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9 Features You Need on Your Next Business Card

Whether you’re self-employed, own your own business, or are a high-achieving professional with big dreams in your industry, you want to make a good impression on people. You want your colleagues, peers, and clients to think you’re competent, confident, and professional.

Your business card is a powerful tool with which to achieve this. After all, your business card is the first thing people will see when they meet you or hear about your company. It’s important that it looks sharp and professional, and separates you from the rest of the competition!

If you don’t have a business card yet, or it’s been a while since you last updated yours, now’s the time to start thinking about how to approach your new card design. In this guide, we’re going to share 9 features that you need on your next business card to help you stand out from the crowd and make the best first impression possible.

1. Vertical Orientation

Did you know that business cards don’t have to be horizontal? Vertical business cards are still easy-to-read and will fit into a standard business card holder or rolodex, but they look fancier and will set you apart from the crowd.

When handed a vertical business card, the reader will have to turn it on its side, automatically engaging their brain in a different way than a standard horizontal card – forcing them to pay more attention to what they’re reading. It’ll help create the impression that your business card is more important or worthy of remembering than others.

At 123Print, we stock a wide range of vertically-oriented business card templates to suit a wide range of professions and niches. For example, this bright and bold Colour Swatches design would be perfect for anyone working in the paint, textile, or fashion industry.

2. A Clear Call to Action

The whole point of a business card is to drive business to you or your company. As such, it helps if there’s a clear call to action designed into the card itself, as well as your contact details and social media handles.

A call to action is a clear request for the reader to make contact. For example:

1) Check out our new summer range today on our website!
2) Show this business card when you’re next in-store for 5% off your purchase.
3) Scan the QR code to learn more about our new product line
4) Call us today for a free quote

The goal here is to make it as appealing as possible for your business card’s recipient to contact you and do business with you – so make sure to give them an incentive to do so!

3. Magnetic Backing

A business card should be easy for its recipient to keep hold of, and refer back to when necessary. That’s where magnetic business cards really come into their own.
Any standard business card can be set out on a table at a networking event so they catch people’s attention, but the next step is to ensure that they aren’t going to get lost, or shoved in a drawer and forgotten about.

By making your business card magnetic, your client or professional contact will be able to stick it to their refrigerator or filing cabinet, for easy access in the future. It’s also just a bit of a novelty that people will find fun, and again will help you to stand out from the crowd.
A magnetic business card shows that you’ve given some thought to how you can keep your card fresh in people’s minds after they have it in their hands. It’s also great for spreading brand recognition, as your card will be right in front of them whenever they go to the fridge to grab the milk.

4. Double-Sided Printing

If you’re not going with the magnetic option, you should at least ensure that you make full use of the space by giving your business card a double-sided design.
A business card with two sides is more professional and gives you the freedom to express yourself even further. It also lets you include extra information that wouldn’t necessarily fit on the front of the card, such as your store opening times, a tempting special offer or a fun fact about your business that might leave a lasting impression on the reader.

Sure, it might cost a little more to pay for printing on both sides, but it’s definitely worth it from a business point of view. You want to be as memorable as possible so that the recipient will be more likely to do business with you in future.

5. Your Photo

A business card should reflect who you are, what you do and the kind of image you want to project to others.
This is why you should include your photo on your business card: so that the reader can put a face to the name, and identify you as an individual, rather than a faceless corporation. You could add a photo of yourself standing in front of your shop, on the manufacturing line at work, or relaxing at home – whatever it is, make sure you look sharp and confident!

Including your photo is also a great way to inject your personality into your business card. You don’t want to go too overboard – your card should be professional and business-like, after all – but a photo of yourself can certainly help you to stand out and make a good first impression.

6. Your Logo

Your logo is the ultimate branding that defines you as an individual or company. It’s important that it appears on your business card so that people know what your business is all about before they even pick up the phone or meet you in person.

If you don’t have a logo, now is the time to think about getting one! Having a logo consistently implemented across your products and mailings will go a long way to helping your business stand out and be remembered by your clients.

Your logo must be eye-catching and impactful, so spend some time creating it – use professional designers if you don’t have any design skills yourself! It should reflect your brand personality – are you fun, flamboyant and friendly, for example? Or are you serious, slick and professional?

7. A QR Code

Including a QR code on your business card is an innovative way of making sure that your business card doesn’t go to waste after it’s been handed over.

A QR code is a great way to maximise your business card’s potential, as it eliminates the need for the recipient to type your website address into their browser. Instead, they can simply whip out their phone and follow the QR code using their camera to take them straight there. This will give them the chance to do more research on you and what you have to offer, which could increase interest in you or even lead to new business opportunities.

Simply save your QR code as an image file and you’ll be able to upload it directly to a template of your choice at 123Print. All of our business card templates can be fully customised with your own images.

