These tools allow teams to stay connected through instant messaging, video conferencing and phone calls. Email is important but inboxes can make it difficult to manage and maintain conversations. New communication platforms allow teams to easily follow threads and add others to the conversation. They break down barriers, ensuring conversations are on topic and relevant.
Slack
Slack is an instant messaging platform that organizes conversations into shared channels, allowing businesses to communicate with team members from all over the world.
Slack offers a free tier that small businesses can use for an unlimited time. It includes access to 10,000 of your team’s most recent messages, one-on-one voice and video calls between teammates and up to 10 integrations with other apps, such as Google Drive and Office 365.
The Slack paid option is recommended for small businesses that routinely hold online meetings. Identity protection inclusions are in place, along with full integration with Slack tools. A message history is also saved. Slack’s paid program keeps team meetings and communications secure without any time restrictions.
Zoom
Zoom is a remote video conferencing service that can keep your team connected through video chat, conference rooms and phone calls. The service provides online meetings, video webinars, cross-platform messaging and file sharing, no matter where you are.
Zoom’s basic plan is free and includes hosting for up to 100 participants and unlimited one-on-one meetings. Groups of three or more can meet for up to 40 minutes at a time under this plan. The free basic plan also provides high-definition video and voice, full-screen and gallery view, simultaneous screen share and Chrome and Outlook plugins. It supports Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android operating systems.
Many remote workers are opting for Zoom’s paid version to accommodate virtual communications. One of the major drawbacks of the free version of Zoom is the time limit. Many companies find it hard to limit meeting times to less than 40 minutes. With the paid plan, unlimited meeting times are permitted. The paid packages also support cloud storage of meetings and streaming on social media sites.
Our Zoom review has more details on the video conferencing powerhouse or check out our choices for best business phone systems for comprehensive communications platforms.
Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams is a communication hub for team collaboration in Office 365 that combines workplace chat, video conferencing, cloud storage and app integration. Microsoft Teams is available as a free download through January 2021.
With Microsoft Teams’ free version, remote teams get unlimited chat, built-in group and one-on-one audio or video calling, 10GB of team file storage and 2GB of personal file storage per user. If your business is licensed for Office 365, you already have access to Microsoft Teams.
Convene
With Convene, you get extra support with your virtual meetings, such as interactive Q&As and polling options. You can host meetings up to two to four hours in length per day, with breakout rooms offered. The highest tier provides detailed analytics to help you evaluate attendee engagement.
Remote scheduling tools
Teams can use these tools to schedule meetings and share calendars. This allows employees to see everyone’s availability and ensure regular check-ins. Many of these tools sync directly with your calendar and send out meeting reminders and invites automatically, reducing unnecessary emails.
HubSpot Meetings
HubSpot Meetings allows you to sync your Google Calendar or Office 365 calendar with it, set your availability and have your customers or employees schedule meetings with you. The tool provides form fields for your meeting page to save contact information. You can also send the meeting page as a link by email or embed it on a website. You can get started with HubSpot Meetings for free with an unlimited number of meetings.
Our HubSpot CRM review takes a look at some of the platform’s other exciting features, which may be useful to remote and hybrid teams as well.
Setmore
Setmore is an appointment scheduling tool that organizes your calendar, customer lists, booking page and staff profiles. This tool offers access to all your appointments from anywhere in the world, allowing your team and customers to reschedule directly from their inboxes to save on time-consuming phone calls.
Setmore’s free basic plan includes up to four staff logins and calendars, with automated alerts and notifications. You can use the service to book appointments with customers online. The free basic plan also integrates with third-party apps and platforms, such as Facebook, Mailchimp, Zendesk and Zapier. [Check out our Zendesk review to learn more about the platform and how it works.]
Sign In Scheduling (formerly 10 to 8)
The appointment and scheduling program Sign In Scheduling (formerly known as 10 to 8) has become more popular since more workers are working from home. There is a free trial available so you can test out the software for yourself. Pricing comes in two tiers. The first costs $460 per year, per site, and the second costs $612 per year, per site. The second tier offers subscribers multiple appointment booking pages, phone support, Zapier integration and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act compliance tools.