How to Make a SharePoint Site Look Like a Professional Website

SharePoint is one of the most versatile platforms within the Microsoft 365 ecosystem, and while it is commonly recognized as a powerful intranet solution, its true potential goes far beyond that. With the right creativity, thoughtful design, and smart configuration, SharePoint can be transformed into a visually appealing, modern website that not only meets organizational needs but also delights its users.

Traditionally, organizations have used SharePoint to build intranet portals—spaces where employees access news, announcements, policies, and documents. However, modern SharePoint, with its advanced site templates, page layouts, and integration with Microsoft 365 tools, allows businesses to design engaging portals that rival standalone websites in terms of functionality and aesthetics. Whether the goal is to create a central hub for employees or an external-facing site to share resources with partners, clients, or vendors, SharePoint provides the flexibility to bring that vision to life.

A well-designed SharePoint site starts with strong visual customization. Using modern site templates, themes, and web parts, you can design homepages that highlight important updates, embed videos, display event calendars, or even integrate Power BI dashboards for real-time insights. SharePoint also offers responsive layouts, ensuring that content looks just as good on mobile devices as it does on desktops—an essential feature in today’s hybrid and mobile-first work culture.

Beyond design, SharePoint delivers powerful content management and collaboration features. Version control, metadata tagging, and document libraries ensure information is easy to organize and retrieve, while permissions and governance settings provide secure access tailored to user roles. Adding integration with Microsoft Teams, OneDrive, and Power Automate allows you to extend collaboration, automate workflows, and make your SharePoint site a true digital workplace.

For external use, SharePoint can be configured as a secure sharing platform where stakeholders outside your organization can access curated content without compromising internal security. This makes it a great tool for customer portals, vendor collaboration sites, or project-specific hubs.

Ultimately, SharePoint’s strength lies in its adaptability. It is not limited to being “just an intranet.” With the right approach, you can transform it into a modern, dynamic website that aligns with your brand identity, enhances user engagement, and supports both internal and external communication goals. Organizations that invest in thoughtful SharePoint design unlock its full potential—turning a simple intranet into a strategic asset that drives collaboration, communication, and productivity.

1. How to Make a SharePoint Site Look Like
a Professional Website
SharePoint Services
SharePoint is widely used as an intranet platform, but with
a little creativity and configuration, it can be transformed
into a visually appealing, modern website whether for
internal use or external sharing. In this guide, we’ll walk you
through how to make your SharePoint site look and feel like
a real website.
Why Make SharePoint Look Like a Website?
Before diving into the how-to, let’s understand the benefits:
User Engagement: Modern, clean design keeps users
interested.
Professional Appearance: Great for portals, blogs,
knowledge bases, and internal sites.

2. Responsive Experience: Works well on desktops,
tablets, and mobiles.
Improved Navigation: Clear menus and pages
improve usability.
Step-by-Step: Make SharePoint Look Like a
Website
1. Choose the Right Site Template
Go with a Communication Site if your goal is to inform
and engage a broad audience.
Use modern templates like "Topic" or "Showcase" for a
sleek layout.
Tip: Avoid classic SharePoint sites unless you're doing heavy
customization.
2. Design a Clear and Engaging Home Page
Use hero web parts to showcase key messages, events,
or articles.
Add quick links to important pages, files, or apps.
Use section layouts (two columns, grid, etc.) for visual
balance.
3. Customize the Branding
Go to Settings > Change the Look
1.Theme: Choose your brand colors.
2.Header: Select minimal or compact layout for a
clean top nav.

3. 3.Logo: Upload your site or company logo.
4.Footer: Apply a simple, branded footer with key
links and company info.
Pro Tip: Stick to 2-3 main colors to keep the design clean
and consistent.
Want your SharePoint to reflect your brand identity?
Explore our ready-to-use intranet templates!
Explore Templates
4. Use Modern Web Parts Effectively
Add engaging components like:
News web part: for updates and announcements.
Document library: show files like brochures or
reports.
Image or Gallery web part: make your site visually
appealing.
Stream/YouTube web part: add videos for a richer
experience.
To know more about modern webparts, please check out
this blog
Web Parts That Make Your SharePoint Intranet
Feel Like a Website
5. Improve Navigation
Use Hub Sites for consistent top navigation across
multiple sites.

4. Create a custom menu in the header or footer with
links to important areas.
Keep your nav labels short and intuitive.
6. Flexible Sections & Layouts
One of SharePoint’s biggest strengths is the ability to create
flexible page layouts:
Flexible sections allow you to design pages your way by
mixing different layouts such as one-column, two-column,
or three-column designs within the same page. You can
also add vertical sections for side navigation, quick links, or
persistent content.
This flexibility means you can:
Balance text, images, and videos side by side.
Highlight important content with wide or full-width
sections.
Keep your design clean and user-friendly without
needing custom code.
In short, flexible sections give you full control to build a
page that looks modern, professional, and tailored to your
audience’s needs.
7. Make It Responsive and Clean
Avoid cluttering pages with too many web parts.
Use spacers and dividers to give breathing room
between sections.

5. Preview your site in a mobile view to ensure it works
across all devices.
8. Set a Custom Page as the Home Page
After building your homepage:
1.Go to the page.
2.Click the gear icon -> Site Contents.
3.Click the three dots (...) next to your homepage and
select Make homepage.
9. Use Custom Fonts and CSS (Optional, Advanced)
If you’re using SPFx (SharePoint Framework), you can build
custom web parts with:
Tailored fonts and colors
Custom components (carousel, cards, etc.)
Enhanced interactivity
⚠️ Requires developer knowledge or help from your dev
team.
Best Practices for a Website-Like Experience

6. Practice Why It Matters
Consistent branding Builds trust and recognition
Minimalist layout Avoids information overload
Use of visuals Increases user engagement
Mobile responsiveness Ensures access on any device
Fast loading Keeps users from bouncing
Example Use Cases
Internal News Portal
Learning & Knowledge Hub
HR or IT Service Portal
Department Showcase Pages
Leadership Communication Page
Conclusion
With SharePoint’s modern features, you can go beyond
plain document storage and create a vibrant, professional-
looking website experience. Whether you're building an
internal blog, announcement site, or service portal,

7. SharePoint gives you the tools, you just need to know how
to use them effectively.
Start designing today and bring your SharePoint site to life!
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Book a free consultation with our experts today.
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