Time and again, I see too many businesses overlooking their email signatures when communicating with customers. You might think that this small detail at the end of every email you send is insignificant. But just think about it — it’s at the end of every email you send.
And with 310 billion emails expected to be sent and received every day in 2021, you want your emails to stand out from the crowd and make a lasting impression.
That’s why I’m going to convince you that your email signature is the handiest tool you have for boosting customer satisfaction.
#1 Offers easy access to important information
Nowadays, everyone is so busy, we simply don’t have time to trawl websites looking for contact details. Your email signature helps here by acting as a ‘one-stop shop’ for all key contact information and important links.
Since social media is a great place for announcing company news and your latest offers, I’d always recommend you embed your professional social media links into your email signature. It’s an easy way to build connections while driving brand loyalty.
Email signatures are not only excellent for finding contact info; they’re also a convenient way of directing customers to potential deals, news, or unique landing pages.
They’re a subtle way of showing off, without bragging too much…
#2 Gives your customers a voice
If you don’t know what your customers like, how can you expect your business to be successful? Customer feedback is the quickest way to track satisfaction and improve your services.
Email signatures give people the opportunity to leave reviews, ask questions, and raise concerns simply by adding a couple of extra features. Think about adding links to one-click customer surveys, or simple traffic light indicators to gain valuable insight into how well you’re doing.
Customers feel more valued if you allow them to easily have their say.
#3 Lets your personality shine
Consumers are craving more human connection thanks to over a year of reduced social contact.
While emails will never replace good old-fashioned face-to-face chats, you can still create personalized and memorable exchanges through email signatures.
Inject personality into your signatures through clever design. Look at fonts, color schemes, and imagery that reflect your brand’s values.
Putting a face to a name also goes a long way, so think about adding a headshot photo. Why not go that one step further and use your headshot to link back to your company’s ‘Meet the Team’ page?
Remember to err on the side of caution though. While it might seem fun to use your high school yearbook photo for your headshot, complete with an unfortunate hairstyle, any images must really reflect the professional nature of your company.
#4 Builds a consistent brand experience
When it comes to building trust and authority as a brand, uniformity is key.
Think back to a time when you experienced exceptional customer service but then encountered poor quality service from the same company at a later date. How did this alter your impression of that business? It’s likely you felt disappointed and perhaps were even put off from returning to them.
After all, a business is only as good as its lowest common denominator.
The same is true for email signatures; all business emails should be uniform to ensure a professional and consistent brand image.
This means if you do choose to include headshots of your staff, they need to have the same background, filter (black and white is easiest), and please, no weird poses!
Having said that, different departments may wish to tailor their email signatures for legal or marketing purposes. Manually changing each email signature is not only time-consuming and costly but also puts businesses at risk of undermining their brand image.
This is where companies can benefit from using a streamlined centralized solution to easily personalize email signatures without compromising on brand consistency.
#5 Focuses on user experience
Frankly, there’s no excuse for not optimizing your emails, and today, mobile optimization is a must.
No longer chained to the desk, the modern worker can access their emails remotely, with 1.7 billion users checking emails on their mobiles, almost double those that access emails via desktop.
It’s a real pet peeve of mine to open an email on my phone that was clearly designed for desktop, and I’m not alone; 42% of consumers admit they would delete an email that wasn’t optimized for mobiles, meaning your campaign’s engagement rate could be slashed in half instantly.
The same goes for email signatures — a disorganized design that’s not optimized for different devices will only frustrate users and make it difficult for customers to see important information.
Now it’s time to put things into practice. Step up your email game by no longer leaving your email signature as just an afterthought — your customers will thank you for it.