Business Cards That Prospects Will Remember, Save And Use Often

It’s unlikely a business card design will win you much business, but a poorly designed one can lose some.

Reason: Prospects are more likely to lose or throw away a boring, hard-to-read or awkwardly shaped card. The best cards are easy to store, retrieve and use when a customer decides to contact you.

Making an impact
Some tips for cards that will be kept and used:

• Avoid radical shapes or sizes. Odd shaped cards don’t fit in holders or work in scanners, so they often get thrown away.
• Play with look and feel. Make the card identifiable to someone feeling around to find it in a cluttered desk drawer or pick it out of a pile of other cards. Round two corners or give the card some texture. Place the information on the card vertically. Just don’t change the size or shape too dramatically.
• Invoke and protect the brand. Don’t forget the logo and use the company fonts. Don’t print cards on cheap stock unless cheap is the image you’re trying to convey.
• Keep it readable. No one likes to squint to get the info they need. Use the biggest type possible and steer clear of fancy scripts that can’t be read by card scanners.
• Tell them what they do. Titles are fine, but also give some idea of what the person does. Example: Joan Smith, vice president, data. (Marketing lists and e-mail campaigns)
• Say why they’re special. A short reminder of what makes them unique is appreciated. Example: “Any size widget delivered to your factory door”
• Include the website. Almost everyone looks at websites before they buy. Make it as easy to find the site as it is to contact you.

Reprinted with permission from
The Marketing Report
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