Internet vs. Intranet
Chances are your company already has an internet website so what is the value in having an intranet? The Internet site stores information related to the company history, products and services, locations, contact information, and possibly a method to enter order or request information. Most people have visited many Internet sites however those same people have only been exposed to a maximum of one intranet for each organization they have been employed with. It is easy to evaluate the use of an Internet site since the exposure level is so high but it can be difficult to identify the value and contents that should be contained in the intranet.
Consider these aspects and how they are very different between an Internet presence and
a corporate intranet.
| Aspect | Internet | Intranet |
| Business Goals | Communication, support marketing, sell products. | Broad goals including but not limited to communication of information accurately while improving staff efficiency. |
| Audience | External users with a limited understanding of the organization. | Internal employees with a good understanding of the organization. |
| Efficiency | Pages must display in reasonable time frame, however, messages and graphics may purposely be introduced to make a point even though the pages are delayed in being presented. |
The primary goal of the site is to improve staff efficiency. Unnecessary content deters from productivity. |
| Size and Content | Small to medium with minimal changes to the content, possibly weekly or monthly on an actively changing site. | Medium to Massive with content changing hourly. |
| Content | Narrow, centered around key products and services. | Broad, varied types and content focused on the tools needed to perform their job. |
| Presentation | Appearance or Pizzazz is very important. |
Consistency is more important than appearance. |
| Authors | Often centralized. | Often decentralized. |
