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The eyes may be the “windows into the soul” according to poets and others, but for business owners, your email signature may serve the same function for existing and potential clients. A well-crafted sign-off will function as more than a simple reveal of your name and contact information. Instead, the professional tone of your signature can help build trust and credibility, increase brand awareness and generate business.

Advertising and PR professionals counsel clients to streamline their messaging, and the same advice goes for your signature. Everyone feels pressed for time, so if your email signature is half as long as your message, you need to clean up your act. Keep your email signature simple. Include only the important details: your full name, job title, company name, website URL, phone number, and email address.

Avoid adding unnecessary graphics or cute quotes. You might think they will make you stand out, but these add-ons can distract the reader, deflecting attention from important details you want to share. Best case: bring your signature down to three or four lines of text.

If it is important in your industry, consider adding your company’s physical address. And check with your legal team or outside lawyer about whether you need to add a disclaimer. This is especially important if you work in a highly regulated industry that requires privacy notices or other information. An attorney can help you decide if specific wording is needed. They can also tell you where to place any disclaimer, like at the end of your signature.

And OK, you might include social media links, and perhaps a professional headshot or your company’s logo. But these are not must-have elements.

There are some items you should never include in your business signature. Avoid personal details like your home address, date of birth or family member names. The only exception is if family names are part of your business.

If you think it is important, you can add a clickable icon that links to your LinkedIn profile or your company’s social media site. You might also want to add a “call to action,” since this encourages your audience to engage more. For example, they could download a free eBook, attend a conference or schedule a consultation.

If you do add a clickable icon, make sure that the link to your social media profile, website or other item is current. Nothing screams “keep away” like a dead or outdated link. Additionally, keep your “call to action” or other links to a minimum. Too many will make your signature look like spam.

Fonts matter, too. Using standard fonts like Arial, Verdana or Times New Roman makes your text look consistent. This is important for readability across different email clients and devices. And do not use more than two styles of fonts — anything beyond that can confuse a reader.

Finally, check your company style guide to make that the font you are using aligns with your company’s brand. And keep away from animated gifs — they make you seem like an amateur.

Some design details

Your signature does not have to use black font. However, using too much color can make you look unprofessional. And, as mentioned with fonts, make sure the design and colors you use are consistent with your company’s branding.

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Similarly, exercise care when selecting graphics. When used properly, graphics can enhance readability and focus attention. A small, high-quality image of your company logo can strengthen your brand.

A professional headshot next to your name adds interest, since this helps readers connect a face with your name. Also, simple dividers like a vertical bar or a bullet can help to organize contact information.

But do not go overboard. If you use too many images, your message can become cluttered, and some email clients might distort the images or show them incorrectly.

Another concern: embedding large files in your signature will increase the size of your emails. This could cause slow downloads, or awkward-looking displays on mobile devices.

Speaking of mobile devices, studies show that today, most people access email on their smartphones. So, keep the design of your signature mobile-friendly, use a narrow signature to avoid line breaks, and remember that, on small screens, readable fonts in a smaller size will generally display better than large fonts. And leave enough space around links so readers can click them with one finger.

Testing your message across different email apps is a good idea. Everyone in your company might use Outlook for business email, but your target audience may use different email clients. So, your message may look good in the Outlook app on a computer, but it might appear differently in Gmail or Yahoo. It can also look different on a mobile device. Investing in testing will create a consistent experience in different email clients. This will make links easy to click.

A well-designed email signature can make your messaging look polished and professional. This will help you stand out from your competitors. But effectively incorporating all the dos and don’ts, and ensuring consistency across your company, requires time and tools.

Finally, services like eSignIt and other email tools can improve your email signatures—and working with an experienced IT managed services partner can make a big difference. They keep your brand consistent, support marketing efforts and enhance email security. The end result will be better connections with existing and new customers.

Carl Mazzanti is president of eMazzanti Technologies in Hoboken, providing IT consulting and cybersecurity services for businesses ranging from home offices to multinational corporations.