Best intranets | Online communications

Mobile sites and social features dominate Jakob Nielsen’s annual list of top internal websites

Intranets are getting more mobile, according to usability expert Jakob Nielsen. Some 30 percent of the Nielsen’s “10 Best Intranets of 2010” had special mobile features, he reports.

Here are some approaches you can steal from these award-winning sites:

Create a separate design for mobile users. Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), for instance, built a dedicated application instead of a site to optimize the design for the iPhone.
Develop social features for individuals. Walmart, for instance, offers discussion and profile pages. Trend Micro’s TrendSpace includes employee-contributed content. MITRE’s social bookmarking service lets employees share their favorite links. And GE offers commenting and rating features.
Use blogs to show executives’ “human face.” Walmart’s executive profiles highlight personal experiences and interests as well as work experience. And Trend Micro offers semiannual online meetings where employees can engage directly with the executives.