|
The value of a signature line
©Judy Vorfeld
Have you been hearing about the importance of having of a good
e-mail signature line (sig line / tag line / sig file), but you don't
have a clue as to how to create one? Never fear! It takes time,
but it will come. By incorporating several pieces of information, you
can benefit from a signature line in ways that may amaze you.
When I started on the Internet, I didn't have a signature line. After
studying the comments of people in newsgroups such as LinkExchange, I-Sales,
and I-Advertising, I noticed many of them using at least one line to give
more information about their businesses. The brief phrases generally seemed
to be slogans, but on closer study, many of them were not: they were part
of the business's USP (Unique Selling Proposition).
How can you do this? It begin with studying your niche . . . what
sets you apart from other similar businesses in the eyes of the
reader, potential client, or those who will refer others to you. Just
as you think constantly of customer/client needs when crafting the words
on your website, so must you think of these people when crafting your
USP.
You can certainly say something that will make people want to
ask more about your business, but be careful not to be too clever.
You have a global audience, and some common American phrases are not understood
in many parts of the world.
My first tag line was something like:
Judy Vorfeld, Office Support Services
Typing, Training, and Troubleshooting
There it was: my name, business name, and what I did. Wasn't that enough?
Nope. Lots of people type, train, and troubleshoot. People didn't understand
my clever little phrase. This was my first clue that something was missing.
I needed a different approach, both locally and on the Internet.
Little by little I learned that there must be reasons for every
word and digit in the signature line, and that by carefully crafting
every part of it, I'm now better able to describe my business. Later,
my major sig line reads as follows:
Judy Vorfeld - mailto:oss@ossweb.com
Office Support Services - http://www.ossweb.com
Online & Document Editor - Web Analyst & Renovator
Webgrammar - http://www.webgrammar.com
Arizona Phone: 623-876-8168 || eFax 801-720-4333
My second sig line is reserved when I send comments directly to newsgroups
they generally restrict the sig line to 3-4 lines:
Judy Vorfeld - mailto:oss@ossweb.com http://www.ossweb.com
Copyediting, Web Design, Renovation, & Analysis
Currently, I'm using the sig line below.
Judy Vorfeld - Editing and Writing Services - Arizona (623) 876-8168
www.EditingAndWritingServices.com | mailto:jv@EditingAndWritingServices.com
www.ossweb.com | mailto:judyvorfeld@ossweb.com
www.webgrammar.com | mailto:judyvorfeld@webgrammar.com
If you have a website with any kind of business purpose behind it, do
sit down and sweat out your Unique Selling Proposition, creating a clear,
effective USP. Brainstorm with friends and family. Even if it takes days,
or weeks, it will be worth it . . . and you may find that in time you
can make it better.
Use it with every e-mail. There are many similarities between sig lines
and websites. Be considerate of the other party. If you're writing to
someone regularly, and they suddenly decide to go to your site or give
your URL to someone else - but can't remember your URL - make it easy
for them. They should be able to go to any of your previous letters and
find that URL. It's good business practice to leave plenty of information.
If you network often on the Internet (and I strongly recommend it), a
good sig line with a clear USP should help increase your credibility,
your visibility . . . and your business. It works for me!
About the author
Judy Vorfeld's operating system is Windows and her primary software
includes WordPerfect; Microsoft Word; Microsoft Publisher; Adobe Acrobat;
PaintShopPro; and Macromedia HomeSite. Please visit her website: http://www.ossweb.com |
| » Change
your mind about an eBay bid?
We have all made choices in life that two seconds later
we know we should take back. Especially when there is money involved
this can become a problem.
» A
simple way to create 7 effective autoresponder messages
Email is the Net's most powerful marketing tool. And autoresponders
are the best idea yet for marketing with email.
» 7
ways to drive laser-targeted traffic to your website
Getting people who matter to see one’s website
is a difficult undertaking if he tries to consider the fact that
there are rivals everywhere waiting to pin him down.
» Website
valuation: Why standard website pricing methods will emerge
The market of buying and selling developed websites is
becoming more and more liquid each day.
