Re-consider your business card design elements

With the use of Twitter and other social media applications (i.e. Linked In, Facebook) on the rise, business owners are beginning to reconsider the traditional business card design and opting for designs that include their social media links. Some techie oriented entrepreneurs are also including QR codes on their traditional business cards. Regardless of what you decide to choose, in this Web 2.0 world, it is advisable to consider including the following in your standard business card design.

Selecting Information for Your Business Card

Name of Individual

Obviously you will want to include your name. This is probably the most important information to include on your business card and should be prominently placed on the face of the card. Try not to make your name so obscure that your client or customer has to flip your business card around to find it. A prospective client or customer will want to know who it is they want to contact.

Name of business or organisation

You will also want to include your business name. If you work for a large corporation, this will usually be a standard option when you request your business cards. If you are an entrepreneur or solo professional you want your client or customer to remember the name of your organisation and not confuse it with your competition.

Phone number

Most people list multiple phone numbers and typically they include their voice, fax and mobile phone number. However, with so many elements competing to be listed on your business card you should only include the most important contact phone number.

Email Address

Including this element is important to make sure your prospect can reach you and communicate with you 24/7/365.

Website address

Most people search the internet first in order to find the products or services they are looking for and including your website (or even your blog) address will give your prospective customer the opportunity to find you online.

 

Address

In this internet age, a physical address is not as important for web based businesses (of course that depends on the type of business you run); however, it is important if you want your customer or client to go to the place where you conduct your business.

Job Title

This element is becoming less frequently used especially for independent contractors. Listing job titles is more frequently used with large companies or mid-sized businesses that need to designate the job position or the department a potential customer or client will be doing business with.

Social Media links

There are many business owners who are actively using their social media networks like Twitter, Linked In, Facebook and others and use these applications as their main marketing and contact tools. You may want to include the top one to three social media networks that you are active in. Or you can just list one social media network if that defines the way you work. Don’t forget to use social media icons in your graphic design. They are highly recognisable graphic elements and can only enhance the final design of your business card.

Choosing The Graphic Elements

Logo

Company logo is the most important graphic element that you will need to include in your business card design.

Layout

The layout of your card includes the decision you have made regarding the placement of any object or design element that will be included on your business card design. It could be that you desire your logo on the left hand side or near the top. Or perhaps, you prefer a business card that has the information and logo design laid out vertically.

Bleed edge or not

This element does not refer to the roughness of the cardstock or potential paper cuts you can get from your business card. Rather a “bleed” is what graphic designers and printing companies define as the area in which an image or graphic element runs off the edge of your design. If you choose this element in your business card design, this feature needs to be correctly designed by the graphic designer you use as any mistakes in this area will potentially run up the final printing cost of your business card.

Cardstock

Your cardstock choice will determine how sturdy your business card will be. The rule of thumb is the heavier or fancier the card stock the more expensive the overall printing costs of your business card will be.

 

QR Code

QR stands for Quick Response. The code consists of black modules arranged in a square pattern on a white background. The information encoded into the square can be text, a URL or other data.

Sooner than Later Solutions helps you to review, design and re-design your business card. Call our office

Phone Ireland: 1800 766637
Phone UK: 0800 0968643

or Email: info@soonerthanlater.com to find out more details.