In the world of business, distributing business cards is a major networking and promotion strategy.
When you give out your card to a prospective client or business partner, you make the relationship more professional, and the personal touch of a good business is also included.
In fact, studies have shown that a company’s sales can increase by 2.5% for every 2000 business cards sold.
But while printing out your cards, there is some etiquette that you need to follow. Here is a list of the basic things you must never include in your business cards.
1. Unnecessary texts
Many business owners might want to add as much information as possible on their business cards to give recipients a clear idea of what the company sells.
While it’s fine to include one or two lines, make sure never to exceed the limit. The space in your business cards will already be limited, and whatever remaining space you have, you want to use it carefully.
Unnecessary texts, all crammed together in a tiny area, will make your cards look messy and unprofessional. Ideally, you should add just about two lines and one tagline to attract clients.
2. Outdated information
Whether you’re giving out a paper-based or digital business card, it’s important to see what information you provide.
Never include outdated information, as that can not only cause confusion to the person receiving them but can also create a poor impression of your brand.
If someone calls the number provided on your card and it’s out of service, you have a high chance of losing that client.
Update your information first, and then print out a stack of business cards. For digital cards, contact the card-making company to include updated information on the digital chip.
3. Personal interests
When you exchange business cards with someone, you want to maintain a warm and professional relationship.
If someone shows interest in your company and your card contains a paragraph on your personal interests, that won’t look very professional.
These people want to know how your brand can help them meet their needs, not how you spend your free time.
So never include anything regarding your personal interests or hobbies. Remember, business cards aren’t resumes where you get to have a separate space for writing down your hobbies.
4. Poor fonts
When designing a business card, say goodbye to poor fonts. If your prospects can’t see or read whatever’s written on your card, they’ll throw it away and move on to the next company that offers them the same services.
Moreover, never try to shrink the size of your texts so that you can accommodate more information. Keep the font size readable and the font style as simple as possible.
Avoid cursive fonts, as many people, especially elderly ones, aren’t comfortable reading them. Likewise, don’t use all caps unless it’s absolutely necessary, as that looks a little too bold.
5. Spelling and punctuation mistakes
Your business card is what gives the first impression about your brand to others. And if it’s filled with grammatical errors, it’ll be a complete turn-down for people.
Before you say the final yes to printing the cards, double and triple-check whatever information you have provided.
If you’re not sure, ask someone in your company to proofread thoroughly. Otherwise, you can even use a reputed company’s grammar tool to diminish errors further.
You may not notice it, but even the smallest of typos and errors can have a negative impact on your brand.
6. Visual clutter
Always try to leave a bit of white space in your car design. You can, of course, go for bright colors and pleasing designs, but don’t overdo it.
Keeping a bit of white space in your cards can actually bring out your designs and make them look more beautiful.
When it comes to fonts, use a maximum of two font styles, as too many can be frustrating for the reader.
Visual cluttering is jarring to the eyes and mind. If the recipient sees images being pushed against each other on an overflowing background, they’ll start to feel uneasy just by looking at your card.
Over to you…
Every business has its own method of developing cards, but these are some of the basic things you must avoid when designing your stack.
