Adding a professionally looking email signature can boost your reply rate by 32%.
But with all the different design options to choose from, the process of creating a signature can be overwhelming.
That's why this guide explores the various types available, offers tips on choosing the best fit for your needs, and gives steps on crafting signatures that leave a lasting impression.
Plus, you'll get top examples that will help you build credibility in various industries and boost replies from your leads!
If you wish to jump straight away to create an email signature that's aligned with your needs, you can use this free generator:
An email signature is a block of text that automatically appears at the end of an email message.
It typically contains the sender's contact information, such as their full name, job title, company name, phone number, and website.
Additionally, it might include additional elements like links to social media profiles or a company's promotional banners, which we'll go through in this article.
Email signatures are important in professional communication, as they boost credibility and professionalism effortlessly.
They streamline communication and reinforce brand identity by including essential contact details and branding elements.
Additionally, they ensure legal compliance where necessary, minimizing risks and ensuring adherence to regulations.
Email signatures act as your digital business card, making a lasting impression without too much effort.
Deciding how many elements to include in your email signature depends on several factors, including your personal preferences, professional requirements, and the expectations of your audience.
Here are some of the most repeating key elements in email signatures:
If you want to make it as easy as possible for recipients to reach you, you can add contact information, such as:
Don't add contact details you do not control you're (such as third-party calling service).
To build trust and credibility, you can also link to content and professional profiles, such as:
You should always add links only to something you consider valuable for recipients.
Depending on your preferences, you can also add:
Use clear and high-quality logos or headshots. The ideal size is around 300-400 pixels wide.
You can cut loading time by compressing them with tools such as Adobe Photoshop, GIMP or free online tools like TinyPNG or Compressor.io
Pick 2-3 colors (no more) that reflect your brand and have strong contrast for readability.
When selecting your palette, You can try Coolors or Adobe Color.
For example, in the Coolors interface, you can choose from existing palettes or generate your own.
Ensure the fonts you use in your signature are easily scannable and professional-looking.
Using fonts such as Arial or Helvetica is always a safe choice.
Also, attention to the spacing between content to avoid an uncluttered look.
The order in which you display information is crucial when prospects scan your signature.
The proper approach would be to highlight the first name, the title, and the rest as the key information.
You can browse layout ideas using tools such as Canva or Adobe Spark.
As many people read emails on their phones, you must test responsiveness with tools like Email on Acid or Litmus.
1. Image Designs (JPEG or PNG)
Fixed image signatures may be catchier but also less flexible. They're easy to create but aren't responsive on different devices, and the text isn't selectable.
2. HTML
On the other hand, HTML designs provide dynamic, customizable options with responsive layouts and clickable links.
However, they require HTML know-how, might display inconsistently across email clients, and face potential security restrictions.
Some of the easiest ways to create your HTML email signature is to use:
1. lemlist's free signature generator
a. Choose your template
b. Add information you wish to display
c. Export your signature
2. Chat GPT-4 with this prompt:
Hey GPT, could you help me create an email signature?I need it to include:
Name: [Your Name]
Job Title: [Your Job Title]
Link to my portfolio: [URL of your portfolio]
An image of my face: [Please provide a URL to your image or describe the image you'd like to use]
Feel free to add descriptive elements to your prompt, like “white background” & “professional”, etc.
To create an image with your signature, we recommend using:
1. Click on the gear icon in the top right tab.
2. In the 'Accounts' tab, click on 'Signatures'.
Designing Signature:
3. Click 'New signature' & give it a name.
4. Use the built-in editor to format your text, add links, and insert images.
Adding External Designs:
5. For HTML: Copy your HTML code and paste it directly into the editing area.
6. For images: Use the image insertion tool in the editor to add your image file.
Saving and Applying:
7. Click 'Save', and set it as the default for new emails and/or replies/forwards.
1. Click the gear icon in the top right, then 'See all settings'.
2. Go to the 'General' tab and scroll down to the 'Signature' section.
Designing Signature:
3. Click ‘Create new’ and use the rich text editor to format text, insert links, and images.
Adding External Designs:
4. For HTML: Convert your HTML to rich text and paste it in.
5. For images: Click on the image icon in the toolbar to upload your image.
Saving and Applying:
