Your Business Cards Suck - Tips On Obtaining an Effective Business Card

It's always the same scenario: You walk in to a restaurant / meeting / conference, shake a few hands, toss around your business cards, leave, and nothing comes of it. You've checked your breath, your tie, your "elevator pitch", and everything else that could possibly be detracting from you and your company. What most people don't realize is the problem isn't them; it's that little piece of cardboard that passes between them and the people they meet: their business card.

Business cards are the leisure suits of the business world. Everyone has one, but most people's designs haven't changed since the late 70's. And they're all very similar: raised text on cream or white cardstock with an "inverted V" design (name at the top, info in the bottom corners). Some people have tried to bring their cards into the next century, but they use loud backgrounds and ridiculous amounts of text.

Worse, people think they can actually get away with printing them out themselves. That may work for a little kid advertising his lawn mowing business, but you're a professional! You don't want people to think you're too cheap (or not successful enough) to have a professional print your cards.
Luckily, there are some tips you can do to have a great looking card (and even throw in some basic marketing principles to get you remembered more!)

1. Use a double sided business card

Sounds like a silly concept, but think about this: whenever I hand my business cards to people, I always hand it to them with the "artsy" side up. It's a simple, wood panel design that matches my website with only my name at the bottom. So, seeing no personal information, they turn the card over. I just forced a potential client to stare at my business card twice as long as they normally would. Good way to get my name emblazoned in their head


2. Use bright and/or solid color backgrounds

When people are flipping through a Rolodex, they're going to see white card after cream card after white card after… well, you get the idea. By using a bold, bright, or subtle textured card, you increase the chance of them stopping to look at your card again, even if they were looking for something else. My brown card stands out against the creams and whites.

Psst. Here's a tip: studies show that people react to cards that have the color red. It jumps out at them far more than any color. If you were scrolling down the page, and stopped because you saw that color, then you'll see what I mean.

3. Use fonts that allow readability

Don't go any font size lower than 9 pixels. That seems to be the "industry standard" for readability. Some pixel fonts allow for a decent bit of readability at lower sizes, but make sure that you can read it before you hand it out to someone. If you have a lot of information on a page, scale it down. Or…

4. Set up a "Business Card Info" Page

Create a special website set up that leads to a "Business Card Info Dump" page. Anything you can't fit on your card, put it there. Plus, you have the ability to add to it anytime you win an award or achievement.

Above all, spend the money to get professional cards printed. You want to make sure that people see all of the eye-catching details you put into your card. A home printer just won't cut it when it comes to color, readability, or clean edges on your cards.
So, pop your breath mints, straighten your tie, check your handshake; those all have to be great to succeed. But before you head into the next elevator to pitch your idea, make sure your business cards are as dynamic as your business. It'll make the difference.