Email has become an important part of our life.  It is so important but left untamed, it can also take over too much of our time.  If you are like me, and have multiple devices for checking email; smart phone, note book, netbook, desktop and iPad (whew!) just keeping all devices up-to-date can be a full time job!

Time management is important to me so I started looking for a solution.  I researched a simple, readily available option that is also FREE!  My solution was Gmail.  Over the past year Gmail has become my main email platform.  I no longer use Outlook and frankly can’t believe it took me so long to convert!

Gmail offers personalized configuration options, multiple accounts can funnel into one dashboard, each account can be responded to by it’s own address and you never have to delete anything!  Use the power of Google to search for keywords in mails you need.

In addition, once you have a Gmail account you have the passport to dozens of powerful Google applications, documents, photo sharing, calendar, Groups, maps and on and on!

To get started, here’s a slide show of what you can do to begin organizing your life in the Google cloud.

Calming the Chaos, Using Gmail is a post from: KrisTalks

Google allows users to create and embed maps into your own website.  Using Google Maps is a great way to illustrate the many amenities in a neighborhood.

You can add customized icons with photos and link them to websites.  For instance when marketing a home all the external features can be added to a map, then the map code can be embedded on the brochure page you create on your site.

Tutorials in Screencast

To illustrate this process I’ve made 3 screencasts with step by step instructions on how to create, customize and embed Google maps onto your website.

How to create a personalized Google Map –Where to Begin?

Adding customized icons to your Google Map – Step by step, how to find icons and add them to your Map

Embedding your Google Map into your Blogsite –

Personalizing Google Maps to Illustrate Amenities is a post from: KrisTalks

Google offers a great tool for those who have blogs.  Using Google Voice you can publish their Click and Call Widget on the sidebar so your customers can have the convenience of easily contacting you.  This free feature from Google offers so much more than voice mail.  When a caller uses it, the system rings every telephone you configure.  If you don’t answer it will record a message.  The message is then both transcribed into a Text and email to you and also archived in the system for you to read or listen to later!

To use Google Voice you will need 1) a Google Account 2) a Google telephone number.

Here’s how to get your own Google Voice Telephone Number and the Call Me button for your blog:

If you already have a Gmail account, just log into it.  Click on “more.”  (If you do not have a Gmail account, go get one! They are free!)

Next you will have to click on “even more.”  Then the next box pops up.  Look for “VOICE”

When you click  on “VOICE” you will be directed to a setup screen, where you can configure the system to ring your telephone numbers.

Look for then click on “Settings”  the next screen will allow you to Choose a Google Telephone Number.  Follow the instructions, continuing on to configure the telephones you want Google to ring when searching for you.

Remember, if you add your home phone and there are other people in your house, you will need to train them on how to answer the phone for you.  This is coming from your professional site, so a professional answering routine is important.

The person answering the phone will be told by the Google Recording who is calling and who the call is for, so they will know what type of caller is on the phone.

After Setting Up Telephone Numbers Go Get Your Widget

The Google Voice Widget can be found by going to the “Call Widgets” link.  Here you can configure the widget to do different things.

Be sure to save your changes!

Next go grab the Widget Embed Code. The screen will look something like this:

Just copy the Embed Code to your clipboard,

Ctrl-A to get full code.  Ctrl-C to copy.

Now go to your WordPress blog, >Appearance>Widgets>Text

Grab a “TEXT box” and drag it over to the Sidebar column

Give your Widget a Name, “Contact Me” works.

Save then go to the Home Page of your Blog and admire your work!

Let Google Voice Find You is a post from: KrisTalks