Cold Emailing

Email Signature: Key Elements, Design Tips, & How to Create

Mihaela Cicvaric
LAST UPDATED
September 30, 2024
READING TIME
7 min.

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!

Email Signature Generator

If you wish to jump straight away to create an email signature that's aligned with your needs, you can use this free generator:

What is an email signature

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.

Why do you need an email signature

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.

What to include in email signature

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:

  • Full name
  • Job title
  • Company name

If you want to make it as easy as possible for recipients to reach you, you can add contact information, such as:

  • Contact phone with international prefix
  • Address – in case of local store/service

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:

  • Official website
  • Social media links

You should always add links only to something you consider valuable for recipients.

Depending on your preferences, you can also add:

  • Legal disclaimers
  • Your photo/Company logo
  • Brief professional tagline or CTA

5 tips for designing an effective email signature

1. Use high-resolution visuals

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

2. Use color scheme

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.

3. Make text easily readable

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.

4. Pay attention to the layout

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.

5. Ensure your design is mobile-friendly

As many people read emails on their phones, you must test responsiveness with tools like Email on Acid or Litmus.

Two types of email signatures

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.

Comparison of HTML Email Signature vs Static Image Email Signature - Which one to choose?

Format HTML Email Signature Static Image Email Signature
Pros
  • Customizable and flexible design
  • Interactive elements (links)
  • Scalable on different devices
  • Consistent display across email clients
  • Quick to load
  • Simple to create
Cons
  • Compatibility issues with some email clients
  • Can be blocked by email security settings
  • More complex to create
  • No interactive elements
  • Can appear blurry on scaling
  • May be treated as an attachment
Challenges
  • Maintaining consistent appearance across different email clients
  • Ensuring mobile responsiveness
  • Staying within email size limits
  • Optimizing image size for quick loading
  • Maintaining image quality on different devices
  • Avoiding being marked as spam
Opportunities
  • Enhancing brand identity with rich design
  • Driving traffic to websites or social media
  • Gathering analytics through tracking links
  • Ensuring visibility even with images turned off
  • Simplified troubleshooting
  • Ease of updating for individual use

How to create your email signature

How to create an HTML signature?

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.

How to create an Image signature?

To create an image with your signature, we recommend using:

  1. Graphic Design Software - Use tools like Adobe Photoshop or GIMP, tapping into built-in templates for quick design.
  2. Online Free Tools - Try Canva for easy-to-replicate templates.

How to add (or design) your signature in your email provider

How to create a signature with Microsoft Outlook (Desktop Application)?

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.

How to create a signature with Gmail?

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.

How to create a signature with Apple Mail?

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.

How to create a signature with Outlook.com?

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.

How to create a signature with Thunderbird?

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.

Good Email Signature Examples

1. Cold Email Signatures

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.

2. Networking Email Signatures

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:

  • Add a QR code that links to a fun fact, personal accomplishment, or valuable resource.
  • A quirky hobby mention like “Marketing Maestro by Day, World's Okayest Chef by Night”
  • A personal Motto like "Find Value in Every No, Fuel for the Yes."

3. Professional/Corporate Email Signatures

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:

  • Try festive variations: Create a duplicate signature with a Christmas element or two that your employees can switch to once December hits.
  • Differentiate departments: Switch up your signature's colors, icons, or other elements to represent different departments.

4. Email Signatures in Creative Industries

The goal of your signature in a creative environment is to showcase your creative edge.

Creative Ideas:

  • Signature Artwork: Add a small piece of your artwork or design.
  • Creative Typography: Experiment with typography that showcases your design skills.
  • Animated Element: Consider a subtle, tasteful animated GIF.

5. Email Signatures for Freelancers/Consultants

Your goal is to market the value you bring in a subtle and engaging way.

Personalization Idea:

  • Engaging Video Greeting: A link to a video where you showcase your personality and services.

6. Customer Service/Support Signature

The goal of your signature when working in support departments is to provide the most helpful info in one spot.

