7 Elements Your Business Card Should Have

How many of these seven (7) elements did you consider in your business card design?

As you likely already know, almost any business card will have at least a name and some contact information but there are some clearly essential elements for a good effective business card.

1. A Person’s Name!

It’s pretty much accepted that a business card should have a name on it, if you want someone to contact you again that is.

2. A Company Name!

If your name doesn’t remind your prospect, maybe a company name will?  Seriously, just about all business cards have a company or organization name.

3. Additional Contact Information

The following are some basic contact information types to consider for a business card.  You could have one, two or more of these things on your card.

3a. Address

If you want your prospects and clients to know where your business is and come to you then you have an address on your card.  If your have a web-focused business card and only do business online, you may not need to put your address.

3b. Phone Number(s)

These can include voice, fax and cell numbers, but really only put the ones that you want to be contact on.  If you do business in more than one place, or expect to have prospects and clients from other places, don’t forget to put country codes and/or area codes as well.

3c. Email Address

If you want prospects and clients to be able to send email to you, then you need to include an email address.  This is especially important for a web-based business that doesn’t have many other contact options.

3d. Website Address

If you want people to visit your website, then include this on your card.  Again, this is more important for a web-based business, but almost every business has a website now as well.

4. Job Title or Role

This helps people better understand your role in the company.

5. Description of the Business

A tagline or brief description can be useful when a business name is somewhat ambiguous or doesn’t clearly convey what the business does. Taglines can also explain benefits of doing business with you.

6. Company Logo

Especially handy when focusing on branding, keep it consistent with other marketing materials so you don’t confuse people.

7. The Right Font Size

When getting all of the information you want on your card, you may be tempted to shrink things down to get it all to fit.  Don’t do it!  Keep the font so that everyone in your target market can actually read it.

I hope these tips help you learn about business cards.
Mark

 

 

Another New eBiz Pronounces The Death of the Business Card

They’re saying the old fashioned business card exchange hasn’t kept up with the times.

In this age of cell phones, ipods, smart phones and social networking, it should to be easier to connect with someone electronically. That thought inspired rmbrME.

This new service automates the exchange of contact information between two people. Palm Treo users once “beamed” each other their contact information through infrared connections; now rmbeME uses text messages.

rmbrME lets you send out a bzCard, which includes a standard vCard data (phone number, address etc.) plus social networking links such as direct links to your Facebook or Linkedin pages. It works from most phones, including smart phones, and on any cell phone carrier.

I’m just not sure people want to get rid of their business cards completely. Sure we can benefit by having more ways to keep important contact information. But a well designed business card can do so very much more than just store contact information…

For instance, an effective business card design can help your prospects and clients understand what product or service you provide. It can encourage them to want to keep it handy. It can help brand your company. It can help them make the decision to use your company.

So far none of these e-business card services can do any of these things.

Even when the technology can do these things, there is still a difference in actually touching and getting a feeling from a business card as opposed to looking at digital bits. We are sensory based creatures. So I don’t think we’re going to see the end of the business card for quite some time yet..

Mark

P.S. Learn Effective Business Card Design and Marketing With Your Business Card Advisor Memebership.