Business cards have been in existence since 17th century Europe. Despite digital takeover of every aspect of our lives, business cards remain strong. The expectation of a business card is that it conveys all of your information in once place. However their small size makes them easy to lose. Here’s how to make your business cards stand out and not get left in a trashcan.
Clean and modern design: If you’re using the same format your company has been using for years, it’s probably time for an update. Keep the design clean and easy to read. Avoid script or decorative fonts. It doesn’t do you any good if your customer can’t read your name clearly.
Front and back: Don’t forget to use the back of a business card. Including all of your information on one side makes for a cluttered design. Using the back frees you up to keep the important information on the front and secondary info on the back. It allows you to have a cleaner look without sacrificing important text.
QR code and other digital information: Business cards have stepped fully into the digital age. Contact information no longer has to be manually typed in by a card’s recipient. You can create a virtual business card or vcard. A vcard contains all your contact information, website address, title, and anything else you want to include in a virtual file that can be directly added to a phone’s contacts. How you convey your vcard to the customer is through a scannable QR code.
QR codes are free to create and you can use any QR code generating website to do so. Once you input the vcard information and generate the code, download the image file as an .eps file. Then add it to your design. QR codes have to be a minimum of 1 x 1 cm to be scannable, but you might want to go larger to be on the safe side. Print it out at home actual size and test it to make sure it works before you finalize the design.
The best part about including a QR code is that if your contact information changes, you can update the vcard and the QR code will still work. Instead of having to order new cards immediately when your email address or phone number changes, you can explain to customers that the QR code will have your updated contact information.
Minimal text: Nothing makes a customer’s eyes glaze over than endless blocky text to read. Sometimes people are tempted to include too much information on a business card. Along with company name, your name, title, mobile phone, office phone, website address, physical address, and email address, people will include a company slogan, description or listing of services, fax number, and more. That’s a lot of information to fit on a three-and-a-half by two-inch card. Keep it to the essentials. If someone really needs a fax number they will call your office number to get it, which gives you a chance to have a personal conversation with them and create a connection. Keep your list of services short or use images to convey the idea. Try to make the company slogan blend with the logo so it separates that text from the rest of the card.
Photos and logos: Clear photographs and clean company logos go a long way to making your card memorable. If you include a photo of yourself, use a professional shot where you are smiling. If you are using stock photos or taking your own photos, make sure you use a high quality camera. Be careful to upload the full image size. Print requires high-resolution photography, where as websites can take a lower dpi without losing clarity.
Use Professional Design: If graphic design isn’t your strong suit, you can browse the extensive template library at Blue Bee Printing. We have a variety of templates that are customizable to fit your needs.