It is easy to get satisfied with the basic Gmail features. You have ample free storage and can send and receive emails and instant messages, call any phone, integrate with other Google (News - Alert) services, protect your data, and filter spam and malware. What more could you want?

More, way more. Gmail has extensive possibilities. You can use it to accomplish so much more by taking advantage of its useful features, especially if you use it for your business. But to enjoy all it offers, you must utilize it as a workplace. Here are four ways to achieve that.

1. Integrate Gmail with Your Tools

Integrating Gmail with the tools you already use can enhance it. For example, you can send fax from Gmail in a few clicks by integrating it with eFax. You don’t need a separate fax machine. You can read, reply, sign, and forward faxes from Gmail.

Other tools you can integrate with Gmail to enhance productivity and streamline workflow include:

• Google Calendar allows you to schedule events and meetings from your inbox.
• Google Drive eases the sharing of files.
• Trello and Asana turn emails into tasks and projects to assign and manage them more efficiently.
• Salesforce, HubSpot, Zoho (News - Alert) CRM, and other CRM tools manage your sales and marketing.

Integrating these tools with Gmail creates a more efficient and cohesive workplace.

2. Get a Custom Email

Instead of using your [email protected] email address, you can create a custom [email protected] email. It gives off a more professional and polished image, instills trust and credibility, and helps your personal and professional branding. Custom email addresses also come with advanced security features, which are essential because you will handle sensitive business or customer data.

Plus, you get to enjoy an ad-free experience to reduce distractions.

3. Choose Who Can Join Your Organization

You can use Gmail to manage your team by adding and removing them from your organization to prevent security risks.

To give them access to your organization, you give them their user account, which gives them an @yourdomain.com email. When they no longer need the account, you can delete or remove it and transfer the user's data to another user.

To allow your team to access your organization’s data and keep it safe from unauthorized access or use, you can use endpoint management to secure your data across all endpoints. You can control which endpoints can access the data, require stronger passwords, wipe devices remotely, manage applications, and more.

4. Collaborate with Your Team

You can collaborate with your team through shared inboxes. They allow you to grant other members of your team access to your Gmail account. They can read, send, and delete your emails but can't change your password. When they send an email, their email address appears as the sender.

Collaborative inboxes also allow you to assign conversations to team members and track conversations as tasks.

When working with people from different time zones, you can use Gmail to schedule your emails to send them later when the recipient is more likely to receive them.

There’s More to It

Gmail offers enough features in its free version that it is easy to believe that is all there is. However, utilizing it as a workplace unlocks a world of capabilities and benefits your business can benefit from. Features like advanced security controls, increased storage, and custom email domains can take email communication and productivity to another level.