Web Email Management News, Tips and Support - IFModules eMail Manager

Email Management Blog Moved to IFModules.com

2009-08-18T12:53:00.017-05:00

Along with a new website, IFModules Email Management Solutions has moved its Blogger Blog to the IFModules Website. We'll leave much of our old content on this site for now, but all new posts will be located at:

New Blog:
http://www.ifmodules.com/blog/

RSS Feeds will now be at:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/ifmodules

eMail Manager Handles Separate Email Domains

2009-07-11T17:06:00.009-05:00

This blog has been moved to our main site at the following new location:
www.ifmodules.com/blog.

Women Bloggers and Social Media

2009-06-06T11:15:00.004-05:00

Online marketers - take notice!

A 2009 Social Media Study summarized by eMarketer and conducted by iVillage, BlogHer and Compass Partners, showed that women like social media and blogging. Me being a woman myself, I wasn't surprised that 53% of the female online population said they were engaged in social media. After all, women tend to be very social and expressive beings. Here are some interesting facts from the study:

75% of the women studied said they took part in social networking sites and 55% said they used blogs
Time spent on blogs and social sites, replaced time spent with other online and traditional sources of information.
Participants spent equal amounts of time reading and writing on blogs

Why do women participate in social media?

For fun (68%)
Get information (64%)
For entertainment (56%)
Share opinion (55%)
Seed advice and recommendations (43%)
For professional purposes (14%)

What To Look for in an Email Management Software

2009-05-28T07:47:00.005-05:00

This blog has been moved to our main site at the following new location:
www.ifmodules.com/blog.

Managing Business Outside of the Box

2009-05-22T16:38:00.008-05:00

Susan Boyle, a very ordinary, plain woman from Britain, landed a chance to show the world her incredible gift, and became an overnight singing sensation despite the odds stacked against her. The reason was not a lack of opportunities, a lack of education or a lack of motivation, it was the way she looked. When she walked out onto the world stage, everyone expected a voice that matched her appearance - plain, almost homely - and before she opened her mouth, the audience had already written her off. She proved them wrong, and to the shock of the world, belted out an intensely beautiful song.

There is a huge lesson here, right?

Peter Bregman, from Harvard Business Publishing thought so too. In April 2009, he published a blog post titled "Susan Boyle: A Lesson in Talent Management" in which he reviewed a study conducted by a couple of graduates from the University of Pennsylvania's Applied Positive Psychology Program. The study analyzed the effects of positive re-enforcement management techniques in business and found that managers who provided frequent recognition and encouragement to employees had a 31% increase in productivity. Pretty significant.

Harvard Business Publishing took the idea of positive re-enforcement a bit further by suggesting that the difference between good and great managers, is their ability to recognize the unique talents and abilities of an employee and harnessing it by creating a specific role for them to use it. Peter wrote, "Great managers remove the obstacles that prevent their employees from unleashing their talent. And they make sure each employee has the right opportunities, the right stage, the right audience, to be fully appreciated." In other words, they think outside of the box.

The Lesson? Don't judge a book by its cover and take the time to notice and encourage the talents of your employees, even if it doesn't fall within their "job description." Think outside of the box, and you may end up with a star-studded team.

How does this apply to email management? It doesn't - not really - but we were so inspired by the concept, we felt it necessary to share. How do you think outside the box?

Are We Too Dependent on Google?

2009-05-19T16:34:00.004-05:00

On May 14th, late morning on the East coast, I sat at my computer trying to access Google Docs to update a proposal that was due that day. To my horror, I discovered that Google was down. "How is this be possible?" I thought. "And what on earth am I going to do?" Not only was Google Docs down, but every Google app that we depended on - Search, Analytics, Gmail, Calendar, etc. - was down. I was suddenly faced with how dependent we had become on Google and how inaccessible the web seemed without them.

Needless to say, we were back up in less than an hour with no loss of data. But the experience left me wondering, "How dependent are we on Google?"

Did you experience the outage? How dependent on Google are you? Let us know by replying to our tweet @ifmodules or by answering our blog poll.

Need To Include a Link in Your Email?

