(Maybe your personal life needs some more efficient messaging too. We covered apps for that in last week’s roundup<\/a>. And check out earlier posts in the series<\/a> to find\u00a0products that help bring peace of mind<\/a>,\u00a0apps to increase productivity<\/a> and\u00a0innovative services for good<\/a>.)<\/p>\n Does this sound like an email you\u2019ve gotten in your support inbox?<\/p>\n “You know when you’re on the home\u00a0page, and then there\u2019s that red button? Well I clicked and something weird happens on the next page and I don\u2019t know what to do.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Not all of your users are developers or UI\/UX\u00a0designers; actually, chances are most of them aren\u2019t. So they probably aren’t sending you site feedback that\u2019s really easy to understand \u2026 or even worse they\u2019re just leaving your site frustrated without sending any feedback at all. Talk to Users<\/a> makes it easier for any user to share site feedback with just a click.<\/p>\n For example, if a user is creating an account on your website, and the \u201cLogin with Facebook\u201d button is broken, they can simply hover over the button to see the Talk to Users icon. From there, they just\u00a0click and type to explain their problem. On your end, you see exactly what the user is seeing so nothing is lost in translation.<\/p>\n To get Talk to Users on your site, you just need one line of JavaScript, which supports full styling and customization. So it looks good\u00a0and <\/i>functions well with your website.<\/p>\n Even beyond customer relations, you can easily share feedback with your designer or developer, using this tool to point out problem areas. No more screenshots with layers of \u201cPaint\u201d on top of them, thank goodness.<\/p>\n Right now, Talk to Users is <\/i>free to use<\/i><\/a> while it\u2019s in beta.<\/i><\/p>\n Whether you’re an HTML pro or a rookie, Ink<\/a> has a solution to help your emails look professional and \u2014 more importantly \u2014 the same across any email client, even Outlook. After pasting in the HTML for your email, just start playing around with Inky\u2019s Inliner to pick a layout\u00a0that works for your message.<\/p>\n Inky\u2019s Inliner ensures that your email won\u2019t be stripped of CSS when it reaches its destination. If you don\u2019t have a style in mind for your email, Ink has some templates to get you started.<\/p>\n We rely so heavily on reaching out to customers via email, but with people using so many different clients and services, your messages could get lost in email translation. This solution is a simple one that doesn’t require you to attend a lecture series on responsive email design to make emails that look and work well. (But, they do offer training<\/a> if you want to become a pro.)<\/p>\n When you download\u00a0Ink<\/a>, you get an HTML email boilerplate, a CSS stylesheet and two sample emails for free.<\/em><\/p>\n We use our smartphones for just about everything. Your work contacts mingle with your family contacts, and your phone calls from\u00a0Mom come in the same way as calls from your boss. This makes separating your work and home life really tricky. Even with separate modes on your phone, there hasn\u2019t been such an expansive\u00a0phone system for work\/home capabilities until Truly<\/a>.<\/p>\n Truly basically acts as a virtual second SIM card for your smartphone, separating the contacts and capabilities of your needs for work and home. With this complete phone system, you also get features to assist your team with customer support<\/a> like a business caller ID that not only shows you who\u2019s calling but also what they want. And, by\u00a0showing you which line is being called, there\u2019s no need to merge your work contacts with your personal contacts.<\/p>\n This phone system doesn\u2019t replace you mobile carrier, it works alongside it. That means it doesn’t work by call forwarding \u2014\u00a0it\u00a0calls you directly so you know you’ll receive the call. And as a bonus, you can make and receive calls through your browser!<\/p>\n Prices start at <\/i>$7\/month<\/i><\/a>, but you can also try Truly via a <\/i>14-Day Trial<\/i><\/a>.<\/i><\/p>\n With a ton of different ways to contact someone<\/a>, SMS is still the fastest, easiest way to ensure your recipient gets back to you, especially considering\u00a0how much time people spend on their mobile devices<\/a>\u00a0nowadays.<\/p>\n Sonar<\/a> gives your customers a phone number that they can text to reach your business quickly\u00a0and conveniently. It\u2019s bringing customer support chat right to mobile devices for people to respond to at their leisure in a way that they’re used to.<\/p>\n On the business\u2019s end, you\u2019re probably not going to want to spend all of your customer support time huddled over your iPhone. Don’t worry, Sonar provides a web-based system that allows you to respond to any question from users. Even if a user doesn\u2019t have a question, you can text them details on their order or just welcome new people to the site.<\/p>\n Rather than have your communication exclusively going to people\u2019s inboxes, buried under days of sales and promotional emails, this is a more one-on-one approach to ensure that your users are having a personal, unique experience with your site.<\/p>\n Sonar is a subscription-based service with varying levels ranging from $20 up to $1,000 per month. See the options <\/i>here<\/i><\/a>.<\/i><\/p>\n One of the best ways to reach your customers is with a story.\u00a0Maker<\/a> is a platform for sharing the stories of people making all kinds of different products around the world. Its simple, beautiful interface is pleasant to read, putting the maker in the spotlight. (And being featured on Maker could actually make for a great bit of hero content for your next Ink<\/a> email!)<\/p>\n Beyond expanding your audience, Maker gives you the opportunity to discover new products in your space and get inspired by the stories behind them.<\/p>\n If you want to tell your story, you can sign up for the opportunity to <\/i>join their beta<\/i><\/a> starting early next year.<\/i><\/p>\n![\"Talk](\"http:\/\/d1vqbpto5tbbz0.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/talktousers.jpg\")
<\/a><\/h2>\nTalk to Users<\/h2>\n
Point and click feedback<\/h3>\n
\n
![\"Ink\"](\"http:\/\/d1vqbpto5tbbz0.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/Ink.png\")
<\/a><\/h2>\nInk<\/h2>\n
Responsive HTML emails anywhere you send them<\/h3>\n
![\"Truly\"](\"http:\/\/d1vqbpto5tbbz0.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/Truly.png\")
<\/a><\/h2>\nTruly<\/h2>\n
Business on your cell<\/h3>\n
![\"Sonar\"](\"http:\/\/d1vqbpto5tbbz0.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/Sonar.png\")
<\/a><\/h2>\nSonar<\/h2>\n
Text your customers<\/h3>\n
![\"Maker\"](\"http:\/\/d1vqbpto5tbbz0.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/maker.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nJust for Fun: Maker<\/h2>\n
Telling makers\u2019 stories<\/h3>\n