10 Things You Should Never Put on a Business Card

Business cards play a major role in someone’s first impression of your business. How you present your business cards to potential partners, clients, or customers can have a significant impact on whether or not they will want to work with you or your business in the future.
Because business cards are so important, this means that you really need to be sure that your business cards are well-designed, and carry all the vital information your contacts will need to get in touch. However, did you know that there are certain things you should never put on a business card?
By reading on, you’ll discover the top 10 things that you should never include on your business card. This will help you avoid making a bad first impression, and create the best impact possible on your potential business contacts.

1. Hard-to-Read Text

Small font sizes and cursive typefaces can be extremely appealing from a stylistic point of view, but this may not be the most functional option for a business card. After all, business cards are designed to convey information quickly and clearly.
The font should be instantly readable by everyone who receives your business card. The font doesn’t need to be too big for the card, otherwise you won’t be able to fit everything that you need to on it. But, the font should never be so small that it’s unreadable. The same goes for low-contrast fonts, and swirling, cursive typefaces.

2. Clutter and Fluff

Clutter isn’t good in the home or office, and it’s especially not good on your business card. A cluttered and ‘busy’ business card won’t be visually appealing for your potential customers.
Every bit of information on the card should be concise, important, and immediately redable, allowing people to access the information that they are looking for.
If it’s too cluttered, with too much ‘fluff’ (unnecessary text that doesn’t serve any real purpose), it may be confusing and/or overwhelming for the customer. Only include an inspirational quote, tagline or testimonial, for example, if there’s adequate space for it.
If you want to share any additional information that there’s not space for, simply put it on your website, and include a link to it on the card – or a QR code.

3. Hobbies or Personal Interests

When people take your business card, they are interested in what your business can do for them. They want to know, in short, how you can help them. What they aren’t interested in is what you like to do in your space time.
Business cards aren’t like CVs or resumes. While you can have fun when designing them or using them, you should leave any non-essential information from the cards. Linking back to the previous point, this can help prevent the card from getting too cluttered and allow people to just see the information that they need from you.

4. Typos, Spelling and Punctuation Errors

Since business cards are the first impression that someone gets of you, and because they are supposed to be professional, typos and spelling or grammar mistakes can have a negative impact on your brand. Believe me, your customers will notice mistakes – so be sure to double and triple check your text before your cards are printed.
It’s easy not to notice a simple typing error, or a repeated word, on the first look over. And if you’re no great shakes at grammar, punctuation or spelling, it may be worth having somebody else read over your design before you finalise it.

5. Handwritten Information

Business cards can be pricey, and it can also be a hassle to have new cards printed when your information changes. For this reason, some people are tempted to hand-write new information on the cards.
The problem is that handwriting on business cards can leave a negative impression of you. Business cards should be professional and presentable, and handwriting can make your cards look messy. There should never be handwriting on a business card unless you are taking notes for yourself on someone else’s business card – or you’re writing down details of an appointment.

6. Inappropriate Slang or Jargon

A business card, first and foremost, should be professional. That doesn’t mean you can’t use any slang, contractions, or colloquialisms on your business card: it merely means that they should be appropriate.
For example, using contractions and slang might be perfect for a business card representing a kids’ soft play centre, or a roller rink where the target market is teenagers. But for an accounting firm, it would look downright unprofessional.
But be sure not to go too far the other way. Using long words and complex industry jargon on your business cards may be off-putting for customers and clients – they may not understand what you mean, and will simply throw your card away.

7. Outdated or Incorrect Contact Details

It’s crucial that you check all of the information on your cards to make sure that all of the information is current and correct. If people go to your website or call the number on the card but can’t get through to you, they will likely give up and move onto your competition.
Double-check to make sure all of the information on your business cards is up to date and accurate. If you change any of your contact details, such as your telephone number, socials or physical address, immediately discard your old cards and order new ones.

8. Jokes and Sarcasm

Remember when we discussed the use of slang, and how you need to tailor it to your business? The same goes for jokes, sarcasm, and irony. If your business is in a very serious sector, such as family law, your business card might not be the best place for you to show off your comedic skills. But if you’re a stand-up comedian, or a kid’s birthday party clown? Go for it!
When it comes to sarcasm and irony, it’s best to avoid it altogether. Sarcasm doesn’t translate well over text, and you can never be sure whether your reader will think you’re serious. You don’t want to miss out on custom due to a joke that didn’t land.

9. Low-Resolution or Pixelated Images

Of course you should use images on your business card – they’re important for catching the reader’s eye. The most important image, of course, is your company’s logo. You can also use photos of your products, or stock images to set the tone of the card.
However, you should never include a picture on your business card if it’s low-resolution. When printed, it will look blurry and pixelated – and this will immediately make your business card look unprofessional. Even a professional printer won’t be able to make a low-res image look clear and sharp.

10. Too Much Empty Space

White space is important, as previously mentioned. So why not take advantage of the back of the card to fit all the information you need, without worrying about the card looking too cluttered. Whoever you hand the card to will automatically turn it over to see what’s on the other side – so don’t present them with an empty page.

You can use the back of your card for promotional purposes, such as a coupon or as a space for loyalty card stamps. You could use it to write a basic pricing list of your most popular products or services. There are plenty of things that you can add to the back of the card to make use of all of that real estate.

What Should You Include on Your Business Card?

Now that you know what shouldn’t be included on your business card, you need to be familiar with what you should put on there. This final section will discuss the most important information that should always be present on your business card:

1)  Your Name and Title
This is one of the most important things that you need to have on your card because it introduces who you are. The title is particularly important – especially if you own your business. List yourself as the CEO, director, founder, what have you – just make sure there’s a title of some sort!

2) Company Logo and Tagline
This is important because not only will it tell customers where you work, but it will also help to spread your brand image and ethos. A contact should know what your business is about just by looking at the card.

3) Contact Information
Without your contact information, they won’t be able to communicate with you. Include your premises address (if applicable), your phone number, email address, and any socials. Double-check that your details are all correct before sending your design to print.

Where Can I Order Business Cards in the UK?

Your business card should be representative of who you are as a brand. That’s why it’s vital to use a professional stationer, such as 123Print, when it comes to designing and ordering your business cards. With a professionally printed, high-quality business card, you’ll instantly create a favourable first impression of your brand with customers, clients and peers.

At 123Print, we offer hundreds of full-colour business card templates, all of which are completely editable and customisable. Simply select your preferred design to open our easy editor, and begin inputting your information.
With a 100% satisfaction guarantee and thousands of satisfied customers, you can trust us with all of your business stationery needs. Browse our business card templates today!

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