2009-05-15T07:14:00.003-05:00

This blog has been moved to our new email management blog at the following location:

http://www.ifmodules.com/blog/2009/05/include-a-link-in-your-email/

Business Email Habits - Hard to Break?

2009-04-30T12:49:00.006-05:00

This blog has been moved to our new email management blog at the following new location:

http://www.ifmodules.com/blog/2009/04/email-habits/

Adding Images to Emails with eMail Manager

2009-04-22T15:37:00.013-05:00

This blog has been moved to our new email management blog at the following location:

www.ifmodules.com/blog

Are You An iPhone Hater or Lover?

2009-04-05T20:13:00.004-05:00

Reading the NYTimes this weekend, I came across an article in the magazine "I Hate My iPhone" written by Virginia Heffernan. It was obviously a parody on the popularity of the iPhone (and anything Applish), and I found it funny how she described the phones "icy" personality.

I happen to be a very happy iPhone user (although not obsessively so). I rarely sent a text message pre-iPhone, but my fingers are now quite adept at hammering out text messages and I find myself wanting to "touch" other screens. To Virginia, you should have taken your friends advice and stuck with it. The iPhone would have smiled on you eventually.

What are you - an iPhone Hater or Lover?

Use Multiple Signatures When Managing Email in eMail Manager

2009-03-26T09:46:00.006-05:00

This blog has been moved to our new email management blog at the following location:

http://www.ifmodules.com/blog/2007/03/email-users-signatures/

IFModules Email Management Creator Celebrates 10 Years

2009-03-03T10:35:00.003-05:00

This blog has been moved to our new email management blog at the following location:

http://www.ifmodules.com/blog/2009/03/email-software-company/

Staying Positive is Good for Business!

2009-02-12T10:30:00.014-05:00

This blog has been moved to our main site at the following location:

http://www.ifmodules.com/blog/2009/02/staying-positive-for-business/

Boomers and their Online Buying Trends!

2009-02-12T10:00:00.003-05:00

Studies are confirming what we all know - Boomers are a powerful bunch!

Research is showing that Boomers, those between the ages of 44 and 62, are now one of the largest groups of online users. They are doing everything from shopping, gathering information on products and services and staying in touch with friends and family. Understanding and adapting websites to their buying trends would be beneficial to online Marketers.

Read the full article at eMarketer
You’ve Come a Long Way, Boomers, and You’re Online Now! – December 4, 2008

One Click Email Search for eMail Manager

2009-01-23T08:50:00.008-05:00

This blog has been moved to our main site at the following location:

http://www.ifmodules.com/blog/2009/01/email-search-in-email-software/

New mbox Format for Exporting Email

2008-12-15T16:15:00.004-05:00

This blog has been moved to our main site at the following location:

http://www.ifmodules.com/blog/2008/12/mbox-email-export/

Changing a From Address Within An Email String

2008-11-13T16:49:00.008-05:00

This blog has been moved to our new email management blog at the following location:

www.ifmodules.com/blog

Boost Business with Unique Christmas Cards

2008-11-05T20:35:00.003-05:00

Whether you're an online business or a traditional brick-and-mortar company, the Holidays are a great time to stay in touch with customers and to lay the ground work for future relationships. One way to help boost business is to send Christmas greeting cards to customers and prospects. We recommend www.graphics3inc.com. Their unique pop-up Christmas card designs will surely make an impression your customers.

Read the guide:
»Unique Christmas Cards to Boost Your Business

Email Marketing Terminology

2008-10-23T21:11:00.003-05:00

This blog has been moved to our new email management blog at the following location:

http://www.ifmodules.com/blog/2008/10/email-marketing-terminology/

Happy Customers More Important Than Ever

2008-10-10T11:13:00.001-05:00

In our challenging economic times, we are always looking for creative ways to actively market to new customers. But now, more than ever, we should also remember the importance of keeping focus on our existing customers and their needs - keep them happy. They are, after all, already purchasing our products or services. One way to do this is through responsive and credible email management. Reestablishing contact with customers, strengthening customer relations, and keeping customer contact information up-to-date are all ways IFM eMail Manager can help. Here is what we recommend:

Create Auto-responders, such as “We received your request.”

Create a Standard Replies database for consistent, efficient and credible responses. Be sure responses accurately address your customers question and avoid being too broad.