8. A Full-Colour Design

Your business card should be as unique and memorable as you and your brand. If you want to make a lasting impression on someone, it needs to stand out from all of the boring, black-and-white cards out there.

A full-colour design is one way in which you can make sure that your business cards jump out and catch people’s attention. The extra costs involved in going for a higher-quality, multicoloured design will almost always be recouped through higher sales and greater profits.

A full-colour business card is the perfect place to show off your creative side, too. You might want to consider including some cool infographic or photography – anything that reflects your brand personality and makes an impression. And think carefully about your colour scheme – it should tie into your business’s overall aesthetic, and stand out in a good way (not like a sore thumb).

9. Recycled Cardstock

In today’s eco-conscious world, when most consumers are looking to shop with businesses that care about the planet, it’s vitally important that you make sure your business card is eco-friendly.

Recycled paper is a perfect option for your business cards, as it makes use of post-consumer waste which would otherwise have been thrown away. It’s just another way for you to portray yourself as being sensitive towards environmental issues and reinforce your brand image.

Using recycled materials for your business cards doesn’t mean that you have to compromise on quality. The 100% recycled cardstock that we use at 123Print is 300gsm, and looks and feels just as nice as any standard business card. And as a nice bonus, it’s slightly cheaper!

Where Can I Buy Business Cards?

If you’re looking for professionally printed, high-quality business cards, look no further than 123Print. We offer a huge selection of business card templates which you can completely customise to reflect your unique brand personality, as well as a range of other printing products for your business and personal needs.

Visit our website today to choose the perfect design, and personalise it quickly and easily with our free-to-use online editor. Add your own artwork, photos and logos with our upload tool, and customise the font and colour scheme to your preferences.

Your order will be dispatched within 2 working days, so you’ll soon be holding your new, stand-out business cards in your hands. When it comes to getting business cards printed, there’s no need to go anywhere else!

27 Quick Tips for Creating the Ultimate Business Card

Are you wondering how you can make your business card that bit more effective? Or looking at making a first time business card purchase? No matter whether you’re a graphic design professional or a veteran business card user, it’s always a good idea to review some of the basics when creating your new business cards. This post includes 27 tips for making your business cards more effective and a handy cheat sheet to guide you on the way…

Business Card Cheat Sheet
Click to View

Continue reading 27 Quick Tips for Creating the Ultimate Business Card

5 Ways to Make Your Business Cards Stand Out

A Business Card Standing Out

When it comes to business cards making them stand out amongst the millions which float around is never an easy task. Is it design, size, shape or texture that ultimately makes a business card stand out? Or is it a mixture of several of these elements?

At 123Print UK we’ve been making business cards for a long time, and we like to think we know a thing or two about how to make them stand out. Take a look at a few of our ideas for making your business cards distinctive and unique. Comment if you have any of your own excellent ideas you’d like to share.

Include relevant social links

Whether you are telling a story, engaging with your audience, sharing your latest news or showcasing products or services within your Facebook or Twitter profiles, including social media links within your business cards is a great way for potential clients to get to know you and what your business can offer before they pick up the phone. You may have even been in your clients position before, you want to know if you can trust the business you may want to buy from, so a little research may be needed before hand and Twitter or Facebook profiles are a great place to start.

Tip: There’s no need to include all your social links, a simple Twitter tag or Facebook link will suffice.

Visually inspire

Business Card with A London Cab Design
Use Iconic Visuals to Make Your Business Card Stand Out

It’s easy to get caught up with meeting brand guidelines by utilising certain colours and including your logo within your business card design, however it is just as important to create something which visually inspires people to contact you. Often people may just need a plumber, or a taxi and they don’t want to rifle through a stack of business cards seeking the profession they require.

Tip: Make yourself stand out from the crowd by including iconic visuals which represent your industry or business.

Include a Premises Address

Although this doesn’t scream 21st Century in the same way that NFC technology, a QR Code, or even Social Links will, including a mailing address within your business card is one way to stand out from the crowd. Too many people try to save space or include other contact information within a business card, meaning a mailing address can be easily sacrificed.

Tip: Including a business mailing address gives people the impression that you are a real professional business and puts an element of confidence into your business card.

minibusinesscard

Go Mini… Go!

How often do you get to see a Mini Business Card? Talk about standing out from the crowd! Ideal for when you’re on the go and those moments when you never quite know whether you’ll need your business cards or not; Mini Cards are the perfect marketing tool. Sleek design, effortless for the owner and the receiver to handle (and keep), and they even have a proven habit of hanging around a lot longer than the normal business card!

Tip: The Mini Business Card is the limited in space when compared to the standard business card, so be sure to add only your critical information within the mini card to keep design fresh and sleek.