» One
way links are better than reciprocal links
You probably know by now that where your website ranks in
the search engine rankings dramatically affects how many visitors you
have to your site. Did you also know that you can change where your
site is ranked by being proactive and getting as many one way links
to your site as possible?
» How
to make visitors stay at your website
The very first thing which you should provide the visitors
with is some free interesting reading material.
» How
to make your visitors click your ads
Here is a simple solution; Convert your banner advertisement
to look like a text advertisement!
» Offline
advertising should be a part of your online strategy
Day by day, online business has become more & more
complicated and competitive.
» How
to sell traffic
Selling the traffic arriving at your site is a good method
to increase profits from your portal.
» Make
money from online auctions
Online auctions have the best benefit of a vast platform.
Your product is viewed by loads of people & hence there is
more possibility of finding a suitable bidder.
» Groupware
explained in easy terms
Groupware is a term used frequently to describe collaborative
software. Groupware is application software that integrates work
on a single project by several concurrent users at separated random
workstations.
» Timely
back up can save you from disasters
Few things which people often back up are e-mail addresses,
bank records, photographs, personal records, software’s,
music etc.
» Why
should one go for autoresponders
Autoresponders are programs which get automatically
executed in particular situations.
» Become
your own boss - Start your own online business today
A survey conducted by SBA states that two third of new
business survives at least two year and about forty four percent
survives at least four year.
» Express
your thoughts - Creating your own blog!
What exactly is a blog? Technically speaking it is a
journal or a newsletter which is regularly updated and can be used
by any one.
» Pop-up
ads - To be or not to be?
According to a study conducted by the Bunnyfoot University, “The
Efficacy of Pop-ups and the Resulting Effect on Brands” Internet
users feel harangues and harassed by pop-up ads.
» Why
content is king on the Internet
The advantages that Internet holds over the rest of
the other communication mediums should not wasted because of
the inability to find a comprehensive plan that will bind all
these faculties together.
» 10
niche marketing tips
In our increasingly driven consumer economies, the average
customer is bombarded by choices. With increased saturation of the
market, companies look towards niche marketing to search new, ever-evolving
and sophisticated consumers.
» Using
free traffic exchange
These days internet has emerged as both, a market and
hub for marketing. Unlike the ‘brick and mortar’ world
where large manufacturers manage to squeeze out the market bases
of smaller companies, the internet provides haven like the free
traffic exchange.
» Ten
ways to drive traffic to your website
Developing a web site and then letting it grow is
like planting a tree and then nurturing it.
» Marketing
through keyword articles
One of the most effective tools of Internet marketing
is the use of keyword articles.
» Want
to make money online? Market a service to businesses
Don walked across the street from his house to mine to
announce he had finally retired. "But I'm not ready for the
golf course," he said. "I want to make a living on the
Internet. What can I sell?"
» Web
site design mistakes - Database parameters in URLs
Creating a web site takes thought, planning and execution.
Unfortunately, many designs are dead in the water before they are
even published as far as search engine optimization is concerned.
Whatever you do, avoid these critical mistakes.
» Alexa
Toolbar - The ultimate internet tool
There are numerous tools available on the Internet to
assist online businesses. A valuable tool that you should use is
the Alexa Toolbar. Even better, this tool is free.
» Web
site design mistakes
Some wise human once said "Learn from the mistakes
of others. There isn't nearly enough time to make them all yourself."
Hence this article. Here are five of the most annoying and common
web design mistakes.
» Abandonment
- Why visitors don't turn into customers
Every good Internet business understands the value of
conversions versus hits received. Far too often, businesses become
fixated on the hits they are receiving instead of monitoring their
hit to sale conversion rate.
» Creative
search engine optimization - A case study
Search engine optimization this and search engine optimization
that. You read and hear about it all day, but what about your site?
|
|
| Tools & services to enhance your online
business |
|
» Site
Build It!
Over 100,000 small businesses of all kinds outperform
larger, well-financed competitors. Read about this all-in-one site-building-hosting-marketing
system of tools that delivers results.
» Secrets
To Their Success
Take a private tour of two "Mom & Pop"
web sites every month that earn $100,000+ a year... and discover
the exact step-by-step strategies they have personally used to generate
these massive profits. |
|
|
|