Add internal informational notes as reminders so users know when and how to follow up further with customers.

Identify potential issues or upselling opportunities and assign categories, add notes, escalate the status of the email and move to appropriate folder for action.

Drag & Drop Email File Attachments with Firefox

2008-10-08T19:12:00.002-05:00

This blog has been moved to our new email management blog at the following location:

http://www.ifmodules.com/blog/2008/10/drag-drop-email/

IFModules Guide Published on Work.com

2008-09-17T21:00:00.004-05:00

This blog has been moved to our new email management blog at the following new location:

http://www.ifmodules.com/blog/2008/09/connecting-email-management/

Keeping eMail Manager Secure with Housecleaning

2008-08-26T09:02:00.005-05:00

This blog has been moved to our new email management blog at the following location:

www.ifmodules.com/blog

More Housecleaning Tips for eMail Manager

2008-08-26T08:10:00.005-05:00

This blog has been moved to our main site at the following location:

www.ifmodules.com/blog

Businesses Get a Boost From Their Website

2008-08-06T08:45:00.001-05:00

Concern over the economy has impacted many businesses, even over the Internet, despite the growing trend to purchase goods online. But we think (and the numbers agree) that the impact on e-commerce will be much less damaging for companies that have an active online presence, providing consumers with the ability to research products and / or purchase them online.

eMarketer also published an article connecting online research to in-store sales, stating that consumers prefer online research over recommendations from friends and family. Sites they spent the most time on were typically the retail stores they purchased from.

Read the Full Article
Retail Shoppers Hit the Web First - July 28, 2008

Higher Gas Prices Good for E-Commerce

2008-08-01T08:43:00.001-05:00

Some hope for online business from the depths of economic troubled waters...

eMarketer published an article last week about the rising prices of gas and how they affect online shopping habits. Retail stores showed a decline in sales while their websites showed a significant increase. While Convenience remained the #1 reason to buy online, 54% cited rising gas prices as incentive while 48% cited overall lower pricing.

Read the Full Article
Gas Prices Boost E-Commerce - July 25, 2008

Managing Autoresponders in eMail Manager v4

2008-07-22T10:00:00.003-05:00

eMail Manager can be configured to send autoresponder emails, automatically, based on specific rules or folders. These can be very simple ( e.g. Thank you - received your email and will respond.) or quite complex (e.g. Using macros in the subject or body). The message immediately provides information to the prospective customers and provides a bit of cushion for the next followup.

In eMail Manager v4, autoresponders can be enabled or disabled by marking (or unmarking) the checkbox. This is helpful if you want to temporarily deactivate the Autoresponder without deleting its content.

Autoresponders can be configured in a specific folder or as an action to a rule. 1.) For Folders, go to Maintenance>Folders. Click on the Folder you want to edit. Scroll down to the Autoresponder box and enter the From, Subject and Body. Click on update. 2.) To configure Rules, go to Maintenance>Rules. Click on the Rule you want to edit. Enter the autoresponder form data. The autoresponder will be sent to email originators that match the rule criteria.

Address Book Matching Rule

2008-07-16T11:00:00.001-05:00

This article has been moved to our website. Click here to view.

New & Improved Help on eMail Manager v4

2008-07-08T09:15:00.005-05:00

This post has been moved to our main site. www.ifmodules.com/blog

New Features in Setup: Site Preferences Area

2008-06-27T10:22:00.006-05:00

This blog has been moved to our main site. www.ifmodules.com/blog

eMail Manager v4: Clean Up Attachments

2008-06-22T20:18:00.004-05:00

This article has been moved to our main site. www.ifmodules.com

Enable HTML Editor for eMail Manager v4

2008-06-13T09:54:00.008-05:00

This blog has been moved to our new email management blog at the following location:

http://www.ifmodules.com/blog/2008/06/html-editor/

Configuring Multiple Signatures for eMail Manager

2008-06-13T09:54:00.007-05:00

This article has been moved to our main site at the following location:
Create Multiple Signatures

eMarketer Study for E-commerce Growth

2008-06-09T10:55:00.003-05:00

eMarketer published some interesting statistics about e-commerce sales for both the US and European markets. The statistics show that the economic downturn will affect retail stores more than online retailers and that consumer confidence in buying online is quite strong - very promising news for those of us with online businesses.

