10 Professional Email Signature Tips That Make You Stand Out
Your email signature is a mini billboard that appears on every message you send. Make it count with these expert tips.
Why Your Email Signature Matters
Think about how many emails you send each day. 10? 50? 100? Each one is an opportunity to make an impression. A professional email signature:
- Builds credibility and trust
- Makes you easy to contact
- Promotes your brand consistently
- Can drive traffic and conversions
- Shows attention to detail
Yet most people either have no signature, a messy one, or one that hasn't been updated in years. Let's fix that.
The 10 Tips
Keep It Concise
Your signature should be easy to scan in seconds. Include only the most important contact details—name, title, company, phone, and one or two links. Anything more creates clutter.
3-4 lines of essential contact info
10+ lines with multiple quotes and disclaimers
Use a Professional Photo
A professional headshot helps recipients put a face to your name and builds trust. Keep it small (around 80-100px) and use a recent, professional image.
Clear headshot with neutral background
Vacation photo, group shot, or cartoon avatar
Include Your Title and Company
Your title establishes credibility. Stick to your primary role—listing multiple titles looks unprofessional and confusing.
John Smith | Senior Developer at TechCorp
John Smith | CEO/Founder/Entrepreneur/Visionary
Make Contact Info Clickable
Clickable phone numbers and emails make it easy for mobile users to contact you directly. One tap vs. copy-paste can make the difference in getting a response.
Phone number and email as mailto:/tel: links
Plain text that requires copy-paste
Limit Social Media Icons
Include only platforms where you're active and where connecting would benefit the recipient. LinkedIn is usually essential; others depend on your industry.
2-3 relevant professional profiles
Every social platform you've ever joined
Use Brand Colors Sparingly
Brand colors add personality, but overuse looks unprofessional. Use them for dividers, icons, or your name—not entire paragraphs of text.
One or two accent colors for key elements
Rainbow of colors making text hard to read
Choose Readable Fonts
Web-safe fonts display consistently across all email clients. Fancy fonts may not render correctly and can look like gibberish to recipients.
Arial, Verdana, or other web-safe fonts
Decorative or script fonts
Add a Call-to-Action
A single, relevant CTA can drive engagement. Whether it's booking a meeting, visiting your portfolio, or downloading a resource—give people a clear next step.
'Schedule a call' or 'View our latest report'
Multiple competing CTAs or none at all
Test Across Email Clients
Email signatures render differently in various clients. Test yours by sending to different email addresses to ensure it looks good everywhere.
Verified in Gmail, Outlook, and Apple Mail
Only tested in your own email client
Include Legal Requirements
Some industries require specific disclosures. If needed, keep them brief or link to full terms. Don't let legal text overwhelm your signature.
Required disclaimers in appropriate contexts
10-paragraph legal disclaimer on every email
Bonus: What NOT to Include
Just as important as knowing what to include is knowing what to leave out:
- Inspirational quotes — They're cliché and unprofessional in business contexts
- Animated GIFs — They increase file size and can be distracting
- "Sent from my iPhone" — Remove default mobile signatures
- Fax numbers — Unless you actually use fax regularly
- Multiple phone numbers — One direct number is usually enough
- "Think before you print" — Outdated environmental disclaimers
Pro Tip: Create Multiple Versions
Consider having different signatures for different contexts: a full signature for first-time contacts, a brief one for ongoing conversations, and a personal one for less formal emails.
Quick Checklist
Before you finalize your signature, run through this checklist:
- Name and title are clear and current
- Contact info is accurate and clickable
- Photo (if used) is professional
- Links work correctly
- Design is clean and readable
- Tested in multiple email clients
- Mobile-friendly layout
Conclusion
A professional email signature is one of the easiest ways to make a positive impression. By following these 10 tips, you'll create a signature that looks great, works across all email clients, and helps you stand out in crowded inboxes.
Create Your Professional Signature
Use our free Email Signature Generator to create a signature that follows all these best practices—in minutes.
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