Tuesday, September 09, 2008

Everything You Need to Know to Create an Effective Email Signature

The power of an email signature has been terribly underestimated. An email signature is that short little blurb that is attached to all your outgoing emails. This can be set up through your email provider to be attached to your emails automatically. This will serve as a reminder to your readers of who you are and what you have to offer.

There are few people that actually take advantage of this powerful marketing tool. Those that do, tend to go about it the wrong way. This article will provide some tips on creating an effective email signature.

The first thing you want to include in your signature is a link back to your site. Please remember that not all email providers will allow active links. Formatting your link and using anchor text may backfire if your link shows up as plain text to your reader. Always include a simple link that can be cut and pasted into a browser.
Try not to make the same mistake of numerous other website owners by including only your name and link in your signature. You will run the risk of being boring and you won’t grab anyone’s attention.

Your email signature is like a small ad. You have to give your readers a reason to want to visit your site. Devote some time to designing your message. Perhaps a catchy phrase or slogan might do the trick. Another great eye catcher is to offer something free. A free report or E-Zine (an online form of a newsletter) is a great way to get people to your site. Coupons and discounts are a great way to generate traffic to your site as well. Don’t be afraid to add any of these things into your signature.

Remember, don’t get carried away. Many of us have several websites and we might feel inclined to mention them all in an email signature. This is going to overwhelm the reader and back fire on you. Try to keep it simple. You can try several different variations of your signature to see which ones are working best.
Another thought is to set up a special landing page just for your email signature. This will make tracking somewhat easier and you will be able to customize this page to fit the offer you may have advertised in your signature. From this special landing page, you can then send the visitor to any site you choose.

A good, well written email signature is a valuable piece of marketing you will want to incorporate into your advertising.

Lori Gorman is the owner/webmaster of My E-Biz Place and My E-Biz Place News and Info as well as a successful work at home mom. Visit her site for up to date, legitimate work from home opportunities. You can also find her on Twitter, MySpace, Facebook and ZenZuu.

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