Read the articles:

US Retail E-Commerce: Slower But Still Steady Growth
May 2008

The Economy and European E-Commerce
June 9, 2008

eMail Manager v4.0 in Final Stages of Beta Testing

2008-05-19T21:30:00.000-05:00

eMail Manager is in the final stages of beta testing for Version 4.0, the much anticipated update for our web-based email management software. It's ok to shout "Hurray" - we certainly are!

Here is a little taste of some of the key features and screen shots:

HTML editor
Multiple signatures
Updated look
Bulk delete of attachments
Increased application speed
Support for OpenID logins
View # of unread emails in folder drop-down menu
And more

Folder Summary - View # of Unread Emails

Reply to Email - HTML Editor

Options - Multiple Signatures

Reminder: New URL for eMail Manager Customers

2008-05-01T10:09:00.000-05:00

Several weeks ago we migrated the service to a new data center. The old server has been providing redirections from the old service URL to the to the new service URL. We want to remind all of our customers to use their new URL as well as to update their bookmarks to the new service URL.

The new arrangement has improved some performance issues and will allow for future growth.

IFModules.com Email Solutions Site Revamped

2008-04-02T12:26:00.001-05:00

On Friday, March 28th, IFModules, creator of email management solutions, released a new and improved website to give it a fresher look to match its upcoming new release and the newly branded Campaign Manager. IFModules is also offering a new Email Campaign Design service and combined pricing options for customers using both eMail Manager and Campaign Manager.

+ View Site

IFModules Email Management Welcomes the New Year

2008-01-10T17:53:00.001-05:00

This blog has been moved to our new email management blog at the following new location:

http://www.ifmodules.com/blog/2008/01/email-manager-updates/

Holiday Hours and Best Wishes

2007-12-20T14:09:00.000-05:00

iguanafarmGroup and IFModules would like to wish everyone a very happy holiday and a prosperous New Year. To celebrate, we will be closed during the holidays from December 24 to January 1, re-opening on January 2.

As always, we will be checking email and you can reach us by voice mail if there are any emergencies.

Important Dates and Numbers to Remember:
Closed: December 24 - January 1
Re-Open: January 2, 2008
Emergency Phone: 1-877-771-3423
Emergency Email: 911@iguana-farm.com

All Our Best!
The Team at iguanafarmGroup and IFModules

eMail Manager Links to Third Party Applications

2007-12-06T18:13:00.002-05:00

This article has been moved to our main site. Click here to view.

Email Management Case Study with SpeakerMatch.com

2007-11-29T08:51:00.000-05:00

As a part of our ongoing Case Study series, IFModules posted its newest Case Study with eMail Manager customer SpeakerMatch.com. Founder Brian Caplovitz, a technology consultant in a previous life, talks about its ease of integration, efficiency and quick accessibility.

View Case Study at: www.ifmodules.com/main.php/email_manager/case_studies

Case Study Participation:
If you are interested in particating in an eMail Manager case study, please send an email to info@ifmodules.com. We always enjoy hearing from happy customers.

Need a Quick Search?

2007-11-26T09:22:00.003-05:00

This article has been moved to our website. Click here to view.

Email Management Case Study with Stop Aging Now

2007-11-15T09:30:00.000-05:00

As a part of our ongoing Case Study series, IFModules recently posted its newest Case Study with customer Stop Aging Now CEO Josh Corn. Mr. Corn talks about using eMail Manager with multiple user types, its efficency and its ease of use - a common theme that we are happy to acknowledge.

View Case Study at: http://www.ifmodules.com/main.php/email_manager/case_studies

We have received many responses to the questions we sent to customers, and we would like to sincerely thank them all for their participation. We are busy working on preparing more case studies for the website and future release to the press, so keep watching.

Manage Sales Leads: Website to eMail Manager

2007-11-01T11:57:00.002-05:00

This article has been moved to our website. Click here to view.

eMail Manager Releases New Case Study

2007-10-25T08:46:00.000-05:00

IFModules eMail Manager released a new case study featuring long time customer Strida UK Limited, the inventors of the Strida Folding Bike. It is a great testament to eMail Managers ease of use and functionality and I couldn't resist posting it. Here is a quick summary.