Signature elements that support:

  • Add your support hours (e.g., "9 AM to 6 PM, Mon-Fri")
  • Include a knowledge base link or other helpful company resource.
  • Include an emergency contact link.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I add clickable social media icons to my email signature?

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.

Can I add a call to action in my email signature?

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.

Is there a specific format I should follow when creating an email signature?

Typically, include your name, job title, company, and, optionally, additional contact information, logo or photo.

Are there any legal requirements for email signatures?

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.

Conclusion

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!

Mihaela Cicvaric
Content Marketing Manager @ lempire | Sharing everything you need to get replies to your cold emails
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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
ERP vs. CRM
ERP
CRM
Summary
Backbone of a business's internal operations.
Backbone of customer-centric interactions and operations.
Goal
To centralize and streamline core business processes in a company.
To increase customer experience, satisfaction and loyalty, and boost sales.
Focus
Internal operations and processes across departments (finance, accounting, inventory, supply chain, HR, and sales).
All interactions with leads and customers.
Manages
Internal business data like financial data, inventory levels, production details, supply chain, HR info.
All customer data like contact info, purchase history, communication history, customer preferences and more.
Users
Finance, accounting, operations, supply chain, and HR departments.
Customer-facing teams like sales, marketing, and customer service.
Benefits
Streamlines operations, improves data accuracy, enhances decision-making, boosts collaboration, increases productivity.
Improves customer relationships, increases sales, strengthens customer service, personalizes marketing campaigns, provides insights.
Price
$150 per user per year on average.
$10 to $30 per user per month on average.
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
Table
CDP Software
CRM Software
Approach
Data-centric
Customer-centric
Focus
Interactions across various channels and touchpoints, both online and offline.
Sales, marketing, and customer service interactions.
Functionality
Automatically collects, organizes, tags, and makes data available in real-time.
Helps businesses track customer interactions, sales pipelines, prospects, and service requests.
Goals
Personalized customer experiences across all channels.
Better customer relationships, streamlined processes, and improved profitability.
Benefits
Data integration, management, and accessibility, allowing for detailed analysis and segmentation.
Better communication within teams and with customers by organizing information about customer interactions and history.
Data Handling
Handles both identified and anonymous data, stitches together various data points.
Deals primarily with identified customer data.
Use Cases
Personalized marketing campaigns, targeted advertising, content customization across multiple channels.
Managing campaigns and leads, enhancing customer service, providing better customer support, increasing customer satisfaction and loyalty.
Examples
Insider, Bloomreach, Salesforce Marketing Cloud CDP
HubSpot, Salesforce Sales Cloud Lightning Professional, and Zoho CRM
CRM
Free plan
Best feature
Best for
Con
1. HubSpot CRM
square-check
Sales automation
Sales teams
Up to 1,000 contacts
2. Insightly
square-check
Custom fields
Basic needs
Not enough info about the free plan
3. Agile CRM
square-check
Deal and sales pipeline tracking
Small teams
Up to 10 users
4. Zoho CRM
square-check
Lead and contact management
Businesses of all sizes
Limited to 3 users
5. ClickUp
square-check
Unlimited tasks and unlimited members
Personal use
Up to 100MB storage
6. EngageBay
square-check
Live chat
Small and midsize enterprises
Up to 1,000 branded emails per month
7. Bitrix24
square-check
Unlimited users and 5 scrum teams
Big teams
Up to 5GB of cloud storage
8. FreshSales
square-check
Easy to use and simple setup
Beginners
Up to 3 users
9. Mailchimp
square-check
Very beginner friendly
Marketing teams
Send up to 500 branded emails per month
Type of Affiliate Marketing
Unattached
Related
Involved
Format
Paid advertising
Social media or YouTube channels
Dedicated website or blog
Focus
Quick income
Your niche
Your audience
Engagement with your audience
square-xmark
square-check
square-check
square-check
square-check
Very close connection with your audience
Pro
Little effort
Higher credibility thanks to your niche
Long-lasting and scalable
Con
Paid ads cost a lot
Potential for bias since you don’t use the thing you promote
Require time, effort, and dedication

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