A Good Business Card Is Like A Kick Ass Tie

Each day millions of people all around the world ask “May I have your card?”

Today when designing a card, there is so much information to include in your card’s design – from e-mail to voicemail to mobile phone and 800 numbers, double addresses and domains – that the small business card is a challenge even for the most experienced designers.  Information, by necessity, is flowing to the back side.

A business card is a small, portable marketing tool. 

The quality and intelligence of information is a reflection on the card holder and his/her company and the business card receiver makes an almost immediate judgment about the card holder and their business.  This goes to reinforce that first impressions are everything.  In just a second, the receiver will scan your card and decide whether or not they are going to do business with you.

A business card is a small, portable marketing tool.

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Today I am going to share with you some do’s and don’ts to think about when designing your cards…

Don’t:

• Print your cards at home using perforated paper.
• Use a free template print program that advertises for the print company on the back.
• Use many different font styles.
• Forget to put something on the back of your cards.

Do:

• Think of your business as a marketing tool.
• Make it easy for the receiver of a card to retrieve information.
• Minimize the amount of information within reason.
• Consider using the back as a place for more information or to convey a marketing message.
• Make sure that all abbreviations are consistent.
• Make sure that typographic use of upper and lower case is consistent.

To go one step further when designing your cards, here is a step by step guide of the business card process:

1. Clarify Positioning:
   Review your goals.  Review your competitor’s cards. Review what isn’t working with your cards.
2. Determine Need:
   Who uses the card? What quantity do you need? What is the critical information for placement on the card?
3. Finalize Content:
   Will there be a tagline on the card? Unify Abbreviations. What professional affiliations need to be added?
4. Develop Design:
   Develop a color strategy.  Use real text.  Show actual size.  Examine iterations. Consider the back.
5. Specify Paper:
   Paper weight? Paper Color? Paper Quality?
6. Determine the Production Method:
   Offset printing?  Digital printing? Engraving? Foil stamping? Embossing?
7. Manage Production:
   Review proofs.

Have you heard the saying “dress for the career you want”?  This is true for business card as well.  Even if you are a small start-up company, consider putting your best face forward and having your card professionally designed.  It is a designer’s job to make you look good.

The saying “dress for the career you want” is true for business card as well.

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