Feel the difference

Raised Print Business Cards
Literally Stand Out With Raised Print Business Cards

Make your business cards literally stand out with raised print business cards. They say first impressions count and we can’t think of a better way to make a distinctive and professional first impression than with raised print business cards. From the first touch you can tell a raised print business card is distinguishing and it exudes professionalism and quality in a way no other cards can, which goes a long way in keeping you centred in your potential clients mind. Raise your game from the first touch with these business cards.

Tip: Keep the Raised Print Business Card design simple and let the ink do the talking

 

 

Have a tip which helps your business card stand out? Comment below or tell us on our Facebook page!

Business Card Clear Print

The 8 Ultimate Business Card Mistakes to Avoid!

Business Card Clear Print

If this is your first time designing a business card then you’re bound to be a little apprehensive. We’ve all had the niggling thoughts such as; What goes where? Does my business card stand out? Will my business card fit with my brand? These are the most common worries that go along with making that very first impression.

At 123print UK we’ve had many years experience with business cards and we like to think we know a thing or two about how to design them! So, to make things a little bit easier, we thought we’d list our 8 ultimate business card mistakes to give you a head start when designing your business cards; the official number 1 direct marketing tool.

 

1. Unlabelled Information

If you’re industry is highly competitive and your business card is one of your number one marketing tools, then it will be no surprise that your competitors may very well be competing in the same way. With this in mind, it’s important that we remove the chance of uncertainty with business cards.

For example, if you pick up a business card and the information is not labelled correctly, or there is a discrepancy between which is your fax number and which is your phone number, then I may very well choose to phone a competitor.

Tip: Make sure you label essential contact information clearly and in the correct industry accepted format. Avoid creating confusion with the content on your cards so that it’s clear and concise.

 

2. Don’t Mix Business with Pleasure

As well as labelling your information correctly, it is imperative that you think carefully about what phone numbers you want to include on your business card. If you’re a busy bee and find yourself away from the office or at home for most of your working life, then it may be important to include mobile numbers.

Alternatively, people who place a higher level of privacy on their home life may want to avoid listing home phone numbers or private mobile numbers. Everyone needs a break from the hustle and bustle of work, and you don’t want to feel pressured into speaking to clients 24 hours a day!

Tip: Choose your phone numbers wisely to ensure that you’re available in the right ways and at the right times. Be careful that it doesn’t encroach on your personal life and become a nuisance with unwanted out-of-hours calls.

 

Large fonts business card
Try a larger font when listing contact details

3. Small Font Size

When you pick up a business card, after the logo and design, the first thing we tend to notice is the contact information.

Having a small font can often be distracting from the overall design of the card and can come off quite tattered as it lowers the integrity. Moreover choosing a small font can be quite hard to read as they can become easily blurred, giving an overall disreputable appearance.

Tip: Choose a suitable font size that will be legible once printed and that compliments the overall design of your business card.

 

Script Fonts
Hard to read?

4. Script Fonts

While the font size is important, it’s even more paramount to choose a legible, clear font that stands out and delivers your message.

Refrain from opting for script fonts which have a particular flair, and handwriting effects as they can be especially hard to read when printed.

Tip: Opt for clean and crisp fonts for to detail your key information, as you don’t want critical details being missed due to an out of placed flick.

 

5. Too Many Fonts

To adhere with best-practice design standards and techniques, the maximum number of fonts you should be using on your business card is two. Even then you should only use contrasting fonts if they apply to brand guidelines or are differentiated by front and reverse designs. Any more than two and important information starts to become confusing, general design starts to become tatty and the overall message becomes clouded.

Tip: Stick with a distinct, clear, correctly sized and simple font style.

 

6. TMI – Too Much Information!

Ensuring that potential clients can contact you is essential! Of course you’ll want to get people looking at your services on your brand new website or joining in the conversation on Twitter, but there’s no need to fill every blank space with a QR code, Twitter tag and Website URL.

Tip: Be moderate with your information and keep it classy rather than desperate. Just like this blog post!

 

7. Non Personal Email Addresses

When you’re handing out a business card at an industry event or in a face-to-face scenario, then the recipient will be really wanting to contact YOU! A generic, branded email address such as sales@123print.co.uk or info@123print.co.uk will leave people unclear and untrusting as to who will be replying and whether their needs will be fully understood. After all, it’s you who they’ve spoken to, met with, and want to contact.

Tip: Keep your business card as a personal exchange of good faith by including your personal manned email address (even if it does go through a secretary first).

 

8. The Printer’s Branding

I’m sure you’ve seen the cheap, cheap, cheap business cards available from some scrupulous printing companies in exchange for your key contact information. However, one of the worst impressions you can give a potential client is that you are both cheap and unprofessional. You’re not networking to advertise someone else, but to impress with yourself and your brand.

Tip: Business cards are not overly expensive and you pay for the quality; so give the right impression and avoid including the printing company’s branding on poor quality cards.

 

Do you have a tip that could help others when designing business cards? Let us know below, or show us on our Facebook page!