Your business card is more than just a way of ensuring people have your phone number. Your business card gives people an instant first impression - a reflection of your company brand that your customers can hold in their hands or keep on their desks. So it is vital to ensure your business card is the very best it could be.
Here are our five top tips to bear in mind when designing a business card with real impact.
1. Work with a design professional
While there are many ‘do-it-yourself’ business card companies offering cheap printing, you generally get what you pay for, and remember first impressions count! Work with a professional designer, ideally the person who is designing your logo and the rest of your letterhead to make sure your card gives the first impression that your business deserves. Our bespoke design service ensures that your business is speaking the right language right from the start.
2. Choose information carefully
You don’t want for your business card to be too crowded, but you need to ensure all of the important information about your business is there. This means your logo, your business name (if it is not already included in your logo), and pertinent contact information. Exactly how much contact information to include depends on your business; your phone number and website/email address are vital of course, and you may want to include a physical address if this is likely to be important to the people who receive your card. With the growth of Social Media, you may also want to include these profiles if you have them, marking yours out as a forward thinking progressive company.
3. Conserve white space
What isn’t on your business card is just as important as what is. White space is crucial to the readability of your card as well as to your brand. White space makes a business card attractive. Used effectively, white space will influence which parts of your card are read first.
4. Keep it simple!
Although you may be tempted to go creative on your business card design (it’s a branding tool, after all) - you should resist the urge to be too unconventional. Keep your type in a moderate size and arrange elements so that they are easy to read and flow logically. While unusual business card shapes may sound like an original idea, the shape of most business card holders makes these an impractical idea.
5. Buy high quality printing
Once you have invested in a business card design that works, don’t sell yourself short by ruining it with sub-standard printing. Invest in a high quality print job on quality cardstock. This will not only ensure that your cards withstand the test of time in pockets, wallets, desk drawers, and all of the other places that business cards seem to end up, it will define your brand as synonymous with quality and value. We know plenty of good printers if you need one - just ask!
With In a Pickle’s bespoke design service we can guide you through the whole process from initial design to sourcing quality printing, ensuring your business card is one that you can truly be proud to hand out at every opportunity.
Here is an example of my business card, front and back;
