Designing Business Cards for Maximum Retention
If everyone knows that a business card is an important business tool, why are there so many terribly designed business cards? For me, this is a mystery on par with discovering the meaning of life or finding Jimmy Hoffa. But it doesn’t have to be this way! Here are some tips, ideas and resources to promote business card design with some staying power (ie: it doesn’t get chucked the minute you are our of sight).Use the back of your business card. This is prime advertising space and not utilizing it is equivalent to booking a full-page magazine ad and leaving half of the space blank. Use the back of your card to give more information about your business or to further reinforce your brand. Here are some content suggestions on what you can add o the flip side:
- List of services
- Website address
- Tagline
- Logo or screen of logo
- Complimentary graphical treatment
- Your next appointment is…
- Photo of yourself
- Photo of your products
- Hours of operation
- Location map
- Testimonial
- Promotion or coupon
Use some colour. If you look at a stack of business cards, how many of them are white? Most of them? Add some colour to make yours stand out from the crowd. Even for conservative industries, doing the reverse side of your business card in colour – even if it is a corporate blue or burgundy (or other less punchy colour) – can create a more interesting look.
Unique printing. Good design is only have the battle. Be sure to use a professional printer (Office Depot is not an acceptable option!) instead of cheaping out and printing yourself on perforated paper (*gasp*). Consider printing on quality paper or going with a unique size. Some options:
- Shorter in length
- Shorter in width
- Matte finish
- Glossy finish
- Plastic
- Vellum
- Recycled paper using vegetable inks
- Dye cut
- Vertical or horizontal
- Embossed
Be inventive. If you want to your business card to be kept – or better yet – passed along, consider something dramatic like printing on metal or even a clothes pin (see below for awesome ideas)! Or if budget allows, even a Z Card. Note that this may not be suitable for highly conservative industries.