What Makes a Good Business Card? 7 Qualities Your Cards Should Have
First impressions can win the day or forever turn potential clients into people who stop taking your phone calls. Maybe you're going into a new business venture or doing freelance work. Maybe you think your current card isn't up to par.
Today, we're going to look at what makes a good business card so you can make a killer first impression. A great business card will help you convert prospects to clients, impress colleagues, and never feel like you aren't up to par again.
Read on to learn the anatomy of effective business cards.
What Makes A Good Business Card?
There are several factors that go into making the kind of business card that leaves your prospects saying "Wow." The first principle is the most important and the hardest to master.
The Wow Factor
When you hand someone your business card, it needs to catch their attention and impress them immediately. If you don't make a mark within the first few seconds of your prospect seeing your card, your card will have the honor of visiting The Land of Forgotten Business Cards.
AKA: The trash.
In the modern world, we have about 7 seconds to capture the attention of our audience. Your card needs to have an immediate feature that sets it apart from competitors. The most important principle here is to stand out.
Some people can stand out and wow by way of loud graphics or a special finish to give their card some more weight. Others can stand out of the competition by being simple and pleasant.
Take a look at your competition and be different. You want your potential clients to think "Wow" the second that they see your business card.
Be Consistent With Your Brand
Imagine a business card with me for a second. This business card is in your hand. You can see it, feel it.
The first thing you notice is that it's weighty. It's made of some kind of premium material that adds a little extra oomph to it. The business card is bright blue on one side, but the other side is neon pink. On the front, it has something written in curly, squiggly font. It says "McDonald's".
Now does that make any sense? No. That card goes against everything McDonald's has branded itself as. The card doesn't have the typical colors, it's made of premium material, and lacks the famous golden arches. That card is more suited to an interior design company than a fast food chain.
Your card needs to match your business. For a dog walking company, make it light and playful. For a high class dining experience, go sleek and sheen. Your business card should match your business, so don't get carried away with graphics, colors, or fonts.
Your logo captures the essence of your business, so it should be present.
Relevant Contact Information
Your business card will need to have all of your relevant contact information on it. This should include your phone number, fax, and email address.
Since we're living in the 21st century, you should toss some social media onto your cards as well. Try to place the most relevant social media handles to your business instead of all your social media.
For photographers, Instagram is a good bet. For bloggers, Twitter or Facebook may be better.
Don't Be Busy
Remember our example about the wonky McDonald's card? Bright blue on one side, neon pink on the other?
The goal with a great business card is to make your client think that you can solve his or her need. It's not to make their eyes bleed from overstimulation.
Simple business cards are often more attractive than their color-filled and font-splashed cousins. Don't be afraid to leave your card looking less complex than the competition.
What you don't want is for your client to have to run a visual maze before finding your name, contact information, social media, or business.
Capture The Client Benefit
Your business card should be able to capture the main benefit of your business in less than the length of this sentence. This is where you want to put your slogan, catch phrase, or what your customer will get from working with you.
It is best to keep these benefits emotional, not factual. If you have a cleaning service, your slogan shouldn't be "We make your house clean." Instead, try "Giving you the perfect place to live."
The difference here is that factual arguments for your business are features. Emotional arguments for your business are benefits. Benefits always win the hearts of your customers better than features ever can.
Call To Action
When someone looks at your business card, they should experience a range of emotions. They should feel impressed, flattered, and need to know why they should contact you.
Once your client feels these things, you will have to seal the deal. Your business card should include a call to action that tells your potential client how to continue the relationship.
This can be as simple as something saying "Email me here" or "Reach out to me on social media". It can be simple, but give your client directions for how to best get in touch with you again.
Get Them Professionally Printed
If we could explain what makes a good business card in just a few steps, we would say: "Print it with a pro". Professional printing helps make sure that your business card looks amazing, converts clients, and makes people want to contact you.
Great professional printing services (like us) provide you with templates to choose from. You can pick something that's in line with what you want and customize it to have all the things we discussed in this post.
Printing with a pro also makes sure that your business cards aren't flimsy or easily damaged. That helps since most business cards end up in a pocket or wallet at some point.
Your Next Move
So now you know what makes a good business card. To make sure that your business card hits all the goals we outlined above, you can check out our shop. We'll help you satisfy all your business card needs.