Is Google reinventing the wheel with ‘Google Inbox’? This standalone app from Google is taking on Gmail. The app functions ultimately the same way as Gmail and includes all the same features (and obviously some new ones) with different names and organization.
Google’s new ‘Inbox’ is being released slowly to gauge the response before it will ever completely replace Gmail. As of now you need an invitation to get the new mobile and web app, which will eventually replace your Gmail account. "The way that people deal with their inbox has changed dramatically, we found people really wanted to run their life through their inbox — there was so much information there — but it was a lot of work for them." says Alex Gawley, product director of Gmail and Inbox.
This app integrates many different services right into your inbox. You can have your emails, to dos and reminders all in one place. With highlights you can see all the information you need without ever having to open an email. Some of the new features include: bundles, pins, sweep, reminders and snooze.
Bundles are folders that appear within your inbox (instead of the labels along the side or tabs at the top in Gmail). You click on each category to open it within your inbox. This can help you focus on your most important emails, but still have all the different folders right in your inbox so you don’t forget about them.
• Pins allow you to bookmark an email for later. You are able to view all your pinned emails in one place.
• Sweep allows you to mark an entire category as “done”. Instead of archiving emails, there’s a check mark where you mark emails as done. Even if you sweep a bundle the pinned items still remain in your Pins and there’s a done folder for everything marked as done.
• Reminders now come up right in your inbox!
• Snooze certain emails that don’t need your immediate attention and set a reminder for a later date.Important notes for marketers:
Use a send image- these are now showing up right in the inbox, if you have an image people are probably more likely to click on your email
For now this can only be used for a personal Gmail account and you must be using Google Chrome.
As with the reveal of tabs in Gmail this can affect marketers doing email marketing. Promotional emails are being grouped into folders so stay tuned for how this could affect you.
We just downloaded the app and are definitely intrigued by the new features. Our immediate favorite feature is that you can see certain information at a glance without opening anything. The reminders are definitely something we can utilize and will be trying out. Overall, it seems worth experimenting with to see what features you will actually benefit from, but it may ultimately be a little busy for our taste.
