If you use Google's Gmail as your business's email provider, you might have noticed something new today. Google has unveiled a new look and feel for Gmail that it says makes the service more "clean, simple and intuitive."
Here's a rundown of what to expect from Gmail's new features and how business users can benefit from them:
• Streamlined conversations. This will most likely be the first change you'll notice. Google has redesigned the email "conversation" view in an effort to make reading through email threads easier. Conversations now contain profile pictures for your contacts which, Google says, should make it easier for users to keep track of who said what. This can be useful for business users who often have numerous colleagues or clients communicating on the same email conversation.
• Expanded search. If you click the dropdown in the search box, you'll see an advanced search panel that allows you to search your emails by sender, recipient, for subject lines and keywords. This can help save time when searching for specific emails.
• Updated navigation. Users can now expand the chatting and label areas. This can be especially helpful for business owners who use Gchat to communicate with employees in satellite offices or use a significant number of labels to help organize their emails.
• New display features. One new feature automatically adapts the window pane to display content in full no matter the size of the window on your computer screen. This can be helpful for busy entrepreneurs who have a million windows open at one time. Another feature allows users to adjust "display density," meaning you can control the spacing between emails on your screen. This will be beneficial for users who often check business email on mobile devices, which of course have smaller screens.
When you sign into Gmail, you should notice a link in the bottom-right corner of the screen that says "Switch to the new look." Once you click on that you will be prompted to either switch to the new design or continue using the old version. No matter what you choose now, Google says it will automatically switch all users to the new design "soon."
Have you already made the switch to the new Gmail design? What are your thoughts on the new features? Let us know in the comments section below.
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Comments:
Hi Jason! The way that you have explained about the effect of new changes to Gmail on business users is very interesting to read. Thanks for sharing this post.
I like it, would love it if i could resize my left hand column so i can see all of my label descriptions...that continues to be very annoying.
Yes, I do agree gmail cleaner appearance and modern
The only thing I don't like is that it forces me into a larger window size to be able to read some HTML mail. It now horizontally scrolls within a subset of the window rather than the whole window like it did.
I like the new look. Very clean, easy to read. Two thumbs up!
There are different themes.. u go to the button that looks like a screw on the top right and choose a different theme
I like the new GMail because it has a clean look and feel, easier to use, and time saver.
I really like it so far, but I'm bummed it won't let me add a theme.... It's so white, could use some color
New Google email looks really cool. It's easy to use and gives good feel while navigation. Emails could be read in more clear way then before.
I made the switch and so far, so good. I do wish they would allow you to make an auto-response for only one of your accounts within the same Gmail sign-in though. Sometimes I want to put one up for my business email, but not for the other email I send to this account. As far as I know, that's not an option yet... :(