SmallBusinessNewz

Google has a lot of helpful features. This is certainly not news, but I thought it would be fun to look at the ones that I personally use the most and examine how they could help someone running a business.

1. Web Search

I (probably along with most people) use Google's classic web search more than any other feature the company offers. It goes without saying that search is critical to business in many capacities, from the standpoint of the searcher to the searchee. It is an invaluable tool for finding information and for getting others to find information about you.

2. Gmail

Gmail runs a close second, and depending on how much email you get it maybe number one for many people. Of course there are countless other email programs out there that you can use, but I have found that out of the ones I have used over the years, it does the best job of organizing it, blocking spam, and has the best search function unsurprisingly. I don't think I need to get into the benefits of using email in business.

3. Calendar

I have been using Google's Calendar feature for a couple years or so, and I must say that I am more organized than I have ever been because of it. I add everything that comes up that I need to remember because frankly my memory sucks. I use it for both business and personal items. Use it to keep track of due dates on bills, appointments, when employees called in...anything that you want to keep track of. If you use Gmail, it is only a short click away to a world of organization. If you don't use Gmail, it's only a few short clicks. Best of all, you can access it from anywhere that has an Internet connection. It's a lot better than leaving a paper calendar/organizer in your office and wanting to check something from home, but not having access to it.

4. Reader

Like the classic search feature, you can really benefit from this feature from both sides as well. If you or an employee of yours runs a business blog (which I would strongly recommend), you should really be offering RSS feeds along with it. But using Reader from the reader's perspective can be useful for business as well. Add all of the feeds from around the Internet that you wish to keep track of...new sites, blogs from other companies...any information you find useful. Having it all syndicated in one place is not only extremely convenient, but it saves all kinds of time. And saving time is the key to productivity.

5. Maps

I use the Google Maps feature quite frequently. It has pretty much taken the place of the phone book for me, and I don't think I would be too far off in saying that many people have adopted a similar outlook. So this feature cannot only be of use to potential customers looking for your business (particularly in the brick and mortar area), but also another time saver for when you need to find other businesses.

6. Images

I tend to use this feature more in my free time than during business hours, but the important point to look at is that people use it constantly. It has been one of the main features on Google's homepage for as long as I can remember. You want to make sure your business is optimized for image search as well as the regular search engine. Search for your company on the image search. What comes up? Is it favorable? If not, you better look into ways of changing that. Otherwise, it's not going to be good for your reputation.

7. Documents

I haven't been using Google Docs as long as some of the other features, but since I've been using it. I have to say that it has been pretty helpful. I haven't used it enough to give it a side-by-side comparison with Microsoft Word, or Open Office, but I do know that I can access it from any computer with an Internet connection, and that right there is enough of an advantage to consider using it for any variety of electronic business documents. Still, you should keep backups of important ones.

8. YouTube/ Google Video

Take everything I said about Image Search and replace the word image with video. Online video is doing nothing but increasing in popularity and it is as important as ever to utilize it in your marketing plan.

9. News

Most of my news, I get from Google News. Truthfully, I don't watch the news on television as much as I should, but Google in just another short click away, and has all of the highlights of what's going on in the world in one convenient place. The news search is invaluable, especially for finding out what's happening in your niche. The blog search is great for this too.

10. iGoogle

Technically, you could say this is really the one feature I use more than any of them, because it gathers the other features in one place. You can personalize your homepage in whatever fashion you wish. I keep my Gmail, calendar, and reader right there on the front page, and they have a ton of gadgets you can add to fit your own specific tastes. It is really a great feature in that it is totally customizable. Just another great way to keep organized and ultimately save time.

There is a reason Google is a constant topic of conversation. In fact there's quite a few of them. Way more than I have mentioned here. These are just the ones I use the most. Which ones do you use the most? How do they impact your business?