| Those in Corporate America are most likely more | | | | and automatically turn it into a live link, but if it does not, |
| familiar with the use of email signatures than those | | | | your reader will be able to easily cut and paste this |
| who are not. Email signatures are those short little | | | | address into his or her web browser. |
| blurbs of valuable contact information found at the end | | | | While your name and website address are valuable |
| of an email. The signature gives the reader easy | | | | pieces of information, they may not be enough to |
| access to vital bits of data with the ease of a quick | | | | encourage your reader to visit your website. Take |
| glance. | | | | some time to craft and perfect a unique tagline as part |
| Unfortunately, very few people outside of Corporate | | | | of your signature. The tagline could be your vision, your |
| America, where they are often required, utilize the | | | | mission, or even a bribe such as a free report, |
| signature as the valuable and powerful marketing tool it | | | | eCourse, or coupon. Very few people will pass up free |
| really is. Those who do use it tend to overwhelm their | | | | opportunities, especially if they're interested in your |
| readers with useless information, nullifying its purpose. | | | | area of expertise to begin with. |
| The following tips are meant to guide you in creating | | | | You may want to consider setting up a separate |
| an effective email signature designed to grab your | | | | landing page if you offer a special discount or |
| reader's interest and drive traffic to your website. | | | | opportunity to those who click on your email link, but |
| Start by including your full name as the first line of your | | | | not to those who visit your website otherwise. This will |
| signature. I can't tell you how many emails I've received | | | | help you to track where your traffic is coming from |
| which end abruptly with no signature of identifying | | | | and will allow you to direct your traffic to the most |
| information. The writer assumed I would recognize his | | | | appropriate section of your website with ease. |
| or her email address and instantly know whom the | | | | While many of us run several websites, it is never a |
| message was from. Your reader should never have | | | | good idea to bombard your reader with an email |
| to hunt the body of the email for your personal | | | | signature longer than the body of the email. Including |
| information. | | | | too many links will send your reader into information |
| Always include a backlink to your website as part of | | | | overload! In short, choose one website to include in |
| your signature. Keep the link plain and simple and avoid | | | | your email signature. You may need to set up several |
| using anchor text as much as possible. If your reader's | | | | signatures to keep on hand and use as appropriate. |
| email program does not format the link correctly, he or | | | | Email signatures can be incredibly powerful marketing |
| she will have plain text with no ability to see the actual | | | | tool when used correctly. Don't send another email |
| website address. Keep it simple, such as In many | | | | without evaluating your signature first! |
| cases, the email system will recognize the address | | | | |