each folder adds to the length of the URL

If you're going for a flat structure, make sure to correctly plan end-user training and education on how to properly tag your content. One of the downsides of the flat structure is that when you search using common keywords, the search results can be overwhelming. If your end users incorrectly tag your content, it will take longer to locate the correct information/documents and may even lead to loss of information. That is why proper planning and training/education for end-users is a vital part of using your SharePoint team site's flat structure.

Tip 8: Make Changes & Be Flexible

SharePoint is a customizable platform that you can tailor to fit your needs. Have a pilot phase when you first design your SharePoint Team Site, where you can see how it is used by your end users. Be sure to get input from your end users during the pilot period and then make the requisite adjustments to make it your very own team site that meets the needs of your team.

When your team uses your SharePoint Team Site, you will discover expectations and preferences from them that the Team Site does not quite satisfy. SharePoint is a very flexible platform that is highly customizable. This can be used to create an entirely personalized app and platform to suit the distinct needs of your company.

Interested in learning more? Contact us today!

Canada's Top Dating Apps 2020

Online dating sites and apps give those looking for love a chance to see what's out there beyond the other places you meet people in the city. There are apps that bring together people with similar interests, apps designed for encounters even more casual than what Tinder delivers, and profile-heavy apps that really get into the specifics of users’ personalities. If you’ve been dating via apps, you’ve almost certainly thought about Tinder but, there’s actually a whole slew of other dating apps that may be even more useful for you.

2020’s Most Popular Dating Apps 

Match Dating

With more than 100k downloads on Google Playstore, Match Dating has been considered the most popular online dating app in Canada. Users that download this app are looking for serious or long-term relationships. 

Match Dating allows users to comment on other’s photos and they have control of who can view and like their profile. 

Features of the Match Dating app:

• Users can set preferences for their profile and choose new matches every day with the daily matches feature.

• Match Dating has the Topic feature which helps users to start a conversation with a new match. 

• Smart Filter Settings allows users to modify their settings to receive messages only from the singles that match their preferences. 

Clover

Clover dating app is very similar to Tinder and Bumble where users swipe less and date more, and it is available for Android and iOS platforms. Clover has a unique chatroom called “Mixers” that gives users a more exclusive experience. The app is available for straight, bisexual, lesbian and gay people that are looking for their perfect match.  

The dating app has a 20-questions quiz that goes beyond the basic information that a lot of other dating apps ask for. Specify whether you’re using it for friends, a hookup, or dating to make sure you find someone looking for the same. 

Features of the Clover App:

• Clover search filters allow users to narrow down their preferences to relationship intention, body type, height, ethnicity, occupation, and much more. 

• Users can choose the location and age of their future matches and also change the settings to who can view their online status and location. 

Bumble

Bumble is one of a kind online dating app, with more than 30 million users, Bumble is the place to make connections and relationships, it is considered to be a networking app. 

Features of Bumble:

• On Bumble Date, the females always initiate the conversation, and instead of collecting matches, you’re motivated to actually talk, with matches expiring after 24 hours.

• Bumble BFF was created for people who want to make new friends in a new city or expand a friend circle.

• On Bumble Bizz, users have the opportunity to create new career opportunities and find mentors to help them professionally. 

Zoosk 

Zoosk is considered to be one of the best dating apps that has a Behavioural Matchmaking system, which helps users find their perfect match.

Zoosk offers a very secure method to verify its users with a 7-second selfie video verification. Moreover, in order for users to be able to enjoy the app they need to get verified by their social media account and phone number. 

Features of the Zoosk App:

• One of the interesting things about Zoosk is that it offers the Carousel options which  easily allows users to go through other profiles that they could potentially match with. 

• Zoosk offers advanced search filters which allows users to narrow down their preferences such as age, education, sexuality, age, body, and education.  

Tinder

Tinder is the most popular dating app around single people. Tinder is well known because it has made above 30 billion matches and it reaches 26 million matches every day. 

Many have tried to create an app like Tinder with the Swipe Left and Right feature, but at the end of the day they end up getting called as “other apps like Tinder” or “Tinder-like apps”. 

Features of Tinder: 

• Tinder offers the Tinder Plus option which allows users to give unlimited likes, they can change their preferences to anywhere around the world, they can rewind to take a second look at a profile, it gives users super likes and one free boost per month. 

• Tinder Gold is another option for users, it provides more profile controls and gives users five extra super likes to give them a better chance to find their perfect match.

Lavalife

Lavalife has over 50,000 downloads on Google Playstore, it became famous for being a great app for Canadians on the go. The best feature of the app is that it allows users to have a better experience with the browsing feature that shows users profiles in the list, as well as a grid.

One of the most unique features of Lavalife is the “In Common”, which gives users the opportunity to see exactly what made other profiles like them. 

Features of Lavalife:

• LavaLounge is of the features that allows users to find local matches and interesting people around them. 

• Instant Messaging. 

• Users can check who viewed their profile and make new connections with them.

• Users can also “Favourite” the matches that they like the most to check on them later.

OkCupid

The classic dating site, OK Cupid’s app puts more thought into your matches than much of the average competition, with more attention paid to the profile. It requires a little more work on your part, but you will learn more about your matches with this app than most others.

