TIPS FOR DESIGNING A GREAT EMAIL SIGNATURE

We all send dozens of emails every day - each one is a potential marketing tool. Obviously a well written, concise email is a must, but even your signature at the base can say a lot about you and your company. Make sure it's saying the right thing!

First, the 4 biggest errors:

• Image crazy
  Most big corporate email systems strip out images. People who receive a lot of emails often have automatic image blocking. If you email a bank, having an image in your email can get it rejected outright. Therefire if you include an image, always include text as well.
  
  
• Multiple colours and fonts
  Incoming emails use the fonts on the recipient's computer. Using a cute or fun font looks great on your computer, but could convert to something illegible on the receivers end. Multiple colours are just girly. Unless you are a girly kind of company, avoid them.
  
  
• Too much information
  A payoff line, physical address, box number, multiple phone and fax numbers, twitter address, linked in, facebook... it's too much. If your email signature is longer than your emails, it's time to cut it down.
  
  
• Too little information
  "cul8r" or "Love D" isn't informative. At least include a phone number in case your email is returned.
  
  

Email Signature Tips

1. Keep it as short as you can while providing all of the information you deem most important (four lines is the accepted standard).
2. You can condense very short lines or multiple links into fewer lines by using pipes (|) or colons (::) to separate the text.
3. Remember that simple plain text is best; skip colors, special fonts and graphics.
4. Be careful with HTML formatting because it may not appear in the same way for all computer operating systems and software tools.
5. Test your signature with as many email clients as you can, especially if you use HTML.
6. Optimize your logo or other graphics. Upload the files to your server, and use an absolute URL instead of inserting images.
7. Provide written out URLs instead of using hyperlinks in your email to ensure the link will go through in the sent message.
8. Avoid including multiple phone numbers and email addresses. Pick your contact preference and get rid of the rest.
9. Only include IM details and Skype account information if you want to be contacted that way by anyone who sees your message.
10. Include links to your most important social media profiles, only if they are appropriate.
11. Include your email address. You can’t rely on various email clients to include header information in replies and forwards.
12. Create different versions, both in length and content and know when to use each version (i.e. use a shorter version on replies, cell phone on personal emails.
13. Don’t attach your vCard to your messages. Not everyone uses them and even those that do don’t need to receive them repeatedly.
14. Reconsider including a quote; you never know when you might offend someone or give the wrong impression.
15. Use a legal disclaimer only on an original email, not on replies.
16. When forwarding a message, remove all the "virus-checked" messages at the bottom of the email.

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