In this post, I’m going to explain how to create and install a professional email signature for your coaching business. I’ll also show you how to install your signature in Gmail.
You have a ton to offer to your ideal client, and you want an email signature that represents the caliber of that coaching. Visual consistency across all of your digital touch points is a good way to build recognition and trust with your ideal client. But how to create a professional email signature?
Where to go to create a professional email signature
I’ve done a ton of scouring, and the two websites that I think are best for a non-developer to create a custom email signature are Si.gnatu.re and MySignature.io. They’re both easy to use and among the least clunky of the many email signature generation sites out there.
They’re also both 100% free, though of course there are extra features you can purchase for a minimal fee.
The downside of going the free email signature route
The bad news about creating email signatures is that if you want it to be free, then you’re usually going to have some sort of external branding in it somewhere. Here’s an example:
See the “Create your own signature” stamp at the bottom? If you click on the link there it takes you to the website where I created that signature in the first place. Not super professional.
You can usually pay to have this removed, or in the case of Si.gnatu.re, they say they’ll remove the signature if you share about the platform on your social media. I haven’t actually tested that out myself, though.
Installing your new custom signature
After you have your email signature, either because you’re one of my clients or because you went with one of the options above, you’ll need to install it on your Gmail or G Suite service. Here’s how:
STEP 1: Copy your signature design
If you have an email template from me, it will be an HTML file that will likely open in your browser when you double click it. You’ll select and highlight it all like so (or press Ctrl+A):
And then you’ll copy (Ctrl+C) it to your clipboard. You can also right click and click “Copy” from the menu.
If you’ve created a signature from a signature generator website, then they will usually have a button you press that says, “Copy Signature.” That’s essentially the same thing as highlighting and copying from a file, like above. Once you do that, you can move onto the next step.
STEP 2: Go to your Google email settings
Go to your Gmail or G Suite and find the cog icon on the upper right corner of your inbox. Click it and go to Settings on the drop-down menu.
STEP 3: Paste your email signature
Under the General tab in Settings, scroll down to the Signature section. Click anywhere inside the Signature edit box. Then paste the HTML email signature design that you copied earlier by right-clicking and selecting “Paste” from the menu (or you can press Ctrl+V).
You’re not done yet! Make sure you do this next bit:
STEP 4: Allow external images to load
Since the images in your signature (the picture of me, in this case, as well as the social icons) are all stored on a separate website, you need to be sure external images are allowed in your email.
This may already be done, but just double check it. You can do that under the General tab in Settings, where you’ve already been for the signature pasting. Scroll up to the Images section. Make sure “Always display external images” is checked.
STEP 5: Save changes
Scroll all the way down to the bottom of the settings page. Click on “Save Changes.”
If you get an error
Sometimes Gmail pops up this little error message after you click on “Save Changes”:
This happens when you’re signature is too big for Gmail to handle. It just means you need to take out some of the elements you have in there.
My philosophy is that “less is more” when it comes to email signatures. Keep it simple, keep it brief. So Gmail will approve it, but also because when you include too much, people quit reading it!
Congrats! You’ve installed your signature
Now go send an email to someone to show it off. Send it to me via my email, if you like! I’d love to see it.
