An email signature is the last piece of information the reader of your email will see. It should highlight your business identity and leave a positive, professional impression. Unfortunately, even though emails are one of the primary means of communication, many businesses still underestimate how important it is to make a good impression and the impact a poor email signature can have on their business.

As an example – imagine attending a networking event, where, instead of exchanging business cards, you are handing over a piece of paper with some details scribbled on it to the connections you make. Apart from unexpected situations, you would never do that, would you? An unprofessional email signature can have just as bad an influence on your company. Neat and professional email signatures not only help you showcase your competence as a business but also help you stay consistent with your company brand, increasing brand awareness and recognition amongst customers and prospects.

Another issue with email signatures in some organisations is the lack of unification between employees – signatures should be standardised among the organisation and ideally managed by one person so there is no confusion. It is also important to remember to set signatures for new employees so that they are perceived as professional team members from day one.

Email signatures don’t have to be boring! You should simply remember to keep it informative and straightforward. A few tips that can help you:

• Don’t overload it with information – avoid long descriptions; identify the main reason people want to use your services and adjust your focus accordingly.
• Stay consistent with your company brand – this will increase your brand recognition amongst prospects and clients.
• Direct the eye with the use of font size – this will help you to highlight the most important information you want prospects and clients to spot.
• Use social media links – it’s an easy trick that will help you to boost traffic on social channels.
• Remember to be mobile-friendly – a lot of people check their emails on phones and tablets.
• Keep graphics simple – unless you work in the creative industry, a business logo should be enough.

To sum up – you should always remember that the last impressions are as important as the first ones.