In today’s data- and tech-driven age, companies need to be technologically competent. Having robust tools and technologies is critical to stay ahead of the competition, provide a better customer experience, and ensure consistent revenue.
But with so many tools and solutions available, finding the best ones that fit your requirements can be challenging.
By the end of this post, you’ll have a list of the ten best business tools you should implement in your business operations right now.
Project Management Tools
A project management system allows you to plan, organize, and manage business operations, resources, and employees from one place.
1. Asana
Asana is a mobile- and web-based application that helps teams schedule, organize, track, and manage their work. With remote working becoming the norm, Asana is one of the best business tools for companies that want to increase their remote teams’ efficiency.
More than 75,000 organizations across 190 countries use Asana to manage their teams and streamline their business operations. Asana’s comprehensive suite of features and a flexible pricing model makes it an ideal pick for startups, SMBs, and enterprises.
Key Features:
- Employee activity monitoring and task management
- Project and campaign management
- Gantt View and Kanban Board
- Business Process Automation (BPA) and management
- Employee directory
2. Trello
Trello is a free, web-based, all-in-one project management tool that helps you manage a wide range of business operations. It’s an ideal pick for HR, sales, and marketing departments. The solution offers more than 100 integrations, including Jira, Slack, Google Drive, and more.
Trello’s cloud capabilities make it an ideal pick for remote workforces. It enhances workspace transparency and ensures that your teams remain on the same page.
Key Features:
- Real-time chat and newsfeed
- Project and campaign management
- Employee management
- Visual workflow management and process change tracking
- Meeting management
Collaboration and File Sharing Tools
A collaboration tool is a software solution designed to help businesses establish efficient in-team and cross-team communication. Collaboration software is an essential tool if you have multiple teams working towards a unified goal.
3. Slack
Slack is a business communications tool that helps you streamline internal and external communications. Whether you want to discuss a new project, office opening, or a sales project with your team members or stakeholders, Slack has got you covered.
Slack offers a comprehensive range of features that caters to the need of all types of business. Whether you’re a technology startup or a large-scale manufacturing company, you can organize your business communications with Slack.
Key Features:
- Audio/video conferencing, chat/messaging, and voice calls
- Project, task, and document management
- Time and expense tracking
- Remote access and support
- Third-party integration
4. Troop Messenger
Troop Messenger is a unified business messenger tool that optimizes collaboration and business communication. If you’re a digital agency, service provider, a manufacturing company, or any other business that relies on internal communications, Troop Messenger has got you covered.
Another significant benefit of Troop Messenger is its pricing. It costs $1 per month per user, and it also comes with a free version. If you’re looking to enhance your business collaboration and communication without increasing your overhead costs, Troop Messenger is your way to go.
Key Features:
- Contact management
- Discussion boards
- Video conferencing
- Task, content, and document management
- Real-time chat and file sharing
Call Tracking Tools
If you use voice calls to communicate with your customers, you should have a robust call tracking tool in your arsenal. These business tools allow you to monitor calls and conversations taking place between your call agents and customers.
5. CallHippo
CallHippo is an intelligent telephony system that enables your agents to connect with existing and potential customers. In addition to communicating with customers, CallHippo allows internal communications and performance management.
The software comes with automatic call recording and smart speech analytics capabilities. Team managers and senior executives can listen and analyze agent calls to determine their performance and scope for improvement.
Though CallHippo fits in all business environments, it’s best suited for contact centers, telemarketing departments, and companies that rely on voice calls to interact with their customers.
Key Features:
- Autodialer and predictive dialer
- Interactive Voice Response (IVR) and voice recognition
- Blended call center – inbound and outbound
- Agent interface with collaboration tools
- Call recording and text to speech
6. CallRail
CallRail is a call tracking software solution best suited for marketing teams that rely on inbound leads. Marketing has changed a lot over the past decade. It has become one of the major revenue drivers for companies, especially eCommerce, SaaS, and agency providers.
CallRail makes your marketing team more agile. It provides you with a clear view of how your marketing calls and conversations are performing. The solution takes a data-driven approach and helps you determine the ROI of your inbound marketing efforts.
Key Features:
- Call tracking
- Form tracking
- Conversation intelligence
- Form tracking
- Call routing
Content Distribution Tools
In today’s digital age, content is the fuel for all businesses. Creating and distributing high-quality content drives your business forward. Content distribution tools ensure that your marketing teams stay productive and perform efficient content distribution.
7. Buffer
Buffer is a content distribution and social media management tool that helps you engage your existing and potential customers on multiple channels. Buffer offers an exhaustive suite of products and modules that enable you to plan, schedule and distribute content. It also allows you to analyze your content’s performance and determine the scope for improvement.
As of now, Buffer supports planning and scheduling activity for Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Google+, and Pinterest Boards. The dashboard is user-friendly and easy-to-use, making it one of the best business tools for beginners and new entrepreneurs.
Key Features:
- Content management
- Multi-account management
- Automated publishing and post scheduling
- Reporting and analytics
- Support for multiple social media networks
8. HootSuite
HootSuite is one of the best content distribution business tools available. The solution has more than 16 million users globally. It works similarly to Buffer; however, it has more features and functionalities.
For starters, it supports more channels. In addition to all the social networks Buffer supports, Hootsuite allows you to manage YouTube and WordPress blogs. Hootsuite also has additional features, such as social media advertising, in-depth analytics, and auto-schedule, making it a better choice for larger organizations.
Key Features:
- Social media marketing
- Reputation management
- Social media reporting and analytics
- Content planning, scheduling, and distribution
- Advertising and conversion tracking
Customer Relationship Management Tools
Customer relationship management (CRM) tools enable you to manage the full relationship lifecycle of all customers.
9. Zoho CRM
Every organization, whether small, medium, or large, needs to nurture customer relationships. A cordial customer relationship ensures a higher customer lifetime value (CLV). Zoho CRM enables your sales and marketing teams to manage customer relationships across all touchpoints.
It helps your sales, marketing, and customer service teams to interact with your customers and provide them with engaging experiences. Zoho CRM integrates with various enterprise solutions, including GSuite, Slack, Office 365, MailChimp, and more.
Key Features:
- Lead generation and scoring
- Email marketing
- Marketing automation
- Churn management
- Customer segmentation
10. HubSpot CRM
HubSpot CRM is a powerful CRM solution best suited for startups and small-midsize businesses. It provides you with a centralized database where you can consolidate all your customers’ information and interactions.
The solution provides a transparent view of the customer pipeline, so you can move the deals forward and ensure consistent sales. HubSpot CRM is user-friendly and can be used by multiple teams and users. This enables seamless communication between teams and departments.
Key Features:
- Project Management
- Email marketing
- Calendar management
- Social media integration
- Lead & marketing management and relationship tracking
Wrapping Up
With the business landscape becoming increasingly competitive, companies need to stay on top of their game. By using the right tools and technologies, you can make your business processes more efficient and move a step ahead of your competitors. Besides, the strategic use of technology also helps you provide superior customer experiences.
So, which tools would you add to your technology arsenal?