6. Click ‘Save changes’ at the bottom of page.
1. Open Apple Mail, go to 'Mail' in the menu bar, and select 'Preferences'.
2. Click on the 'Signatures' tab.
Designing Signature:
3. Select your email account, click the '+' button to create a new signature.
4. Design directly in the provided box.
Adding External Designs:
5. For HTML: Design in a separate editor, then copy and paste the HTML directly.
6. For images: Drag and drop the image into the signature box.
Applying Signature:
7. Drag your signature to the desired email account.
1. Click the gear icon > 'Mail' > 'Compose and reply'.
Designing Signature:
2. Use the text box and tools for designing.
Adding External Designs:
3. For HTML: Convert HTML to rich text and paste.
4. For images: Upload using the image tool.
Saving and Applying:
5. Check the relevant boxes and save.
Accessing Signature Settings:
1. Click the menu dropdown icon.
2. Go to 'Tools' > 'Account Settings' > 'Signature text'.
Designing Signature:
3. Paste your design (text/HTML/image) into the box - it will show up as HTML code.
Applying Signature:
4. There’s no need to save, it automatically applies your new signature.
With cold emails, you aim to establish credibility while not looking too salesy or like your email is a marketing newsletter.
Here are four sales email signatures that achieved the highest click-through rates among all the cold email campaigns in one of our studies.
The takeaway? Keep it concise and, when needed, include helpful links.
When sending networking emails, the goal of your signature should be for people to get to know you.
In this case, you can inject some personality to trigger relationship-building.
Here are some catchy ideas to personalize your signature:
In this case, the goal of your signature is to embody your business's culture.
Some ideas to stand out even with strictly corporate signatures:
The goal of your signature in a creative environment is to showcase your creative edge.
Creative Ideas:
Your goal is to market the value you bring in a subtle and engaging way.
Personalization Idea:
The goal of your signature when working in support departments is to provide the most helpful info in one spot.
Signature elements that support:
To add clickable social media icons to your email signature, download high-quality icons.
Then, insert these icons as images in your email signature editor (such as lemlist's free signature generator).
After inserting each icon, hyperlink it to your social media profiles.
Finally, test your signature to ensure the icons are clickable and lead to the correct profiles.
Yes! Include a brief, engaging call to action, such as inviting contacts to meet you for a chat via a lemcal link or visit your website.
Typically, include your name, job title, company, and, optionally, additional contact information, logo or photo.
This varies by industry and region. Some professions require specific disclaimers or regulatory details.
That's why it's important to always check relevant legal guidelines in your area.
Now, you have everything you need to create your perfect email signature and have a lasting impact on online communication.
And remember, clarity is key. Whether you choose a minimalistic one or opt for something more visual, ensure the elements give value to recipients.
Also, stay informed about updates and changes in email client compatibility.
Email clients may update their rendering engines, affecting how signatures are displayed.
To maintain compatibility with the latest versions of email clients, regularly review and update your signatures as needed!
G2 Rating | Price | Best for | Standout feature | Con | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
4.9 star star star star star | $30/mo $75/mo $2,999/mo | Large, distributed sales teams | AI evaluation precision, gamified KPIs | Lack of tracking system | |
4.6 star star star star star-half | Not publicly available | Sales operations and finance teams | Powerful configurability | Limited training resources and complex to navigate | |
4.4 star star star star star-half | Not publicly available | Mid-market and enterprise businesses | Comprehensive incentive management | Potentially high cost and steep learning curve | |
4.7 star star star star star-half | $15/user/mo $40/user/mo Enterprise: custom price | Complex sales structures and businesses of all sizes | Complex sales structures and businesses of all sizes | Steep learning curve | |
4.6 star star star star star-half | Not publicly available | Collaborative teams | Connected planning | Complexity and steep learning curve | |
4.6 star star star star star-half | Not publicly available | Companies with complex sales structures | Complex incentive compensation management (ICM) with high efficiency and accuracy | Complexity for smaller teams and potentially high costs | |
4.7 star star star star star-half | Not publicly available | Companies who want to automate commission calculations and payouts | Simplicity and ease of use | Lack of features like redirection | |
4.7 star star star star star-half | $30/user/mo $35/user/mo Custom: upon request | Businesses that need a comprehensive and user-friendly sales compensation management software | Ease of use and adoption | Lack of ability to configure the product based on user needs | |
