7 Practices in Business Card Design

Good business card have supplying key contact information and piquing my curiosity or jogging my memory about that person

Here then is 7 list of Business Card Best Practices:

1. Have a Credible Email Address -- For example, I have a business card from a Realtor, from someone whom I am presumably going to engage in incredibly expensive transactions that might involve me assuming debt for 25 years or longer. Yet their address? Something very similar to hername1234@comcast.com. Does that instill trust? Do you feel instantly that she's a professional more than capable of handling my large business transactions? Or the chap who forgot the .com at the end of his email address. Not a huge error, but checking for typos is #2...


2. Avoid Typos -- Again, another basic one. Proof read, proof it again, and ask someone else to check for spelling mistakes, grammatical glitches, typos in email addresses or domain names, incorrectly use of punctuation, and whatever else can sneak up and ruin your business card. Remember, this card is a tiny little billboard and every time someone looks at it or pulls it out of their wallet / desk, you want to give the very best possible impression.


3. Don't Include Too Much Information -- Most people get this one right, but one of the cards I received has a company name, a seven word slogan, then a thirty word paragraph explaining what the business is about! I love so-called elevator pitches as much as the next entrepreneur, but I'm just not sure that needs to take over the front of a business card. Oh, and sticking it on the back isn't much better either.


4. Add Some Color - I know, not everyone can afford color business cards, but it's really hard to have an attractive card that's just black mono-font material on a white background. If you're just distributing contact data, that's probably fine, but if you want to have it stand out, to really help convey your unique value to your potential client / customer / JV, then consider a color logo, color rule line, color fill, or photograph. There are lots of splendid - and remarkably inexpensive - choices for great color cards.


5. Leave The Back Blank -- I believe pretty strongly in having the back of business cards blank so they're space for notes. People are going to write notes on 'em anyway, why not give them some space? Further, this means that your fancy slick glossy finish is a problem (people can't write on them) and that any color other than white or a very light yellow or grey for a quality paper stock is a real problem. For about a year I had a card with a lovely dark blue back color, until I realized that every time I gave someone a card they ended up writing on the front of the card since the back was essentially useless.


6. Have Business Cards -- Explain this one to me: four people paid the money and spent the time to come to a weekend conference about online business success, but had to write their name and contact info on a piece of scratch paper because they "didn't have any business cards yet." That's no excuse at all, in my eyes. You can pop into somewhere like Kinko's or use an online service and get a small box of even the most rudimentary business cards for $20. Everyone in business should have an up-to-date business card. Everyone. Yes, even you.


7. And A Special Category For PR Folk... -- There's a special spot reserved for PR folk who think that we care about the name of their agency and its logo. We don't. We care about the companies that they represent and work with, yet I have never seen a card from a public relations person that listed, on the card, the companies they rep. Or a card from the company they work with that lists them as "Public Relations, XYZ Agency" and has the appropriate contact info. Surely this can't be too hard, but my stack of cards includes many, many PR cards that I've had to deface by scrawling "Phillips", "Nintendo", "Microsoft", "Symantec" or whatever other company they work with...

Hopefully can help you to design

You'll Look Huge with Holding the Right Little Card

LOgo is important to get your brand image into the hearts and minds of your client base. This is one of the marketing strategy to advertise your business. In this effort, no other tool compares to a quality, printed card. Something you can hold in your hand and keep around. With so many options, why waste the opportunity on basic cards?

The golden rule with print marketing is Always Be Branding. Think about making your card work harder. What good is a business card that just gets thrown away? Conversely, having a business card that makes a real, lasting impression is invaluable. Make something that people will want to hold onto, show to others, pass along, and refer to. Illustrate the unique qualities of your business in a memorable way. To do this, consider the properties of a business card.

• Visual: Here’s your first opportunity to impress with design. Your logo may be integral here. The card should be designed to stand out among others. Use image, card alignment, and color to differentiate. In many cases, the cardholders face can be the most memorable and effective image.
• Tactile: The card will be handled at some point; this is a chance to create a sensory memory. Then, the card will likely be referred to and shown to others. Add interest with coated, textured, or heavier papers. You can also add embossing, raised printing, interesting cutouts or a different, non-rectangular shape. Cards can be printed on nearly anything: wood veneer, leather, stickers, chocolate, even rubber. Stretchy Card
  
• Mobile: Great business cards will work as a referral even after they’ve left your hands. Maybe your initial contact won’t become your customer but someone they know will. Don’t be afraid to give out two cards if you want. You know your card is working well if people are asking for another to give away. Here’s a take on unforgettable business cards
  
• Two Sided: It seems obvious, but the back of a business card is the most overlooked thing since the coin pocket. This space can be used just to further your branding message with graphics or quotes, maybe even a joke. Find something unique that relates to your business and message.
• Multipurpose: Your card can double as something else if you really want it to be seen. Add usefulness to the card so it serves another purpose. By adding a chart or referential tool, people will continually look back at your card. Use it as an appointment card, frequent buyer, or discount card. You could even print on an actual wallet-sized tool like a magnifying glass, mini light, or ruler. There are endless possibilities here.
• Informational: Let’s not forget the end purpose of the business card: making contact. The point is to have customers and networking contacts that use your services. It’s most important that contacts know how to reach you. Work with the design of your contact information. It doesn’t hurt to make people want to look twice in this case. If you want them to call, your number should stand out. If you expect customers to visit a location, that should be prominent or even mapped.

Put in the extra effort and watch your print projects work for you. The difference between sufficient marketing and effective marketing is everything. What may seem like extra cost and effort will actually bring immeasurable results.