Business Cards That
Work
by Janet Attard
Your business card is
one of the most important marketing tools you’ll ever create. You give
your business card to prospects and customers so they have your contact
information. You tuck your business card inside of presentation folders,
drop it in letters, and use it in a myriad of other ways to let people
know who you are and what you do. And, if you run ads in local
newspapers, your business card may even double as camera-ready copy for
the publication's "business card ad" pages.
But no matter how you
use your business card, it won' be the marketing workhorse it should be
unless it looks professional, is easy to read, and helps customers and
prospects remember what you sell and why they should buy it from you.
Making all that happen
on a document that is only 31/2 inches wide and 2 inches deep is a tall
order. But it can be done. Here are several suggestions to keep in mind
before you design or redesign your business card
Use a Logo
Haw a professional
designer create your business logo. If your provide products or
services that can be represented with a symbol (i.e. house painter, home
builder, restaurant, dog grooming service), the logo should symbolize
that product or service in some way. It should also be scalable for use
on business cards, letterl1ead, brochures, and your website. (You can
keep logo development costs down by using
logoworks.com or one of the other the logo creation services on the
web.)
Develop a One-Line
Slogan
If what you do is not
immediately apparent from your business name, create a one-line slogan
that will help people remember what you sell. Include the slogan on
your business card.
Include your Website
Address and/or E-mail Address
Customers and prospects
will want to know your website address and your email address. If
you're concerned about spam, have your webmaster set up two email
addresses for you -- one to put on your business card and give out to
the public and another private email address that you only give to a few
trusted business associates and friends.
Make Your Card Readable
Use (or insist your
designer uses) font sizes that are big enough to be easily readable
without using a magnifying glass. Be sure the type color stands out
against the background of the card, too. Light gray type on a white card
makes it hard to distinguish letters and numbers. Remember, your goal
isn’t to produce a work of art. It’s to produce a business card that
clearly communicates what you do and how to reach you. If recipients
can' read the contact information, you’ll lose sales
Make Your Card Stand Out
from the Rest of the Pack
Yes, your business card
may wind up stuffed in a desk drawer with a stack of other business
cards. Make it stand out from the rest by using bright colors, including
your photo on the card or using high gloss card stock.
Have Your Business Cards
Printed on Good Card-Stock
If the card feels
flimsy or looks like you printed it yourself on a cheap printer, it will
leave people with the impression that they are dealing with a small
company that will disappear as soon as the owner finds a real job. Have
your business card professional printed on good heavyweight business
card stock
Although some of the
preprinted paper that you can buy to create your own business cards is
heavy enough to pass for a "real" business card, most people will get
better results by having their business cards professionally typeset and
printed. Professionally printed cards may cost less than the
print-it-yourself variety, too. If you order business cards online from
a site like
Vista Print, you'll pay about S20 (or sometimes less) for 500
full-color professionally printed business cards. (Shipping is extra.)
By comparison, good, heavy-weight preprinted business card stock that
you use to print your own business cards is likely to cost you S30 to
$40 or more -- and that doesn't include the cost of the ink or toner to
print them.
Print Your Own Cards if
you don’t Have Time to Order Them Elsewhere
If you need cards in a
hurry because you've run out of them, the print-it-yourself variety is a
viable option. Avery’s Linen Textured Stock has a good feel to it and
prints beautifully on an inkjet printer. For best results, use the
"Best" printing mode of your inkjet printer. If you follow Avery's
directions for separating the cards, there are no tell-tale rough edges
of perforations.
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