Research shows that email signatures significantly increase reader confidence and trust
WiseStamp, NEW YORK, NY – July 14, 2026 – WiseStamp, the leading email signature management platform, announced the release of “In The Eyes of The Customer, An Eye-Tracking Study on Attention, Trust, and Brand Impact”, which delves into where an individual’s attention goes when reading emails. The report found that when email signatures are designed intentionally and managed centrally, they consistently attract attention, reinforce trust, and support clearer communication without disrupting the message itself.
“Email remains one of the most consistent communication channels for any organization,” said Daniel Zweig, CMO, WiseStamp. “From proposals to customer follow-ups, these messages are opened with intent and scanned quickly. At the same time, recipients subconsciously look for signals that help them decide if an email is legitimate and worth their time. Our report validates that email signatures not only build trust, but also, are one of the most impactful brand interactions an organization has.”
Using advanced, infrared eye-tracking technology, WiseStamp observed how CMOs and senior marketing professionals visually engage with real-world emails, both with and without email signatures, and with different email signature elements. The report found that email signatures repeatedly capture meaningful visual attention and are often the first and last elements viewed.
One of the report’s most critical findings is that email signatures did not distract from the email message itself. Instead, they acted as an instant recognition cue. For instance, when participants were randomly shown identical emails differing only in the presence of an email signature, emails sent with one held attention 50% longer. The message itself did not change, but the credibility and clarity surrounding it did. By clearly signaling who the message came from, reader confidence increased, which translated into greater attention on the email itself.
Additionally, email signatures with a headshot had 15% higher viewing than logos alone. In fact, eye-tracking patterns revealed a consistent sequence with participants first scanning the sender’s name, then fixating on the image in the signature, and only afterward continuing to read the email body. This pattern indicates that human imagery draws attention early and encourages deeper engagement with the message.
Increased engagement was also found with email signatures that included a banner, with recipients spending 18% more total view time and 15% faster time to first fixation on the signature. These findings indicate that banners increase overall engagement with the communication and highlight the importance of email signatures as an extension of marketing efforts. Whether promoting a webinar, announcing an event, or reinforcing a key initiative, banners allow teams to align everyday emails with current campaigns across departments, regions, and roles without adding new sends or channels.
The report’s key findings include:
- 58% more time spent on emails with an email signature
- 47% faster time to first fixation when an email signature was included
- 20% more time spent on emails with an email signature banner
- 93% more attention on branded email signatures vs unbranded email signatures
- 14% more time spent on email signatures with social media icons than hyperlinks
- 15% more attention on emails with brand colors vs. black and white email signatures
- 55% more viewing time on email signatures with third-party review badges
- 23% lower unsubscribes when an email includes a signature
Email signatures are an organization’s daily brand impression that builds customer confidence. To download the report, visit wisestamp.com/guides/eye-tracker-study.
Methodology
The study focuses on realistic, day-to-day emails, not promotional blasts or marketing newsletters, measuring:
- Fixation time: how long participants looked at an element
- Last area of interest (AOI) viewed: what element they looked at last
- Time to first fixation: how long it took for participants to look at an element
- Pupil dilation: how intensely the eyes focus on an element
Participants included CMOs of WiseStamp customers and partners, as well as tech experts, from leading tech companies such as Microsoft, Google, Monday, Elementor, Lightico, Airwallex, Foretellix, Rapaport, Cellebrite, Axonius, D-ID, and many more. This was done with the purpose of understanding how marketing professionals consume email content, and determine whether email signatures do indeed disrupt scanning patterns. Participants viewed emails naturally while their eye movements were tracked using an infra-red eye-tracking device.
About WiseStamp
WiseStamp is the leading enterprise email signature management platform, helping organizations of all sizes make every interaction count. Built for marketers and trusted by IT teams, WiseStamp enables centralized control of email signatures with seamless integrations and enterprise-grade security. More than 1.5 million customers worldwide trust WiseStamp to maintain brand consistency and drive engagement across every inbox.
Learn more: https://www.wisestamp.com/