"IFModules eMail Manager (ifmodules.com), an email management hosted application has everything a business needs to manage high volume inbound emails, without the complications that come with other CRM packages. eMail Manager customer Strida UK Limited talks about the applications incredible features and ease of use."

You can view the Case Study (as a press release) at:

PRWeb or
IFModules.com

Web 2.0 and HIPAA Compliance

2007-10-18T20:20:00.001-05:00

This blog has been moved to our new email management blog at the following new location:

http://www.ifmodules.com/blog/2007/05/email-management-hipaa/

eMail Manager and Web 2.0

2007-10-18T08:10:00.000-05:00

Interestingly enough, eMail Manager (our email management tool) is becoming popular among Web 2.0 sites that list products and services that are considered part of the Web 2.0 generation. This is great for us - and for our customers - so we thought we would share a few of the sites with you:

By the way, you can also vote and/or add comments about applications - including eMail Manager :-). It really promotes the Web 2.0 ideal of information sharing and user generated content.

Want to know what Web 2.0 is all about? Check out The Web 2.0 Mystery.

Assign Emails Quickly in eMail Manager

2007-10-16T08:43:00.002-05:00

This article has been moved to the blog on our main site. Click here to view.

Easily View Email History - A New Discovery

2007-09-28T07:28:00.000-05:00

Funny how sometimes we discover new things that are in plain view!?! Yesterday I expressed a wish to the developers to view contact or email history for specific contacts - wouldn't that be nice. I was politely informed this was already possible with just one click of a button. That was quick.

While viewing the contacts email, click on their linked From email address (located at the top) and a list of emails that were sent to that person (including CC or BCC) will magically appear. Amazing! I really love it when my feature requests are answered so quickly - worthy of a long overdue post. :-)

Manage References and Categories in eMail Manager

2007-07-12T12:32:00.003-05:00

This article has been moved to our blog on our main site. Click here to view similar category tags.

The Web 2.0 Mystery

2007-06-01T09:52:00.000-05:00

Web 2.0. What exactly does that mean? Lately, I have seen this term plastered all over blogs and companies frequently refer to themselves as part of the next Web 2.0 generation. A few weeks ago, BNET did a very informative article on the definition of Web 2.0 and I found it interesting enough to post here. Below are a few bullets to describe what Web 2.0 means. Be sure to read the article too. Enjoy !

What Makes a Company (or application) Part of the Web 2.0 Generation?

Use of next generation technologies (such as Ajax)
Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity. Complex problems can be solved with simple applications. Companies employing this train of thought are on well on their way.
Applications that require interaction from users to manipulate the content
Applications that replace desktop functionalities
Anywhere, anytime access
More value in content than in the application itself
Data is easily shared

Read the Article: What is Web 2.0?

Did You Know? Labels Makes Managing Email Easier

2007-05-23T10:22:00.000-05:00

The newest version of eMail Manager includes the ability to add references (or labels) to emails to help better organize them. It is a great feature and can be customized for each instance. Using this, along with assigning categories and status will help you organize and search emails more efficiently.

To add a reference, click on the target email from the Folder view to open it. Enter the reference in the Ref text field at the top right. Click on Update to save.

To sort emails by reference, click on the Ref column header.

Securely Managing Email with Passwords

2007-05-18T14:54:00.002-05:00

This article has been moved to our main site.

Click here for blog post.

Did You Know? Manage Email With Quick Sorts

2007-05-15T13:52:00.000-05:00

Did you know that you can better manage email with quick sort and filter features in eMail Manager? Just click on column headers or choose from 4 different filtration features. It is a great tool to help identify emails quickly and easily without having to resort to advanced search functionalities.

Sort with Column Headers
If you are sorting by column headers, just click on the linked header title. Click once to sort from oldest to newest and twice for newest to oldest. You can further organize email by using references (add them when viewing an email) and then sorting by the reference column header.

