More than 600,000 new businesses are formed in the United States each year. Unfortunately, not all of these have staying power in their industries. Many of them fail within a few years after starting.
One of the most important obligations businesses have is keeping their data organized. This is especially true when it comes to organizing their email information. A cluttered email inbox comes with numerous problems, such as missing important information.
The good news is that keeping your inbox organized is much easier than it might seem. Let's explore how you can implement email organization correctly.
1. Create Separate Accounts
This is one of the most effective steps that you can take when it comes to how you organize emails.
Create separate accounts for different needs, such as customer service, internal support, etc. This will go a long way when it comes to properly segmenting the information in your inbox. In context, the business owner might use a particular email account for services they subscribe to.
They might use another count as a general email for sending messages within the organization. As long as you separate your accounts appropriately, you can avoid numerous issues you may have otherwise encountered. For instance, you may quickly become overwhelmed by the number of emails in your inbox if you don't properly segment them.
This could cause you to rush through reading them, putting you at risk of making an oversight. It will also create unnecessary stress.
2. Unsubscribe From Unnecessary Websites
Staying subscribed to unnecessary websites is something many people are guilty of. For instance, you may have made a purchase online years ago and still receive emails from that business.
There's nothing inherently wrong with receiving email marketing messages like these.
In fact, they often have great deals you can take advantage of. However, they can quickly flood your inbox if you have numerous subscriptions you're no longer interested in. The good news is that these emails typically offer a way to immediately unsubscribe.
There is usually a link at the bottom of the message that lets recipients opt out of receiving messages in the future. If these emails don't include these, reach out to the provider and ask them to remove you from their mailing list.
3. Focus on One Account
Another common mistake people make is viewing multiple accounts at once. This is especially true when using mobile devices, as adding an additional account to your Gmail app will display all of your inboxes simultaneously unless you specifically select a certain account.
Get in the habit of checking only one account at a time so you don't find yourself overwhelmed with information. For instance, let’s assume that somebody has seven email accounts they check on a regular basis. If they view all of their inboxes together, there's a good chance that they will overlook information that gets lost in the clutter.
Be sure to keep this in mind when moving forward.
4. Use Separate Hardware
Interestingly, many people overlook the benefits of using separate hardware to check different email accounts.
Using a work laptop or work phone, for example, can help you better segment your different accounts. This also gives you much-needed mental relief from work-related obligations. If you always have access to your work emails, it can be tempting to check this information outside of working hours.
So, consider using only specific hardware to check certain accounts. This can apply to virtually anything, such as work, school, hobbies, etc. However, this only applies to people who already have existing hardware.
It often isn’t worth purchasing a separate device simply to check your email. As long as you make use of what you already own, you'll be sure to make your life easier.
5. Start From Scratch
This definitely isn’t a primary option when it comes to the organization. However, a great way to lay the foundation for better strategies in the future. Consider archiving everything in your current inbox so that there is nothing left.
From here, you will likely find it much easier to handle emails that you receive. Although it may be tempting if you're frustrated, you should avoid permanently deleting email messages in your existing inbox. You never know what information you will need to access later on.
In some cases, you could accidentally cause a setback for your business. Depending on the situation, this can be notably difficult to recover from. For example, you might miss a critical email from a client that needs an immediate response. You might not get a second chance.
6. Take Action Immediately
The longer you wait, the more disorganized your email inbox will become.
Since proper email organization has so many benefits, it's in your best interest to get started right away. The issue most people run into is being unsure how to begin.
You can do so by determining your needs and the most common issues that you face. You might find it difficult to locate customer support emails, or you may realize that you no longer have a need for a few of the accounts that you check on a regular basis.
Once you figure this out, you can take the appropriate steps forward. Before long, you will likely experience a sharp increase in productivity. It can even lead to greater customer satisfaction.
7. Minimize the Emails You Send
Sending fewer emails is a great way to minimize the clutter in your email inbox.
It will also help reduce the headache associated with managing a large number of emails. For example, many people find it mentally fatiguing to scroll through their inboxes no matter what type of information they deal with.
