The Do’s and Don’ts When Creating an Email Signature Design

An email signature design is the component of every email that is the first and last to make a powerful impression of your brand. Email signature design should be a top priority for small businesses, especially for marketing purposes.

However, it’s one of the most overlooked branding and marketing opportunity features. Over 700 million emails were processed during a study, yet only 52% of emails had signatures.

Those are a lot of missed opportunities that could increase brand awareness, drive website traffic and secure relationship strength. An email signature design not only makes a powerful business card, but it’s also a cost-effective and high-return marketing tool. 

Consider these dos and don’ts of creating an email signature design for best practices.

Dos of Creating an Email Signature Design

1. Optimize With a Good Layout

Paying attention to the overall layout is the most crucial step of creating an email signature design. With that in mind, a sound email signature must be informative and clean. The information included will depend entirely on the brand you promote. However, it’s essential that details are to-the-point and the design carries out simplicity.

One thing to take note of is the scale of your design. To optimize your design for mobile phones, consider the size of the logos, images and shortened links. If you intend to use a wide logo, ensure that you use a vertical template. 

Including partitions can also keep the signature organized and strengthen the hierarchy. For instance, a full-bleed divider will highlight your name and contact information on one side–and the logo or headshot on the other side.

2. Include Blog and Social Media Buttons

Chances are, your customers are on social media—and including a link to your social media pages can help generate more traffic. Digital marketing is all about having an online presence so your business can establish trust. 

So when creating an email signature design, consider adding links to your Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin accounts. 

Additionally, you could also think of including links back to your website, podcast or blog–since businesses like to use signatures as a clever marketing tactic. 

3. Inform With Upcoming Events

Do you have a webinar event coming up soon? Or maybe you were invited to speak at a conference? Consider tweaking your email signature design by incorporating upcoming company events. You can tack on a simple banner and link to a landing page that describes the event’s details.

The best place to add a banner is by ranking it below your information. For example, a simple hierarchy would include your name, company, contact information and social media links leading to an advertisement of the upcoming event.

4. Use a Professional Headshot

Placing a professional headshot instead of a selfie is another way of leaving a lasting impression. When you want to look professional in a photo, here are a few tips:

• Dress formally
• Keep your hair well-groomed
• Look directly into the camera
• Pose
• Use a neutral background

You will feel more prepared to create a robust email signature design with these tips in mind. The image should communicate your brand and professionalism to make a lasting impact in the future. 

The Don’ts of Creating an Email Signature Design

1. Cluttering With Too Much Information

When creating an email signature design, it’s always best to keep the details simple. Going overboard on a signature will contain irrelevant or too much information and links. Consider only using necessary and often used information, such as a phone number, email address, website, and social media links.

Using multiple phone numbers and website links can be confusing and present a desperate image. The most creative emails are the ones that instill simplicity. 

2. Using Multiple Fonts and Colors

If you’re thinking minimalism when creating an email signature design, then you’re on the right track. Treat your signature like one instead of using it as a place to show off your graphic design skills. 

To avoid making the overall design look complicated, limit the number of colors and keep it to one font type. Consistency is also vital regarding branding and design.

So if you’re wondering which colors to use, stick with the branding colors you have in your logo or guidelines. This contributes to branding awareness and recognition.

Utilizing the same font for emails and the signature also creates a nice consistency. However, be sure to use a font type that’s easy to read.

3. Use of Personal Quotes

When promoting a professional brand, it’s critical to leave the right impression on your email recipients. The best approach is to include information only relevant to your brand. Avoid using personal quotes since this can appear over-the-top and too tacky. 

4. Including Long Disclaimers

Adding a lengthy disclaimer in your email signature is a common mistake most people make. Consider taking out an extended waiver for best practices and keeping only a few lines. If necessary, you can also include a link to a more detailed version of the disclaimer. 

Putting Best Practices Into Place

Emails are the most utilized form of communication in the business world. It’s important to tap into the opportunities it can provide—since it helps with brand awareness, online visibility and traffic to your website.

Overall, you must create your email signature design in the right way by utilizing the best practices listed above.