Filtration Drop Downs
Filtration features are listed at the top of the Folder View page. You can select one or all filters. Filter choices include:

View (by status): All messages (default), Unread, Open, Priority, Not Closed, and Closed
Since: All dates, Yesterday, Last week (7 days prior to current date) and Last Month
Sort By: Status and ID (email identification number), Status and Date, and Oldest (email)
Category: Includes categories created by an administrator

eMail Manager Achieves HIPAA Compliance

2007-05-10T12:33:00.002-05:00

This article has moved to our main site.
Click here to view

IFM eMail Manager Posted to eHub

2007-05-09T09:16:00.000-05:00

Just a quick announcement to let everyone know that Emily Chang's eHub has posted a blurb about IFM eMail Manager. If you have not heard of eHub, it is a Blog that provides information about web applications, services, sites, and more. It primarily showcases apps that best represent the Web 2.0 ideal. A great site for research.

- View Post

Did You Know Your Email Has a Tone of Voice?

2007-05-02T11:06:00.000-05:00

Often when we send emails, we end up typing as few words as possible to relay our message. After all, email should be short and sweet, to the point and void of any fluff as to reduce the clog of our email system (or the amount of characters slow typists must type). While this is a good concept (especially for those with fast fingers), we should remember that our emails have a Tone of Voice, much the same as our phone conversations or voice mail messages.

So, when you are responding to a customer, sending an email to a sales lead or politely telling your boss that you disagree with a new policy, keep your "tone" in mind. Choose your words carefully, be more passive, proof your email and try not to use too much Internet slang.

Customer Service... eStyle

2007-04-26T15:53:00.000-05:00

BNET, my new favorite blog, posted a very informative article discussing how to provide great customer support online. The post is rich with tips on the right methods to use paired with economic factors. In essence, online support starts with an easy-to-use, well structured, content rich site that addresses many issues customers frequently ask about. But the website cannot answer all questions or handle all problems. You have to be able to go the next logical step, which is managing email, phone calls, online chat etc. Deciding which option(s) to choose depends on your customers, how much money you have and how much staff you have to devote to the task. That is why this article is so great. It gives you advice on how to make those choices.

If you get anything out of these posts, we hope you'll remember to always answer emails in a timely, relevant manner. Regardless of the technology you are using, make sure you can send some sort of an email (even an auto-responder is better than nothing) so the customer feels they are being acknowledged in some way. Wait too long, and you may end up losing a customer. Respond quickly, and you'll probably gain a loyal customer that refers you to a friend.

You might find this previous post useful too.
Fast Email = Happy Customers

Did You Know? - Managing Customer Email History

2007-04-20T17:38:00.000-05:00

Did you know that the IFModules (IFM) Email Management Blog has now begun a new series called "Did You Know?" The series will focus on quick tips on IFM eMail Manager use and will be published twice a month, sometimes more if we have have new information we just can't wait to share. So, here it goes...

Did you know that you can keep track of a customers email history (as long as it is in eMail Manager - of course)? There are a few ways to do this.

1.) Email Treads: Each email is assigned a unique ID, so when the customer responds to the email, the response (and your response and notes) will be included in the same thread.

2.) Email Search: If the same customer sends a different email, the responses will be assigned a different ID, causing a different thread to be created. No problem. While viewing the email, click on the customer email address (at the top) and the system will search for any email thread with that address.

3.) Categorize: You can also categorize emails by assigning a custom category (e.g. shipment questions, product inquiries, etc.). A category specific report can then be generated in the administrative section.

Have more questions, recommendations or ideas for this post? Send an email to blog@ifmodules.com or post your comment here (click on comments below).

eMail Manager, CRM and The Sales Team

2007-04-12T12:46:00.000-05:00

BNET posted an interesting blog about CRM vendors and the industries' habit of belittling sales people (a large % of their customer base) because of their reluctance to use cumbersome and over-bearing CRM packages. And lets be honest, if a CRM package does not help a sales person close a deal, why bother using it. This is much the same premise we had when we built eMail Manager some years ago. Email management is merely a part of what it takes to manage tasks associated with sales. We wanted to focus on that one important task and make it the best we could while making it easy to use - a required feature. In fact, most of our releases are based on customer comments and requests that are merged and simplified to make a better experience for everyone using the system.

