February 18th, 2025
6 Tips for Choosing the Right AI Tools for Your Business
By Connor Martin · 6 min read
You know that you have to start using artificial intelligence in your business. It’s practically a given at this point.
Anecdotally, it feels like every other business you work with is using AI-powered tools to get ahead. And the stats only support the anecdotes – over three-quarters of businesses are at least exploring how to use AI tools.
Yours is now one of them. But you find yourself awash in a sea of AI buzzwords. You have companies telling you that they use “natural language processing” in their “machine learning algorithms” and they may as well be speaking gibberish. You just want to know how to choose AI tools for businesses without wading through the buzz.
That’s what we’re going to show you.
Key Takeaways
- Start with Your Business Goals: Define the challenges and inefficiencies in your business processes to determine which AI tools can best address your needs. The right tool aligns with your specific goals and enhances productivity where it matters most.
- Evaluate and Test Tools Thoroughly: Use free trials to explore AI tools first-hand and combine this with research on their reputation, support, and scalability. This ensures you choose a reliable tool that integrates seamlessly into your workflows.
- Balance Cost and Value: While pricing models vary, focus on the features and long-term benefits an AI tool delivers. Choose a solution that fits your budget and scales with your business as it grows.
Why AI Tools Are a Must-Have for Businesses Today
Maybe you’re still in the consideration phase and haven’t even started looking into the best AI tools for your business yet. That makes sense. Every new buzz in business comes with a healthy dose of skepticism from many of the later adopters.
But there are plenty of reasons to adopt AI. It’s a massive efficiency booster that shaves literal hours off repetitive tasks, such as data analysis and basic task management. It’s also a useful tool for project management and AI will help you pore through your business data to make better decisions. It'll also do all of that while saving you money – chatbot AI assistants alone account for $20 million of savings globally per year.
6 Considerations When Choosing AI Tools
The bottom line: You’ll save money with the right AI tool. You also improve business efficiency because you’re automating repetitive tasks. These are massive benefits, but they can only come to your business when you figure out how to choose AI tools for business.
These are your six key considerations.
#1 – Define Your Goals and Challenges
What do you want to achieve in your business using AI? What hurts? What challenges do you need AI to step up and overcome on your behalf? Those questions all need answers because even the best AI tools are worthless without a purpose.
Our advice is to get granular with your team. Ask your people about the business processes that cause them the most pain. Maybe wasting time generating dozens of social media posts every day is a problem. That’s your sign that a generative AI content creator is the type of tool you need. Figure out what isn’t working in your business right now and you’ll start your AI tool search on the right track.
#2 – Evaluate the Tool First-Hand
So, you’ve figured out what you need from an AI tool. You’ve even picked a few out that might deliver what your business wants. Slow down – evaluation of that tool’s capabilities is a must before you even think about implementing it in your business.
Take advantage of free AI tools and trial periods. They exist to give you a taste of what a tool can do in the context of your business operations. Use free trials to play around with the AI features of any tool you consider. That first-hand evaluation – combined with an evaluation of the tool’s features from its website – helps you see how the tool could integrate into your business.
#3 – Research the Tools Reputation
A trial period is going to give you some first-hand experience with the AI tool you’re considering. But it won’t show you everything, particularly in terms of what happens once you spend your money. Think of it like the transition from a first date to a relationship. Any potential partner is only showing you the best of themselves during the initial dates (or trial period). You only get to see the real them when you commit.
The same would be true of AI tools were it not for the fact that a lot of other people are also testing them. Reviews should be all over the web for the tool you’re considering. Read them. Pay close attention to any customer satisfaction issues you come across. We also recommend going to third-party resources – think Google and social media reviews – ahead of the testimonials on the tool’s website. Any case studies you can find that show you how others have used the tool to automate repetitive tasks (or whatever else the company needed) also help.
#4 – Assess Training and Customer Support
We’re only now mentioning failing to train employees to use your new AI tools in this article for a reason. Poor training means poor performance, and it’s not necessarily the fault of the tool. It might do everything you want it to do, only you can’t take advantage because your people don’t know how.
We suggest looking for AI tools that offer some form of onboarding. Early sessions with an advisor are ideal, though not always feasible. At the very least, your chosen tool should come with documentation showing you how to use its features. Ongoing support is also vital. A solid community built around the tool helps and you’ll want to see some sort of support structure – phone, email, or chatbot contact – that enables you to ask questions.
#5 – Compare Pricing Models
Money isn’t everything when determining how to choose AI tools for business. But it’s always a consideration. Each tool you check out will have different prices or pricing models. How do those models gel with what you want? If you’d prefer a “pay-as-you-go” approach – such as buying credits when you want to generate content using AI – then a monthly subscription isn’t the model you want. But a subscription could save you a ton of money in the long haul if you plan to use AI a lot.
Think about your anticipated usage frequency. Compare that to the tools’ pricing models (and costs) while accounting for their features to figure out which fits your budget.
#6 – Remember Scalability
We touched on how your business may want a “pay-as-you-go” model in the early stages. That model works well for smaller companies that want to get to grips with AI. But what happens when you grow? When your company starts bringing in more people and clients?
You’re going to need an AI tool that scales with you. We suggest looking for compatibility with your existing systems early on. When you know the tool works with what you already have, you also know that it can grow alongside it and perhaps even replace it when the time comes. Of course, you also want to look at the basics.
For instance, restrictions on the number of users allowed or only being able to generate a certain amount of content per day could easily lead to a tool being unscalable for your business.
Some Common Mistakes to Avoid When Choosing AI Tools
You know what to look for with AI tools. But what about a few of the blunders that could stop you from making the most out of those tools?
These are some things to avoid in your tool search:
- Don’t fall into the trap of focusing on price ahead of key features and value. Any budgetary discussions should start with you asking what the tool will deliver for the money you pay.
- Failing to train employees is a massive blunder. How are they supposed to automate tasks when they don’t even know the ins and outs of your new tool?
- Overlook the versatility – or otherwise – of your chosen AI tool at your peril. Often, a generative AI tool you intend to use for content creation can do a whole lot more. Repurpose it as an AI assistant and it could become a vital part of your business operations.
Final Thoughts
Business first, tools later.
What we mean by this is that every tool choice comes down to what your company needs to achieve. It’s no use getting a tool that claims to enhance productivity if those enhancements come in an area of your company that doesn’t need them. What business processes will benefit from an AI boost? Answer that question and you get on the fast track to finding the right AI tool.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How to use AI tools in business?
AI tools can automate repetitive tasks, analyze data for better decision-making, and streamline operations like customer service or marketing. Start by identifying pain points in your business and choosing tools tailored to those needs—think chatbots for customer support or data visualization tools for strategic insights.
How do I implement AI into my business?
Implementing AI starts with defining your goals and researching tools that align with your needs. Test the tools through trials, ensure your team is trained, and integrate them gradually into existing workflows to minimize disruption.
How to determine if AI is appropriate for a business?
AI is appropriate if your business has repetitive tasks, data-heavy processes, or inefficiencies that could benefit from automation or smarter decision-making. Consider whether the return on investment and potential efficiency gains outweigh the costs and complexity of implementation.
How much does it cost to implement AI in business?
The cost of AI implementation varies based on the tools you choose and your business’s scale. Entry-level solutions can cost as little as a monthly subscription fee, while custom AI systems may require significant investment—but the efficiency and cost savings often make it worth it.
