Product managers require all help they can get to deliver winning products. Thankfully, there is no shortage of resources to make their tasks a lot easier these days. You now have access to a wide variety of product management tools to make your job as a product manager less stressful.
These tools help to efficiently manage different aspects of a product process. We share in this article some groups of product management software that can enhance success.
Roadmapping Tools
A product roadmap provides direction for a project. It helps you to clearly communicate product ideas, features, and your strategy to relevant stakeholders. A roadmapping tool is practically indispensable in the arsenals of PMs who are ready for serious business.
There are a variety of roadmapping tools available – some are native and others are web-based. When trying to decide on the right one, it is helpful to consider flexibility. Your roadmap will change along the line, so you want to have some room to accommodate changes that may come.
If you work in agile, Roadmunk may be a good solution for you- it is a straight-forward roadmapping tool. Another one is Productfolio, a popular tool for the entire process of Product Management.
Prototyping Tools
Product managers can get much help from prototyping in bringing products or solutions to life. It enables product teams to work more effectively together by providing a very clear picture. A prototype helps to bring your idea closer to reality.
The importance of this aspect of product development has led to a surge in the number of prototyping tools. There are many web versions available for companies that cannot afford installed software.
It will help to pay attention to the ease of use when choosing prototyping tools. You don’t have to choose a complex tool to design prototypes that enhance success.
Some of the standalone offerings worth checking out include Axure RP, Balsamiq, InVision, and Sketch (Mac only). Proto.io is among the better options if all you can afford is a web-based tool.
Collaboration Tools
Delivering winning products depends so much on quality collaboration. As a PM, you need tools that make it easier for you to work in a synergic manner with teams and other stakeholders.
Collaboration is critical to get all stakeholders to have a clearer picture of what you are trying to do. Some people even say this is just what product management is about.
This means you are going to benefit from having tools such as Zoom, G Suite, Quip, or GoToMeeting. Quip, a tool offering Salesforce integration, lets you chat and share documents, spreadsheets, and slides with your teams. Zoom and GoToMeeting enable you to have video web meetings with your team members wherever they might be and have access to the internet.
Project and Task Management Tools
As a product manager, you cannot afford to do completely without project and task management tools. They offer you an easier way of carrying out documentation and tracking.
When having to deal with an ever-increasing backlog, you may find yourself overwhelmed. Project and task management apps can provide some relief in such a case. The tools let you have more clarity about what you need to do to guarantee success.
PMs that work in agile are very likely to find JIRA quite useful for project and task management. The tool helps you to plan, track, and manage all aspects of your development projects.
Trello is a decent option to consider if you prefer a web-based tool. It is a virtual whiteboard of sort that lets you visualize projects using boards and draggable cards.
User Onboarding Tools
User onboarding is a critical aspect of users’ overall product experience. It is disappointing that many product managers pay little or no attention to it, and often at a cost.
This area should by no means be reduced to an afterthought. It is vital for helping users overcome the challenges that they might experience when using a product for the first time.
Intercom is one of the popular tools for onboarding and engaging new users. Other options worth considering include:
- Hopscotch
- Appcues
- WalkMe
- Tour My App
- Inline Manual
User Experience Testing Tools
For a product to be a success, it is helpful to find out how user-friendly it is. User experience testing can provide useful insights into what users think and why. It lets you know the best way to fine-tune user interactions with your product.
Helio is one of these tools that let you develop winning products by providing clearer insights into user behaviors. This useful piece of product management software enables you to get feedback and test ideas before you execute them.
Other notable user experience testing tools include:
- Hotjar
- Optimizely
- Usabilia
- UserTesting
- Adobe Target
Customer Survey Tools
Product managers need tools that will help them gather and respond to feedback from customers. After all, the usefulness of your product depends on what your users think. Customer survey tools are, therefore, beneficial to your work.
There is a wide range of tools for gathering customer feedback and they are mostly inexpensive or free. SurveyMonkey, Typeform, or Google Forms makes it easy for you to create surveys in minutes and send them to your customer. Instabug is a good option if you want a tool that lets you get user feedback from within an app.
Data Analytics and Management
You need data to perform efficiently as a PM, although some PMs think their experience suffices. In today’s word, what you think you know by instinct might not cut it. You need to have real data from your users.
Data analytics and management tools provide invaluable insights into customer engagement. They enable you to assess more accurately actions your customers take, beyond what they tell you in surveys.
A tool such as Mixpanel can help you make quicker and smarter decisions based on how customers engage with your product. It lets you track user interactions seamlessly. You can perform A/B tests using the tool as well.
Among the other helpful data analytics and management software are:
- Google Analytics
- Microsoft Excel
- Amplitude
- Airtable
- Pendo
- Salesforce
Presentation Tools
Most, if not all, PMs are already using these tools for their work. The only disturbing trend is that some use it for roadmapping, which is an improper use.
Presentation tools, such as PowerPoint or Keynote, are still very useful for showing your vision to stakeholders in an easy-to-understand way. They are also beneficial for training and conferences.
