A business card often works as the first point of contact between a potential client & your brand
Therefore your business card design and its printing should never be a side thought of your marketing plan. It needs to be strategically thought-out and designed in a way that encourages them to want to know more about you, your brand and its product & service offerings.
If you want to create an eye-catching, distinctive and professional business card, it is important to work alongside a professional, staying true to your brand and corporate identity.
Take a look at these top tips for business card success:
The 4 W’s
Who? What? Where? Why?
You may want to roll your eyes at how obvious this is, but it has to be mentioned. It is the most important part of your business card! This is the key information that you want to convey to your audience. Ensure that your name, company name, logo, job title and contact information is clearly displayed on your card.
Think carefully about which contact details you would like to give out. You need to strike a good balance between offering enough points of contact without making the card too cluttered. With years of experience in designing & printing business cards, we suggest you include: your email address, work number and website address.
Consider adding a QR code to the design, that either act as a vCard when scanning, to add your contact to their cellphone or direct people to a specific web address when scanning eg: “get a quote” page
Typography for readability
Don’t be tempted to minimise the size of your text because you want to add more information. Rather leave out some of the unnecessary details to ensure a readable business card. A smaller font may look perfectly acceptable when you look at the design on a screen, but your business card will be printed.
The general rule is to not go smaller than 8pt. Another aspect to look at is the typography itself. What font are you going to use? Keep it simple and easy to read. Your business card is no place for calligraphy or the dreaded Comic Sans typeface. In fact, Comic Sans has no place anywhere…
Black and White or Colour Printing
If you have a large budget… Colours certainly give your business card an eye-catching advantage over a typical black and white print. If you are going for colour, make sure you only use colours that are in line with your corporate branding. Again, this may sound obvious but it is critical.
However, brightly coloured cards should only be used by businesses that embrace a creative company culture. It would make sense for a digital agency to put together an eye-catching colourful design, but would it be applicable for a law firm? Probably not.
In the same breath, never underestimate the power of simplicity.
Simple black and white business cards are often viewed as classy, professional, minimalist and stylish. To create this classic look, it is important that you work alongside an experienced graphic designer and printing company. This is not something you can just design in Word.
Paper Choice
It is important to consider the thickness of your business card. Stronger, thicker and more durable cards feel more expensive and professional, while thinner paper makes them feel cheap and somewhat tacky. Think about your card as your handshake – it should be strong.
Plus, you don’t want your business card to rip apart when it is placed in a potential client’s wallet…
Make use of Finishes
Have a bit extra in your budget and are worried that your plain black and white design may appear too static?
A smart way to make an instant impact with your business card is to invest in a special finish. We offer a variety of business card finishes including foil blocking, spot UV, metallic inks and embossing. This kind of design detail makes your business card that much more visually appealing and adds character.
Not only are special finishes more aesthetically appealing, but it also makes it more tactile and engaging. The more engaging your marketing material, the more your potential clients will remember your business.
