If you’re unsure about whether to choose double or single-sided business cards, then you’re in good company. There are many factors to consider, including price and function, and in this article, we’ll present the pros and cons of each.
Perhaps at the end, you’ll want to order one of each! That’s because both styles have their advantages and disadvantages, depending on your marketing budget and organisational requirements.
We’ll present the facts and let you decide whether single- or double-sided business cards are best for your business.
What Are Double Sided Business Cards?
Double-sided business cards are, just as their name suggests, business cards that have details and designs printed on both the front and the back (rather than the black being plain white or blank card).
There are many different reasons and situations in which someone might prefer to design a double-sided business card.
More Space for Extra Details
Obviously, including the back of your business card in its design will give you more space for details, promotions, and contact information. For instance, you could include your business’s opening hours on the back of the card, if they won’t fit on the front.
Alternatively, why not use the back of the business card as a space for the customer to collect loyalty stamps? That way, your consumers are actively engaging with your card, rather than just looking at it.
Avoid a Cluttered Design
If you’ve got a lot of information to fit on your business card (such as the handles of multiple social media accounts, and links to various promotions), trying to fit it all onto the front of the design may end up making it look messy and cluttered. Simply put, your customers won’t want to read it – they’ll be overwhelmed. It might also make you look unprofessional.
By utilising the back of the card, too, you’ll have a lot more room to spread everything out, making your design appear neater.
Business Cards for Creatives
For those in the creative professions, a business card is great for displaying their creative abilities to potential customers or employers. In this respect, a colour printed double-sided card offers more space and options. For instance, a photographer could include an eye-catching sample from their portfolio on the reverse of the card. A model could include fashion-related images on the reverse.
What Should I Put on the Back of My Business Card?
A double-sided has more space for your marketing message and there are many smart ideas for how to use it. For example:
1) Business Location: If you own a brick-and-mortar retail business, include a colour map on the reverse of the card. It saves the customer the time of searching the Internet for your business location.
2) Coupon Code: Include an attractive coupon code discount for your service. For the customer’s convenience, include a link to the discount code in a QR code (see below).
3) QR code: There are many ways that you can use a QR code on a business card from including the contact information in vCard format, to offering a coupon code. You could even link directly to a promotional video.
4) Motivational Quote: It has become popular in recent years for companies to add motivational quotes to their business cards. The reverse of the card is an ideal location.
5) Appointment Scheduling: If your business books appointments, such as a spa or dentist, include space to write appointment times.
6) Eye-catching Graphics and Pictures: Use appealing combinations of colourful graphics and pictures. As mentioned above, the double-sided format is great for creative sectors. However, the combination works with anything—for instance, a firm of architects could use a simple and elegant blueprint theme showing building plans while the owner of a mobile disco, advertising their services, would go for something more flamboyant.
7) Highlight a Specific Service: Use the back of the card to put the spotlight on different business services offered by your company.
8) Multi-Language: One of the most powerful uses of a double-sided card is for a company that works in a foreign market. Use the front of the card for English, and the back for a translation.
Show respect to your customers by repeating the message and contact details in their native language—Chinese or Japanese, for example.
Why Might Someone Choose Single-Sided Business Cards?
Double-sided business cards offer lots of unique advantages. However, there are plenty of reasons why you might prefer to choose a single-sided design instead. For example:
Seminars and Networking Events
If you have ever attended seminars or networking events, you’ll notice that the ritual exchange of business cards quickly follows the initial handshake and hello. When spreading your name around the business grapevine, the personal contact card is an important tool.
You are probably wondering why a single-sided business card would work better in this type of environment?
Double-sided business cards often include advertising – the reverse of the card containing information regarding the service being advertised. But in networking, the product is you!
Therefore, the most important part of this card is the contact details, which should be front and foremost.
With networking, the blank space on the reverse of the card is extremely useful for jotting down phone numbers. Once you chat with your new contact, there is always some additional information to record, like personal mobile phone numbers and email addresses—write this information on the back of their contact card.
Business Card Storage
If what’s on the back of your business card is critical to your message, consider how customers store business cards. While the use of the Rolodex has almost disappeared since the Internet took over—if you don’t know what a Rolodex is, you are probably a millennial—people still use business card storage folders.
Once stored in a folder, the reverse of the card may never see the light of day again. Even if scanned, there is no guarantee that your customer will bother to scan both sides of the card, as most people are only interested in saving the contact information.
Important Tip: This advice applies to both single-sided and double-sided cards—make sure that your business card design has all critical information on the front of the card. It would be tragic to hide critical information on the back of the card and miss out on a sales opportunity.
Professional Appearance
A single-sided business card with essential company and contact information looks elegant and professional. Not every customer or contact appreciates brightly coloured double-sided cards with brand advertising.
Choose a card style that matches your business. For instance, the business card for a design company should look well designed. A business card may be the first introduction for a customer to your business—it should make the right impression.
Printing Cost
On average, the printing cost of double-sided business cards is 25%-40% greater than single-sided, and the same would apply if engaging the services of a designer. If you are just starting in business and have a tight budget, that’s quite a saving if double-sided is not a hard requirement.
Should I Choose Single- or Double-Sided Business Cards?
There isn’t a one size fits all for choosing between single and double-sided business cards, as both options have their advantages.
Like all marketing decisions, it’s all about understanding your requirement and choosing the right card and design for your business. Hopefully, this article will have sparked your imagination.
If cost is a blocking factor for choosing double-sided, you could save money by printing a small percentage of double-sided cards and the rest single-sided, saving the more expensive cards for your hot prospects.
Another piece of advice when designing cards is to check out what your competitors do and see if there is an industry standard for your business. That’s not to say that a unique design won’t work, but it’s good to understand what customers expect.
Whichever card type you choose, make sure that the design is simple and eye-catching. Remember to apply the principle of doing more with less to the design of both front and back—include everything critical for your message and nothing more.
Head to 123Print to browse our extensive range of thousands of business card templates, and you’re sure to find one that will work for you. All of our designs can be edited to include text and graphics on the back of the card, for as little as £3.50. With our 100% customer satisfaction guarantee, you’re sure to be blown away by our professional printing and prompt service.