Business Card Usage
Using Business Cards Effectively
Effective business cards need to be seen, but that doesn’t mean that they need to be seen miles away. Unless your business is an art-related business, cards may need to represent a business-like appearance. Fancy graphics and colors won’t be as effective as effective words, but a plain white card with black lettering might not make your card stand out from the crowd.
Designing a business card should not be something that is done on the spur of the moment. A business card represents you and your business. You need to consider what image you are projecting. That image should enhance your business, which is what you want, isn’t it?
If your business is a major company, you might want to consider hiring someone to design a card. That might seem to be expensive, but a good image with a good message can enhance the business well beyond the cost of the cards. Whether or not you hire a designer, or use your own ideas, it is helpful to understand a few design concepts when thinking about a business card.
The primary question is “What image do I want my company to project?” People may see the business card before they encounter anything else about your business. What will they think when they see that card? The design should reflect the business and the image you want to project. Some people might decide to get lots of color into a card. The idea is good, but if the card is for a CPA firm, those bright colors might give the wrong impression to people who have no idea what a great CPA you are. This principle also relates to graphics. Some businesses may not easily be represented by a graphic. It might be better to design a card without a graphic than to select a graphic that might be misinterpreted.
Somewhat related to graphics is the issue of what to put on the card. Obviously, a card needs information that identifies the business. Do NOT forget names and contact information. Is there a web-site? Are there weekend phones or e-mail addresses? What exactly does the business do?
It is a good idea to include information to identify what your business does, but don’t get carried away. Have you ever opened a book and been confronted with really small print and lots and lots of words and then just closed the book because it looked like too much reading? Don’t let your business card give the same impression. White space is nice and presents a better visual impression than a card totally full of data. Don’t list everything the business can or may do. Phrase the work in ways that gets people to call and ask questions. It would be helpful to create some descriptions and get others’ opinions about what those phrases mean, before committing those phrases to the card.
Think about using both sides of a card. If the business is not easily found, consider having a map on the reverse side of the card. Maybe the reverse can be a coupon or have a discount ID number that a new customer can use when first coming to the business. The business card can advertise the business, but there should also be something on that card that motivates an individual to contact you at the first available opportunity. This may be a gimmick, but it may also get people to contact you for the first time. The more first contacts you get, the better the chances you have for building your business.
Some terminology in reference to full color printing:
- 4/0 - Full Color Front / No Back
- 4/1 - Full Color Front / Black & White Back
- 4/4 - Full Color Front / Full Color Back
