Emails and transmission of information through email has become a way of life. The internet is increasingly being used as the foremost medium to achieve rapid dispersion of information. With just one click, you can send information to thousands of people who in turn can further spread the same to have a mushrooming effect that was unheard of hitherto. Amongst the most important parts of an email newsletter or an ezine (another name for a regular email bulletin) is the 'Signature File'. This is the part of the email that has all relevant and important information about the person who is sending the email.

This important information is necessary to be transmitted with the message as its absence can result in loss of revenue or subscriber base. Some aspects that must be ensured as a part of the signature file are:

1. Very often, interesting ezines and emails are forwarded by subscribers to their friends and relatives. This is the mushrooming effect that takes place. Therefore, the method of subscribing to the ezine should be a part of the main body and should be available at a couple of places. This would enable the recipients to subscribe to your ezine if they find it useful and interesting.

2. In a desperate bid to retain customers and subscribers, many ezines are not open about their policy on canceling subscriptions. This part of the deal is kept secretive and is increasingly made difficult. While the customers are retained for some additional time, overall this results in a loss as many people get antagonized. There may also be a case where a customer wishes to cancel currently only with a plan to rejoin at a later date owing to some commitments. Such a customer shall not return if the canceling process has been painful. Therefore, as far as possible, the option to cancel or to un-subscribe should be open and accessible to one and all. To make it user friendly, it is a god idea to automate this process as far as possible.

3. Many unsolicited emails had become a big problem. Necessity being the mother of invention, this has resulted in creation of stringent anti spam rules and regulations. One of the requirements of this is that all emails must have your own email address together with your full and proper mailing address. While this meets the requirement of anti spam regulations, the added advantage is that it also allows clients and subscribers to offer you feedback and suggestions that allow you to improve your service.

4. Any service provider can always do with free publicity. Internet is a medium that allows mushrooming of clientele with very little expense and effort. Emails and ezines are the easiest to forward as they do not entail any expense and take very little time and effort to be spread. To encourage people to spread your word, it is a good idea to include ?Please feel free to forward this email to a friend? at a prominent place in the ezine. While it is true that anyone who wanted to send it forward would have done so in any case, an encouraging prompt does help.

5. If you do not want people to copy your material and use it as their own, it is always a good idea to include your copyright details and if applicable an ISSN Number. This would prompt people to contact you before using your material.

6. An ezine or a business email should always have a hyperlink to our website. This facilitates a client or a new recipient to reach your site at minimum effort and also browse through it. As a good business gesture, you must have a button for your back catalogue of ezines so that a client or a prospective client can browse through old issues and enliven their interest even further.

7. Many sites, especially those that are popular attract advertisements. If your website carries advertisements for other, the contact details for commercial ventures and/or the rate list should be reflected. This also goes to show the popularity of the site to a new customer.