But, you can’t just have a plain-old business card. A bad business card is worse than having no business card at all. A great business card can be priceless if it brings you contacts and business you wouldn’t have gotten otherwise. So is your business card bad or good? Check out this quick list of good traits of business cards to decide. Your business card should:
Have your complete contact info. Your name and title aren’t enough. You need to let people know how to get a hold of you in the way that is most convenient for them. Make sure you have your: name, title, phone number, fax number, Web site address, email address and physical address. Oh, and don’t forget your business name! Sounds crazy, but when people are designing their business cards, some have forgotten to put their company’s name on there! (It’s all about me, me, me these days!)
Have your marketing message. This can either be your slogan or something shorter if your slogan is too long for small business card space. Use double-sided business card printing services to put your slogan on the back if the front of your card is crowded.
Be readable. Don’t print your text in a font size less than 10 pts for most fonts, like Times New Roman. Of course, different fonts are different sizes, so make sure to get a printing proof to make sure people won’t need to break out their reading glasses to read your card.
Also, be sure you pick colors that make your card easy to read. A gray font on white paper stock might be hard to see. Make sure your colors pop against each other so everything is easy to see.
Be the right size. If your business card doesn’t fit into a wallet or card holder, people will be more likely to throw it away. It can be slightly smaller than the usual 2” x 3” size or you can use a thicker paper stock, but don’t make it larger. It’s bound to get lost if it doesn’t fit somewhere convenient.
Have an interesting visual element. Whether this is your awesome-looking logo or just a great abstract design as the background of your card, you need something that will create interest. Many real estate agents put their photo on their cards, which works for them because they are selling a big-ticket item that requires trust in the salesperson. There’s much debate about whether a photo works on business cards outside the real estate biz. It’s your call.
Make good use of the front and the back. For whatever reason, when people get a business card or postcard, they turn it over to check out the back. I guess people just want to make sure they’re not missing out on something. Take advantage of this habit and put something useful on the back. If not your slogan, then maybe a six-month calendar or local emergency numbers. The latter will give people a reason to keep your card when they otherwise wouldn’t.
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