Gmail Button

Social Media
1

I feel kind of silly for asking this but… I’m putting social media buttons on my site and have the usual suspects like Twitter and Facebook. I keep coming across the Google gmail button when I’m looking at icon sets. And I’m wondering, what exactly is this button for? If you put it on your site, what’s the code you put behind the button? Where does it link to? What’s the purpose of it? I’m sure there’s a really obvious answer to this that I’m totally missing. Thanks…:lol:

2

I believe it’s to quickly email the content or a link to the content to someone using your Gmail account. My guess is that it would generate an email and pre-fill all appropriate fields with a link to the content or the content iteself.

3

Thanks Jeff. so the button is for people with gmail? and what’s the code to put as a link from the button? just to gmail? cheers.

4

While there may be additional functionality for Gmail specifically, it is used to email the information in general. It creates a mailto: link and may pre-populate certain fields of the email. The mailto: link opens the default mail client based on the browser/os preferences.

5

Are you sure it’s Gmail? Or is it just a G, or G+? Google Plus is a new social network like Twitter and Facebook, so it’s more likely to be a button for following someone’s Google Plus account.

6

Good point. I was referring to things like this (http://www.addthis.com/) with the email button.

7

Icons don’t lead to anything, really. They are just images for you to use on web pages. They can lead to whatever you like. So I suspect the typical use for such an icon is for a link that opens up the user’s mail program, whatever that might be.

For example, say you want to put a link on your site so that people can send you an email. The link code would be something like this (link in red, email image in blue):

[COLOR="#FF0000"]<a href="mailto:yourname@yourdomain.com">[/COLOR][COLOR="#0000FF"]<img src="mail-icon.gif" alt="Email Us">[/COLOR] [COLOR="#FF0000"]</a>[/COLOR]
8

It’s the Google icon that looks like an envelope, denoting mail I assume. But where does it lead, to Gmail or the default mail program :slight_smile: see below. I know there is also a big Google “G” as an icon too, but that must lead to Google plus probably.

9

Touche, but icons are supposed to lead somewhere. You’re not gonna post a twitter icon that leads to stumbleupon or reddit :wink:
Thanks for the code Ralph. I think I will just use the icon to take viewers to their default mail program. Cheers.

10

Aside from the usual gmail icon, suggest you to put social media widgets too for more expanded web presence and traffic. This will also lead possible visitors/subscribers to connect your website to each of their social media accounts for more personal interaction.

11

I agree with Dilettante, the button are eye candy, what you want are the links that follow. So if you can draw them in by all means add it to your site.