Gmail is one of the most popular email services, with 900 million users worldwide. While the company is a digital staple, the company realizes it still has competitors in Hotmail, Yahoo and Outlook. Rather than alienate those possible users, Google has introduced an app that allows non-Gmail users to check their emails.
They can still have access to Gmail’s advanced features like spam protection, inbox organization and mobile alerts while using this. The app, called Gmailify, gives users the best of both worlds. They get access to Google features, without having to go through the hassle of changing their email address.
What’s the biggest advantage for users?
There are several app features that encourage non-Gmail users to add the app. Most users say they want the inbox organization feature. This feature separates your inbox into five possible categories: Primary, Social, Promotions, Updates and Forums.
The “primary” section holds personal communication, and serves as the main inbox for many users.
The “social” tab lists any social notifications that you’ve signed up for. Now when someone new follows you on Twitter, for example, the email alert will show up in the “social” section of the inbox.
The “promotion” tab holds all commercial and promotional emails. An email about an upcoming sale or event, for example, will land in the “promotion” tab.
The “updates” tab holds email reminders about appointments or travel.
Here’s a snapshot of how the tabs look on a mobile device:
In addition, users can now access advanced search tools to locate old emails with ease.
What should businesses know about this new app?
If your business relies on email marketing to communicate with new and existing customers, here’s what you should know about this new app:
Focus on mobile
Nearly 53 percent of all emails are opened on mobile devices, which is why email services are offering apps like Gmailify. Businesses using email marketing need to make sure they rely on an email service provider that has mobile-friendly templates that look great on every device.
Creating emails with mobile access in mind
Email creators have to think about its mobile customers when creating email content. Businesses should write short, simple messages that can easily be read on small screens. Emails that have a wall of text will likely be ignored.
Understand Google’s inbox organization
If you’re a business, you want your email to land in the “primary” tab, since it’s the most-used section of the inbox. Businesses must ask customers to add their email address to their primary box by following these instructions.
Mobile-friendly emails will continue to be a hot topic. As more and more people rely on their cell phone as their sole means of communication, businesses must adapt to the change. To learn more about creating mobile-friendly emails, check out this post on Creating emails for Mobile.