Let me finish by saying that I am really blown away at how the CRM vendor started a pitch letter by knocking sales people. Isn't there some sort of rule not to insult potential customers? Hello?

IFModules and iguanafarmGroup Get a New Home

2007-04-10T15:13:00.001-05:00

This blog has been moved to our new email management blog at the following new location:

http://www.ifmodules.com/blog/2007/04/email-software-company-moves/

Work Ahead and Save Emails as Drafts

2007-04-03T08:35:00.000-05:00

Ever need to write part part of an email, but still not ready to send it? Maybe you had some thoughts on a response, but were not ready to complete the entire message. I do that a lot, and evidently, a lot of our customers do, because the Save Draft feature was one of the most requested features in our newest version of eMail Manager. Saving unfinished emails as drafts lets you work ahead, save emails for others to preview (or approve) or simply gives you time to mull over what you already wrote (like thinking twice before sending that joke to the entire office). Here are some quick reminders on using the Save Draft feature.

When you reply to an existing message, forward a message or compose a new one, instead of sending the email, click the Save Draft Button. Your message will be saved in the folder and listed with all other emails. Drafts are marked with a Green tag graphic. To view the draft, click on the linked email.

Managing Email Should Be Easy - Not Complicated

2007-03-29T20:18:00.000-05:00

I was perusing articles I hadn't read in a while and came across one from CMS Wire that reminded me of a key feature in eMail Manager - Ease of Use. It is a few days old (ancient, I know), but a very interesting read on the importance of simplicity and usability on the web. The article is titled "Easy to Use: Why the Web Demands Simplicity" and describes the very essence of eMail Manager and our continued development philosophies. From the beginning, our goal was to create an email management product that focused on usability and task completion without all the fluff and added costs.

Here are a couple of good quotes by the author Gerry McGovern that drove this point home ...

"A key reason we embrace the Web is because it increases transparency and reduces complexity." - Thank you !

"The best websites are simple, not because they think being simple is a nice thing to do, but because they know that simplicity is necessary for success." - Words to live by.

Latin American Cultures Have It Right - Let's Nap

2007-03-28T12:39:00.000-05:00

All right. I know that an Email Management Blog is not the place you
expected to see a post about napping, but in light of recent articles,
I thought it might be an interesting read. It is, actually, a very
relevant issue when it comes to better performance and happier people
(so they say). In Latin America (and many other cultures), a siesta is
not just a guilty pleasure, it is a way of life. Everyone goes to work,
comes home for lunch, takes a quick nap and returns to work. The
typical work day tends to be a bit longer and it definitely helps pass
the time when the rains unleash in afternoons, but who cares - at least
they are getting a bit of rest in between. I love vacationing there for
that very reason. But why wait for time off?

So what do the scientists say? Some recommend power naps of 15-20 minutes for a quick pick-me-up. Web Worker Daily also reports that a 90-120 minute nap is also beneficial. Anything in-between is not restful enough to make much of a difference.
For more details on the science, you can read the Web Worker Daily Post Nap
Your Way To Success or consult my favorite source Wikipedia.

Better yet, maybe you should log off and conduct your own experiment by catching a few zzz's yourself.

Spam and Email Management - An Oxymoron?

2007-03-21T10:17:00.000-05:00

To many, the words spam and email management are two terms no one wants to see in the same sentence. No doubt, an oxymoron! Not only is spam a nuisance, but it is the catalyst for worms and viruses and the source of millions of lost dollars. So what do you do?

If you are using IFM eMail Manager, here are a few reminders to keep spam at bay:

Start With The Accounts Tab
Spam can be managed for each Account. From the Maintenance menu, click on Accounts. Choose the account you wish to edit. Spam Handling is located at the bottom of the form.

What To Do With Emails Tagged as SPAM
You can select to delete spam or automatically move it to another folder for further investigation. We use a Junk or Spam folder for this. The emails within that folder can be bulk deleted in only a few steps.

Setting SpamAssassin Scores
Incoming emails are filtered using SpamAssassin. Detected spam can be auto deleted or moved to a folder for further investigation. Using a wide range of tests on the header, body and text of the email, SpamAssassin assigns a number on a scale of 1 to 10. Emails receiving a 5 or above, as a standard, are considered Spam. However, if you find that incorrect emails are being sent to your Spam folder (or other action selected), you may want to increase the rating. The higher the rating the more likely it is that the email is Spam.