Sending fewer emails will equate to fewer responses, which is something that can ease the burden substantially. Of course, there will be times when sending fewer emails is impractical.
As long as you make an effort to send only what is necessary, you will have a much easier time in the future. Sending fewer emails will also make the other strategies on this list more effective. Don't neglect this responsibility.
8. Convey Emails You Won't Answer
This is one of the best things you can do when it comes to keeping your inbox tidy. You should clearly convey the types of emails that you will not answer.
To clarify, many businesses have an FAQ section on their websites that can help answer common concerns. Businesses like these should have a policy that states they won't reply to emails related to questions they could find on the FAQ page.
Not only will this help you reduce email clutter, but will also save plenty of time in the future. You can then reinvest this time into other areas of your business.
For smaller companies, this could affect how quickly you are able to scale your business.
9. Turn Off Notifications
Turning off notifications will allow you to stay much more focused on tasks that need your attention. It can be difficult to stay productive when your email application is constantly pinging you. Even a brief distraction could cause you to encounter issues in the future.
By turning your notifications off, you will be able to check all of your new emails at once at a later time. You can then determine what needs your attention and what you should get rid of. You can customize your notifications so that high-priority emails will still come through.
This allows you to avoid missing important emails even though your notifications are turned off. Be vigilant when setting these parameters, as you don't want to miss a crucial email at the wrong time.
10. Use an Email Organization Tool
There is plenty of professional software out there that can help streamline your inbox management. Take advantage of email organization tools for things like file organization, automation, etc.
These will play a large role in helping you get the best results. However, it's worth noting that you should take the time to read the documentation for the tools that you use. This is the only way that you can take full advantage of the features they offer.
Providers also typically have tutorials on their websites to help you get started. These are often easy to understand and broken into short segments.
11. Create a Schedule
You should have a schedule for everything email related. This includes when you clear your inbox, respond to emails, and even when you check them.
This is a great way to stay organized and productive when it comes to email management. It’s also worth noting that email schedules can prevent you from missing important information. When you know you have to check your email at a specific time, you will give this task your undivided attention.
So, you’ll be much more detail-oriented and less likely to make mistakes. This is crucial to keep in mind, as even a single mistake could have adverse consequences for your business.
12. Use Folders
Folders are an amazing way to organize your email content. Interestingly, not everybody takes advantage of them.
You can create folders for virtually anything, such as customer inquiries, client relationships, etc. You can even create a folder that serves as an archive for specific emails, allowing you to access this information in the future when you need it.
So, it's worth taking time to sit down and figure out what type of information you can create a folder for. Just be sure to create/delete folders as needed so that you can streamline your folder organization.
Finding the Right Software
The software that you use for your organization will make a large difference in the results you get.
For this reason, it's essential to research your potential options. Check out the provider’s past reputation so you can determine the type of results other customers experienced.
Keep an eye out for information related to ease of use, application crashes, etc. In general, you'll want to choose software that has overwhelmingly positive reviews.
This will give you the greatest chance of getting the outcome you need. You should also prioritize working with a provider that offers stellar customer service. In the event that something goes wrong, the last thing you want is to be forced to deal with the situation on your own.
Do they provide regular updates? The developers should be working hard to ensure that their software stays functional.
Otherwise, you may run into issues in the future if you update your operating system or get a new device. You would then need to take the time to find a new solution while organizing your emails without the old solution.
This can easily become a stressful experience that can be difficult to handle. Finally, choose a provider you're comfortable communicating with.
They should be more than happy to provide you with additional information or answer questions that you have. If they don't seem interested in helping you reach your goals, it's best to look elsewhere.
Don't Neglect Email Organization
At first, implementing email organization might seem overwhelming.
Consider these tips so that you can manage your information appropriately and ensure that you know exactly where to find the data you're looking for. It can make all the difference when it comes to how effectively you run your business.
Reach out to us at Mailstrom today to see how we can help. Our team of professionals is ready to get you on the right track toward better email organization.
