Many of us are accustomed to sending emails, whether it’s for business purposes, or for personal use. And if you’re a professional email sender, or at least earning the craft, then you must know the importance of using an email signature at the end of each email. Email signatures allow people to easily promote their business by having their contact information printed for the receiver to see at the end of the email. However, for the novice, this can be a bit challenging to have a decent email signature, or where to begin with it.
Try avoiding these seven mistakes when you use your email signature. You might definitely be surprised to see the common mistakes that are made with these signatures!
1. Sending an Email Without an Email Signature
The biggest sin of a professional email sender is not having an email signature after an email. If you run a business, and you expect to grab people’s attention with an email, not having a signature is like showing up to a product presentation without the product itself.
As a business, you need something to show for it. Therefore, the email signature is considered the draw. When the user clicks on the links inside the signature, it counts as a click. This is what drives the sales and increases customer engagement.
If you don’t include an email signature, then you’ll lose out on earning sales and gaining potential customers. On the web, email generators can help you get started on setting up an email signature—an easy setup, doesn’t take long, and 100% free to make.
2. Having Too Much Contact Detail
The last thing that an email recipient wants to see is too much information. Too much to say can drive someone away.
Multiple phone numbers, email addresses, and web links can not only be overwhelming, but having so much of them is unnecessary; and recipients will see that as you being desperate for clicks. Stick with the basic and essential contact information, so that the email signature seems less crowded.
3. Ignoring Your Email Provider’s Limitations
You have your email providers: Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, etc. But please be aware that not all email providers are the same.
Gmail and Yahoo are webmail providers and are more mainstream than desktop providers like Outlook and Mac Mail. No matter which email provider you use, be sure to educate yourself on whether or not it supports image files like GIFs. Also, be aware if whether or not your provider gives you easy on-the-go features, or if you can use HTML signatures using a mail app.
4. Your Email Signature Is Not Mobile-Friendly
Many people want things on-the-go; the same is true for people who want their emails sent to them at their convenience. Mobile devices make it possible for people to read and send emails.
Just keep in mind that your signature will appear smaller on a mobile device screen. Make sure that the signature is easy for the recipient to press with their thumb, or else they’ll use interest in the email.
To make your signature easy to see on a mobile device, consider using a font size of either 11 or 14. Don’t worry about having a fancy font design for your signature. If the recipient can see it, then you’re in business!
5. Having Outdated Content
Having social media links is a good way to make your signature more visible to the recipient. Also, recipients prefer connecting to social media, when it comes to learning more about a business.
However, the key here is to have relevant stuff to show your recipient. So, make sure your social media accounts are updated on a regular basis, because failing to do so will scare off your potential customers. Outdated links need to be taken out of the signature as soon as possible, before you send out another email.
So, what happens when the recipient clicks on the social media link? They should be taken to the social media account. Therefore, posts need to be current, just the account itself.
6. Having Typos
Typos are normal nuisances you’ll see in a written text. Email signatures are no stranger to typos.
First, be sure you have the essentials: name, title, and contact information. Next, double-check all of the information inside the signature for any typos. If your name is misspelled, fix it. If you misspelled your email address, fix it. If the phone number is written incorrectly, correct it immediately. One recommendation would be to have someone else proofread your signature to look for any inconsistencies.
Putting your best foot forward starts with a well-written, typo-free signature at the end of each email.
7. Not Updating Your Email Signature
Over time, your business will make changes, such as a change in address, a change in email provider, etc. So, if your business changes in any way, then your email signature needs to accommodate to those changes. Even if you don’t move or change phone numbers, a new addition to your company (such as using social media for the first time) will warrant you to update the signature.
Updating your signature will keep your customers and recipients on the loop, and keep them wanting more from your business.
Conclusion
So, now that you know the common mistakes made on email signatures, take the time now to have a quick look at yours, before you send out another email. You can use these tips for future reference, if it makes you more comfortable.
Finally, just know that people, including email senders, make mistakes all the time; but don’t beat yourself up over a typo or outdated piece of info. Simply correct the mistakes, and then go from there. And even if you’re 100% certain that your email signature is perfect as is, it won’t hurt to update it every once in a while, or ask a peer or colleague for additional feedback.
At the end of the day, it’s all about sender reputation, and reducing the likelihood of the recipient deleting the email due to an uninteresting sign-off. Follow these simple tips, and keep your customers happy and coming back to your emails with a reputable email signature!