Google’s Web browser, Chrome, may have passed Microsoft’s Internet Explorer to become the most popular in the world, according to usage data tracked by StatCounter.
Internet Explorer still leads the way in the U.S., and there’s some debate over whether Chrome has surpassed it in the global marketplace. Applications that measure Web browser usage utilize different tools, and the analytics are not 100 percent accurate.
But since Chrome’s launch in 2008, it’s been consistently gaining market share. Google Chrome has built a loyal user base featuring a clean and simple graphical user interface (GUI), a trademark of many Google products. It is also extremely fast and showcases many extensions (applications that extend the normal functionality of a Web browser). Extensions can save time and increase productivity.
1. Evernote Web Clipper
Let’s start with my favorite Google Chrome extension, Evernote Web Clipper, which allows you to save things on a Web page directly into your Evernote account with the click of a button. The extension lets you save articles as well as add tags and comments. Evernote is a super-popular productivity app in the real estate industry. In fact, Phil Libin, CEO of Evernote, was a keynote speaker this year at Real Estate Connect in New York City. If you’d like to learn more about the company and its unique 100-year business plan, check out InmanNext Contributing Editor Katie Lance’s interview with Phil Libin. (Download Evernote Web Clipper.)
2. WiseStamp
WiseStamp enables users to create dynamic email signatures, linking social profiles, icons, photographs and more to your Gmail signature. WiseStamp is quick and easy to set up. The application supports both personal and business signatures. However, less is certainly more when it comes to email signatures. If you’re going to add a dynamic, media-rich email signature, be sure to read "You Need To Fix Your Email Signature Today" by Chris Smith, chief evangelist for Inman News. (Download WiseStamp.)
3. WordPress Stats
Millions of websites and blogs are powered by WordPress, and the platform has been embraced by the real estate industry. WordPress Stats is a Chrome extension that enables you to view daily analytics right from the Chrome interface without having to log in to your website or other dashboards. The app is easy to use and can be a real time-saver. (Download WordPress Stats.)
4. Offline Google Mail
Gmail Offline is perfect for traveling or when you’re caught in a situation with a poor data connection. Still in beta, Gmail Offline allows email to be read, responded to, searched and archived without network access. After you install it, Gmail Offline automatically synchronizes messages and queued actions anytime Chrome is running and an Internet connection is available. As you can imagine, this app is extremely helpful. (Download Offline Google Mail.)
5. Awesome Screenshot
Awesome Screenshot is a handy Chrome extension that captures a Web page or any portion of the page and then allows you to add shapes such as circles, squares and arrows as well as text. Once installed, clicking the browser icon accesses the extension, and screen shots can be downloaded and saved or uploaded for sharing. The app is perfect for training, collaborating with colleagues or clients, blogging or even developing design comps. (Download Awesome Screenshot.)
6. Browser Clipboard
Browser Clipboard is an ingenious little app for Chrome that allows you to copy multiple items to the clipboard and paste them into other Web pages. The extension is perfect for filling out laborious Web forms and can be facilitated via drag-and-drop or right clicking. (Download Browser Clipboard.)
From business tools to social media, the Chrome Web Store is filled with hundreds of apps and extensions to help you work more efficiently on the Web. Have a cool extension not listed above? Leave a comment below and let me know — I’d love to hear it!