4.8 star star star star star-half | Not publicly available | Companies with modern sales culture and businesses who want real-time insights | A built-in dispute management and real-time visibility | Users say it works slowly, customer support is slow | |
4.9 star star star star star | $30/user/mo $50/user/mo | Smaller sales teams | Powerful automation | Lesser user base and average user interface | |
4.7 star star star star star-half | Not publicly available | Companies with scalable needs | Automated Commission Calculations | Lack of filtering by date, no mobile app |
PRM Tool | Rating | Feature | Pro | Con | Mobile App | Integrations | Free Plan | Pricing |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
4.65 star star star star star-half | Org-wide alignment | User-friendly layout and database | Suboptimal as a personal CRM | square-check | Lack of tracking system | square-check | Team: $20/month Business: $45/month | |
4.7 star star star star star-half | Social Media Integration | Easy contact data collection | No marketing/sales features | square-check | Lack of tracking system | square-xmark 7-day trial | $12/month | |
4.75 star star star star star-half | Block Functions | High customization capability | Not a dedicated CRM | square-check | Limited | square-check | Plus: €7.50/month Business: €14/month | |
N/A | Open-source | Open-source flexibility | Requires extensive manual input | square-xmark | Limited | square-check Self-hosted | $9/month or $90/year | |
3.1 star star star | Simple iOS app | Ideal for non-tech-savvy users | iPhone only | square-check iOS only | Limited | square-xmark 1-month trial | $1.49/month or $14.99/month | |
3.6 star star star star-half | Smart Contact Management | Feature-rich and flexible | Reported bugs | square-check | Rich | square-xmark 7-day trial | Premium: $13.99/month Teams: $17.99/month | |
4.4 star star star star star-half | Customizable Interface | Customizable for teamwork | Pricey for personal use | square-check | Rich | square-xmark | Standard: $24/member Premium: $39/member | |
4.7 star star star star star-half | Integrated Calling | Integrated Calling | Too sales-oriented & pricey | square-check | Rich | square-xmark 14-day trial | Startup: $59/user/month Professional: $329/user/month | |
4.8 star star star star star | Business Card Scanning | Business Card Scanning | Mobile only | square-check | Limited | square-check | $9.99/month | |
4.45 star star star star star-half | 160+ app integrations | Comprehensive integrations | No free app version | square-check | Rich | square-xmark 14-day trial | $29.90/month or $24.90/month (billed annually) |
Capterra Rating | Free Trial | Free Plan | Starting Price (excluding the free plan) | Maximum Price (for the most expensive plan) | Best for | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
4.5 star star star star star-half | square-check 14-day | square-check | €15/month/seat billed annually | €792/month/3 seats billed annually + €45/month for each extra seat | Versatility and free plan | |
4.2 star star star star | square-check 30-day | square-xmark But it offers reduced price to authorised nonprofit organisations | €25/user/month | €500/user/month billed annually (includes Einstein AI) | Best overall operational CRM | |
4.3 star star star star star-half | square-xmark | square-check Limited to 3 users | Comprehensive incentive management | €52/user/month billed annually | Small-medium businesses and automation | |
4.5 star star star star star-half | square-check 14-day | square-xmark | €14/seat/month billed annually | €99/seat/month billed annually | Sales teams and ease of use | |
4.1 star star star star | square-xmark | square-check Limited 10 users | $9.99/user/month billed annually | $64.99/user/month billed annually | Free plan for very small teams up to 10 |
CRM goal | Increase the sales conversion rate for qualified leads from marketing automation campaigns by 10% in the next 6 months. | ||||
SMART Breakdown | 1. Specific: It targets a specific area (conversion rate) for a defined segment (qualified leads from marketing automation). | 2. Measurable: The desired increase (10%) is a clear metric, and the timeframe (6 months) allows for progress tracking. | 3. Achievable: A 10% increase is possible based on historical data and potential improvements. | 4. Relevant: Boosting sales from marketing efforts aligns with overall business objectives. | 5. Time-bound: The 6-month timeframe creates urgency and a clear target date. |
Actions | Step 1: Refine lead qualification criteria to ensure high-quality leads are nurtured through marketing automation. | Step 2: Personalize marketing automation campaigns based on lead demographics, interests, and behavior. | Step 3: Develop targeted landing pages with clear calls to action for qualified leads. | Step 4: Implement lead scoring to prioritize high-potential leads for sales follow-up. | Step 5: Track and analyze campaign performance to identify areas for optimization. |
Outcomes | Increased sales and revenue | Improved marketing automation ROI | Marketing and sales alignment | Data-driven marketing optimization |