OkCupid is an app that provides a different experience when it comes to messaging to give users the chance of having a deeper and more thoughtful conversation. The online requirement is that users answer a few unique questions so the matchmaker app can easily connect them with the perfect match. 

Features of OkCupid:

• OkCupid is a free app that gives users the chance to see who liked their profile without having to like them back.

• It allows users to have access to exclusive features that the app offers. 

Hoop Dating App 

Hoop Dating App has already had 500k downloads on Google Play. It is connected to Snapchat, which allows users to connect with their friends on Snapchat. The app has the same features as the other apps which gives users the opportunity to download their own images and go through profiles and they can either accept or reject them. 

Hoop Dating App is very serious when it comes to privacy of its users, it doesn’t reveal the Snapchat usernames unless they are mutual friends on the app. 

Features of the Hoop Dating App: 

• The app allows users to earn diamonds by participating in a reward program, all they have to do is complete certain daily tasks such as using the app regularly, making new connections, sharing profiles and other activities. The diamonds give users access to exclusive features.

• The users have the option to accept or decline requests from others profiles. This feature ensures full users safety. 

If you are interested in learning more or want to create your own app, contact us today! 

Best Takeaways from the 5 Monkeys' Experiment

You must be thinking: what on earth is the five monkeys’ experiment? I thought the five monkeys just jumped on a bed until they all fell off. However, that is not the analogy in the software world. 

Imagine: you, a researcher, put five monkeys into a cage, and there’s a bunch of bananas dangling from a string but are only accessible by a ladder. When monkey number one tries to go for the bananas, the researcher then sprays all five of them with freezing water for five minutes.

After a while, the second monkey then attempts to grab a banana, but inevitably does not succeed because the researcher sprays them again, this time only with cold water. When the third monkey attempts, the other four swarm the ladder because they are afraid of more retribution. The researcher then begins replacing each monkey one at a time with a new one that was not involved with the water experiment.

In short, the new monkeys learn quickly not to go for temptation, especially if it's bananas. If the researcher hypothesized asking the monkeys why they refrained from going for the bananas, the answer would be “because that’s the way it’s always been done”.

Now, what can we take away from the five monkeys’ experiment?

There has been discussion if the five monkeys’ experiment even actually occurred. Even just as an analogy, there’s a lot that business owners and CEOs can learn. A major take away from the experiment is that it explains a lot about persuasiveness of traditions within an organization.

Traditions are a common factor in every organization, especially if the bulk of the workforce has been around for a while. With that being said, sometimes those tried and true traditions can often be destructive to the progress in the workplace. This is especially the case when new employees are introduced and aren’t allowed to express new ideas. 

If businesses only ever focus on doing a project the way it’s always been done, because “that’s how it’s done”, more often than not, organizations will be blinded without knowing the new ways they can get the “banana”, also known as the end goal. 

Consequently, the five monkeys’ experiment demonstrates 3 important lessons that we need to always be thinking about:

1. To change perspective on an idea and the way we look at things in general

2. To question things that seem off

3. To limit the use of the phrase “we’ve always done it this way” to avoid trying new ways of doing something

In short, if we want the “banana”, sometimes we need to work a little harder for it by coming up with creative ways to strive or even letting new employees try new techniques.

You Want to Avoid the Five Monkeys’ Experiment “Syndrome”:

There is certainly no hiding the idea of digital and cloud transformation growing so rapidly, forcing the way employees communicate while working with one another.

This means that having a “we’ve always done it this way” mindset will no longer be a viable method on how to operate your organization.

Here are 2 crucial questions to take into consideration:

1. Does your organization’s culture encourage open dialogue and collaboration?

In this era, it is important that you take the time to integrate open dialogue and collaboration within your workplace. This is because it helps with keeping your employees interested in continuing to work with you.

Collaboration is a huge part of the workforce today – it is not only encouraged by employees it is demanded!

We use Cloud-based programs such as Office 365, Skype for Business, Workplace by Facebook, and others. When we use these programs it gives us the opportunity to show our employees the value of their input as well as the face that we are open to accepting additional options or opinions. This is a completely opposite spectrum to the five monkeys’ experiment.

2. Does your organization reward and recognize innovative thinkers?

We don’t want to look like robot employees, we want to be able to engage with our employees, and we can do this by rewarding and encouraging them.

To help do this while avoiding the five monkeys’ syndrome, we must encourage our employees to look for new techniques to reach the “banana”. In the process of this we can recognize the employees who come up with new ideas, or even if they fail.

In this circumstance, failure is not a negative, failure is something that everyone can learn from. Just ask Elon Musk.

Do you think your organization is stuck in a Five Monkeys’ Experiment?

The lessons learned from the five monkeys’ experiment are understandable and we need to stop pushing away our creativity with cold water. We need to make it possible for every employee to express themselves and take risks. As well as accepting the failure that may come.

Creating and promoting a better, more innovative workplace one day at a time.

If you’re looking to break through from your very own Five Monkeys’ Experiment, then reach out and talk to one of our experts here at ISU Corp!