.svg)
.svg)
.svg)
An email signature's design has a big impact on how your organization is seen by its contacts. Adding unnecessary features to your signature looks amateurish and untidy.
If your email signature is badly designed, it can harm your reputation.
The top 15 things you should never include in your email signature to create the greatest possible signature.
[toc]
1. Do you really need to include unnecessary contact information?
Don't use your signature to include every conceivable method of communication with you. Stick to the basics:
- Name
- Job title
- Company name and address
- Phone number
- Website URL
- Email address
For internal emails and replies, keep it this short.
2. Avoid using custom fonts in your email signature
It's acceptable to use custom typefaces in your email signature, but this isn't recommended.
This is due to the fact that the majority of your recipient's devices will not have your custom font installed, and it will automatically change to a default font such as Times New Roman or Arial.
If you must employ a custom typeface, consider utilizing a web-safe fallback font you can find here. A list of web-safe typefaces is presented.
3. Avoid bullet points in your email signature
Bullet points are not used in good email signatures.
Because they look strange in different email clients and may alter the appearance of your signature, they should be avoided.
Bullet points appear significantly different in Outlook and Gmail.
4. Say no to animated gifs in your email signature
Only the first frame of an animated GIF will be displayed by many email platforms.
Instead, only the start frame of the GIF will display, or a dreaded red X indicating that the image is unplayable.
The receiver need not play animated GIFs in email signatures.
5. No videos should be attached to the email signature
Unfortunately, embedding videos directly into your email signature is not possible because most email clients do not support it.
This is due to the fact that videos are considered a security risk, therefore the material will not play.
If you'd like to include a video in your email signature, you can use a link with alternate text or a promotional banner instead.
6. No Quotes should be mentioned in your email signature
The greatest email signatures never include motivational or inspiring quotations.
Not everyone's beliefs will agree with yours; the recipient may get the wrong idea, be offended, and then not even pay attention to what you're saying.
7. No personal information should be included in your email signature
Keep things professional if it's a work signature. Don't include links to your fundraising page or personal social media sites.
8. Avoid multiple color fonts in your email signature
Using a lot of different font colors in your email signature may appear chaotic, especially if they are too vivid.
Use no more than two neutral hues that complement your company's style and image.
9. Do not use an image as your email signature
Never attach a picture as your email signature unless you want to risk embarrassment or have a good reason.
The following are some of the reasons why you should never use just an image as your email signature: most email clients do not automatically download and display images.
The addressee will not be able to copy your contact information.
You won't be able to include many links in the photograph. It will be difficult to maintain it up to date.
If you submit an image as your signature, it is more likely that your email will be put into the junk folder or blocked by spam filters.
10. Do not include unused accounts or previous postings in your email signature
Don't include links to an out-of-date blog entry or a social media account that hasn't been used in over 6 months in your email signature.
It will look amateurish if a customer visits a page you haven't updated in a long time.
11. Do not out-of-date promotional banners in your email signatures
Do you still have a Christmas promotional banner in your email signature in May? It's time to remove it!
All promotional banners should be current and kept up to date.
12. Do not use too many social media icons in y
our email signature
If you include a logo for every social media network your business uses, your signature will appear chaotic.
There should be a maximum of four icons in your email signature. Only pick the channels that are routinely updated.
13. Do not use pointless certifications in your email signature
Unless your professional qualifications are relevant to your job, it's best not to include them in your email signature.
Only add certifications from companies that have been operating for at least five years into your corporate email signature.
A certification from 1999 is extremely antiquated!
14. Do not add too much content to your email signature
Too much information may cause your email signature to be damaged.
The next line is most likely to be wrapped if you have more than 72 characters on a single line of your signature, especially if it's on a mobile device.
As a best practice, use evenly spaced signatures on multiple lines.
15. Avoid using large image files in your email signature
If you're using a logo or a photo of yourself in your email signature, make sure it's the correct size before you send it.
If a 2000x1500px picture is linked in the HTML and intended to be displayed at 500x375px, it may be ignored by email clients and mistaken for the real file size.
In Conclusion
However, don't be scared to try new things. Simply choose a few vantage points that will benefit your business or personal brand the most.
The objective is for your contact to be able to engage with your signature without difficulty, not to overwhelm them with a wall of links and social icons.
Consider, What do I want my communication with someone to accomplish once he or she has seen my signature?
It might be simply to recognize your name, title, and company. Or it might be responding to a specific call to action.
Use your email signature in whatever way you like, but keep it simple and direct to make the best closing statement possible.