Using Rules for Further Filter Spam
A new eMail Manager feature allows users to select a rule to process incoming emails, before SpamAssassin, in order to identify any email that might look like spam, but is not. These emails can be routed to a separate folder so that users do not lose any ligitimate emails. Basically, the rules look for keywords (that you set) within the email that might make it valid.

Built-in Virus Protection
Because eMail Manager is a web application (built with open source tools), it is less susceptible to viruses and worms. It also has a built-in feature that tags potential viruses and defangs executable files (which are often a disaster waiting to happen).

Great Blog Find: Web Worker Daily

2007-03-17T14:23:00.000-05:00

While perusing the net for some industry news in the middle of the night, I found a great Blog geared toward people working on the web or Digital Bedouins as they sometimes like to be called. It has many categories, product reviews, industry news, etc.

Take a look at webworkerdaily.com.

Digital Bedouins - How Do They Manage Email?

2007-03-16T19:45:00.001-05:00

Have you ever heard of a Bedouin? Neither had I until I read the article from SFGate, Where Neo-Nomad's Ideas Percolate. The word bedouin originated as a description of nomadic Arabs who wandered freely in the desert, frequently dreaming of the next battle. Although mobile office workers today probably feel like that sometimes, a Digital Bedouin refers to mobile office workers who use laptop computers and Wi-Fi connectivity to work from unorthodox locations. Sound like you? Me too. I fluctuate from home and the actual office and sometimes the ever-increasing (working) vacation. I haven't quite made it to the coffee shop yet, but I do make the occasional trip to the porch or the park with my laptop.

I think that many eMail Manager customers fit somewhere in this modern-day take on an old culture because many of us are slowly trading traditional work spaces for ones a little more inspiring (or less distracting). This is why many web application are getting so popular.

Are you a Bedouin? How do you manage your email (hopefully with eMail Manager)?

Managing Users with eMail Manager

2007-03-14T13:13:00.001-05:00

This blog has been moved to our new email management blog at the following new location:

http://www.ifmodules.com/blog/2007/03/email-users-signatures/

Are we losing data?

2007-03-08T20:36:00.000-05:00

No, not really. But according to an eMarketer email I received today titled The Data Dump, the US and UK are generating 9 exabytes more than we have available storage for (oops). Fortunately, not all of that data gets stored, but it certainly gets my attention. An even more interesting part of the article was the attitude of managers toward data accessibility and usefulness within the company. Evidently, data storage is not the only hurdle businesses have to face.

The article hit home with me because it was related to our recent post addressing faster response to emails (Fast Email Responses = Happy Customers). In the post we talk about organizing email (essential data) by assigning categories and references (tags) to help businesses react more quickly to customer needs.

In any case, today I learned a new word: exabytes. According to Wikipedia, an exabyte (EB) is a unit of information or computer storage equal to one quintillion bytes (huh?). Ok, put into perspective it equals 1,000,000,000,000,000,000 bytes. Still lost? Me too, but it is definately a lot of data. Here's to generating a few more bytes.

BTW. Found this article a few days after posting this message. Lots' of interesting facts about what type of data we actually create: Information and the Web Worker

Fast Email Responses = Happy Customers

2007-03-04T21:49:00.001-05:00

This blog has been moved to our new email management blog at the following new location:

http://www.ifmodules.com/blog/2007/02/fast-email-responses/

Faxing with eMail Manager

2007-02-27T11:34:00.002-05:00

If you are using an online faxing service to receive faxes, simply forward the faxes to an email address that is being received in eMail Manager. We created an alias (fax@yourcompany.com) to receive fax emails. If you use an alias, simply set up a folder with that associated email and you'll soon begin to receive faxes. If you use another email (that is shared for other issues), use Rules Management to direct online faxes into your Fax folder.

Evenly Distributing Emails using Rules Management

2007-02-26T15:34:00.003-05:00

This blog has been moved to our new email management blog at the following location:

http://www.ifmodules.com/blog/2007/02/rules-email-distribution/