Effective collaboration is a key contributor to business success, and it’s enabled by choosing the right digital tools. With the right tools, teams can communicate, share corporate files, and achieve goals.
Many online collaboration tools exist for different niches, and selecting the ‘right’ ones can get daunting. For example, Zoom is a popular videoconferencing tool, Slack is an enterprise messaging platform, and Google Workspace is an all-in-one platform with many collaborative features. Features differ between tools, and so does pricing, user-friendliness, and compatibility.
I’ve created this guide to make selecting team collaboration tools a straightforward process. We’ll explore the key factors to consider and what to verify about platforms before making your final decision.
1. Cost
Cost is always the first consideration I highlight. Other factors about a platform may be favorable, but it won’t be used if it’s outside your budget range. When you shortlist a collaboration tool, the pricing information is the first thing to verify. Head to the website’s “pricing” page, and you’ll see all plans listed there, along with their monthly or annual fees.
Many collaboration tools are freemium, meaning they have free versions with limited features and paid plans to unlock advanced features. For paid plans, there’s a monthly or annual fee, with annual fees having significant discounts compared to paying month-to-month.
Some platforms don’t have standard pricing packages. Rather, they’ll request interested businesses to contact their sales team. These platforms are designed for large businesses, allowing them to negotiate good deals based on their sizable user bases.
Most paid tools offer free trials, allowing you to test their advanced features before deciding whether to pay. A 14 to 30-day free trial is ample time to test a platform with your team and ensure they’re comfortable with it. If there are many complaints, it’s a signal to find an alternative platform.
Platforms also offer money-back guarantee periods of up to 30 days, allowing users to request a refund if they are unsatisfied with their purchase.
2. Security
Given the sensitive business information shared via collaboration tools, enhanced security is non-negotiable. Any worthwhile collaboration tool should have top-notch security practices to safeguard corporate data.
There should be end-to-end encryption, with data encrypted on a sender’s device and decrypted only on the receiver’s device. This system ensures third parties, including the platform itself, can’t intercept team communication.
Collaboration tools use the AES-256 algorithm to encrypt data in transit and at rest. This algorithm uses 256-bit encryption keys, with 2256 possible combinations, a figure so large that it’s impenetrable by brute force. Some platforms use AES-128 (with 128-bit keys), but AES-256 is the standard.
Other security features to look for include two-factor authentication, which adds an extra layer of protection to every team member’s account, single sign-on (SSO), and role-based access controls. These features can be easily verified during the free trial period.
3. Ease of use
Ease of use is a core consideration for any collaboration tool your team will use long-term. A user-friendly interface makes collaboration a smooth process and prevents mistakes, like sending sensitive information to the wrong person.
A free trial lets your team test the ins and outs of a tool and ensure it’s user-friendly, with features neatly arranged and having minimal clutter across the dashboard. A platform may not be simple on the first or second day, but your team should get comfortable with it within the trial period. Always incorporate feedback from employees, and if you observe many complaints, you should find an alternative platform.
4. Third-party integrations
A collaboration tool won’t always have all the needed features. That’s where third-party integrations come in, enabling you to integrate features from other platforms into your existing tool. Integrations also enable a smoother workflow, as team members can perform many tasks on the same platform instead of constantly switching between different platforms.
Suppose your team members use Slack for day-to-day communication and Zoom for videoconferencing. Instead of switching between the two platforms to host video calls and send messages, a direct Slack-Zoom integration lets users launch Zoom meetings directly via Slack. Team members can create, schedule, and host meetings without leaving their Slack dashboard.
While using Slack for real-time communication, it can also be integrated with cloud storage platforms like Google Drive, enabling team members to share large files conveniently. Instead of uploading large files to Slack, a link will be shared, and users can access the Google Drive files directly on Slack. There are many other examples of third-party integrations fostering effective collaboration.
5. Features
Always consider your desired collaboration features and seek platforms that offer most of what you want. For the features not natively available, third-party integrations can do the trick. Typical features to seek include:
Real-time chat
Team members should be able to send one-on-one or group messages. Communication should feel as seamless as using instant messaging apps like WhatsApp and Telegram. Employees can tag each other in group chats, send emojis, and make voice calls. Anyone who receives a message gets notified through a push notification.
Videoconferencing
Video meetings help teams collaborate effectively regardless of distance. Teams should be able to host one-on-one or group video meetings, with HD audio and video quality. During these meetings, users can share their screens to provide detailed information, e.g., an IT team member explaining how to navigate a new app. Users can also share ideas and annotate on virtual whiteboards. After meetings, all participants can receive AI-powered transcriptions.
Project management
Collaboration platforms often have project management features, enabling team members to assign tasks, set deadlines, and monitor task progress. Team members can visualize their workflows through Kanban boards and monitor organization-wide calendars.
File sharing
Users can exchange files directly, either through a built-in feature or third-party file sharing platforms like Google Drive and Dropbox. There should be a centralized hub for team members to store, manage, and search for documents required to perform their tasks.
The best collaboration tools to choose from
With the details provided above, selecting collaboration tools should be simple. You can research many options to see which ones fit your desired price range, user-friendliness, and features. To make it easier, we’ve compiled a list of the best online collaboration tools that’ll improve teamwork at your organization.
