Guide to choosing the best presentation software for your business

From the process of launching new businesses to how meetings are conducted, the way we work is always evolving. This includes the tools used for presenting ideas and connecting with audiences. We've increasingly moved beyond the standard presentation software to introduce more sophisticated features.

The process of choosing presentation software depends on your individual needs. In this blog post, you'll learn about the factors that make a particular presentation tool the right choice for your business. If you are a PowerPoint user, we've also covered three alternatives that you should consider.

What makes a business presentation app the "best" one?

Even people who are best at creating presentations need the right tool to yield the best results. The key is to find the ideal software that will meet all your requirements. Here are some factors to take into account when selecting presentation software.

Predesigned and built-in templates

Using software with built-in presentation templates can save you a lot of time and effort. Choose software that comes with a vast variety of templates that can be used across different departments and business functions, such as sales, marketing, HR, and recruitment. The more built-in presentation templates a tool provides, the easier it is to find the right match for your needs.

Sharing and collaboration

Business presentations are seldom single-handed efforts, and collaboration is a pillar of productivity in the workplace. Presentations often go through multiple rounds of feedback and revisions before they are finalized. Hence, you should choose software with advanced sharing and collaboration features so your team can work together seamlessly.

Customization and branding

Though templates are ready to use and save time, it's important to customize them to reflect your brand identity. A presentation with inconsistent branding can confuse the audience and diminish your impact.

Many software now provide libraries to store templates, slides, fonts, and other design elements specific to your brand and company. This is more efficient than importing assets every time.

Add-ons and integrations

Visuals are key to making your content memorable. Sourcing these visuals online often involves verifying copyrights, downloading, and adding them to slides, resulting in a prolonged and tedious process. Additionally, creating business presentations like reports often relies on third-party integrations to automate tasks and generate presentations.

Look for software with built-in add-ons and integrations to help you source visuals and generate reports. This minimizes the inconvenience of switching between applications while working on a presentation. 

User-friendly interface

Most users in a traditional business environment are accustomed to desktop applications like PowerPoint. But since most organizations are now adopting a hybrid work model, cloud software solutions are increasingly dominating business processes. You'll need to choose software that facilitates the modern work culture.

Also, implementing your chosen solution should be smooth to avoid any negative impact while workers fully explore the new software. Start by making sure the user interface is intuitive and easy to navigate, so everyone on the team can use it comfortably, no matter their technical skills.

Affordability

There are a lot of options to choose from when it comes to presentation software. Find the one that best suits your budget and comes with all the features you need. The most high-end software with every feature you can imagine might be attractive at first, but if your requirements don't actually include many of those features, it will eventually be a waste of resources.

Therefore, you must understand your requirements and budget while you explore the features offered by different presentation tools.

Device compatibility

Technological advancement has given us the capability to access presentations anytime and anywhere. This includes both editing slides and presenting them on a large screen. Professional-grade presentation software is typically compatible with most devices, including iPads, smartwatches, and TVs. With different employees using a variety of gadgets, choosing software that works well on different devices will be a smart move.

Three great alternatives to PowerPoint

Many people in business have been using PowerPoint since the early 2000s, and it's a familiar tool. However, there are now new presentation software options that offer unique features and might be better suited for today's needs.

Here are three presentation software that are similar to PowerPoint but stand out in their own ways.

Google Slides

Overview: Google Slides is a good example of beginner-friendly presentation software. It's perfect for first-time users, with an interface similar to PowerPoint, which makes it an excellent choice if you are transitioning from that solution. One of Google Slides' best features is the ability for multiple users to work together on a presentation simultaneously

Google Slides comes with built-in templates in three categories: Personal, Work, and Education. Additionally, it also offers great features for presenters. For example, you can generate a URL from within the presentation to allow your audience to submit their questions in real-time.

Popular among: Students, teachers and educators, and professionals.

Best for: Creating collaborative presentations that are accessible across various devices.

Pricing: Google Slides is available to individuals for free. For teams, it comes as a part of Google Workspace. Check out the pricing of Google Workspace.

Keynote

Overview: Keynote is a popular presentation software option among macOS and iOS users, known for its simple and clutter-free interface. It comes with minimalistic themes and is highly regarded for its design capabilities, offering plenty of flexibility for creating your own unique presentations.

Keynote can be accessed from iCloud or any other macOS or iOS device, making it convenient for users within the Apple ecosystem.

Popular among: Designers, business professionals, and Apple ecosystem users. 

Best for: Creating presentations with high-quality graphics and animations.

Pricing: Keynote is completely free for Apple device users.

Zoho Show

Overview: Zoho Show is loved by users around the world for its intuitive and easy-to-use interface. It offers a variety of templates for different industries and business functions. Besides its efficient collaboration and sharing features, it also provides many customization options, which you'll be able to use to personalize your designs easily.

The built-in add-ons help you create presentations faster by allowing you to source media, illustrations, and social media or webpage previews from directly within the app.

Popular among: Businesses of all sizes, remote teams, and individuals.

Best for: Creating professional business presentations in a time efficient way.

Pricing: Individuals can use Zoho Show for free. Businesses can access it as part of Zoho WorkDrive (online file management software), Zoho One (suite of 40+ integrated business apps) and Zoho Workplace (email and collaboration suite).

Final thoughts

Keep your employees in mind while choosing the right presentation software for your business. The one you choose should be ideal for all departments across your organization. Apart from looking for innovative features in a presentation app, also ensure that the software you choose is also compatible with your existing systems and is easy to migrate.

Every software application has its own unique features. You simply need to decide which one suits your presentation style and business requirements. Ultimately, you shouldn't be seeking the "best one" in absolute terms but the "best match" for your needs.