Business Cards are a representation of you and your company. Getting them right is important to form the right impression and ensure you don’t get lost in the crowd. Follow these do’s and don’ts to strike the right balance.
1.Do opt for a professional design.
A tacky, generic or unprofessional looking card will do you no favours. Make sure it looks professional and well put together. Keeping the design of your card in line with the other printed stationery of your company to maintain consistency is a good idea. You can use colors and themes that complement your logo and look.
2. Don’t sacrifice readability for creativity.
The main purpose of the business card is to make you information available to another person. Therefore it is of utmost importance that all details are legible and easy to read. While it is good to try and make your card stand out, fonts that are difficult to read or any design that makes the information difficult to access is a strict no; as are colors that detract from your logo and content.
3. Do give all relevant information, but don’t go overboard.
Make sure to include specifics like your company name, your name, designation, phone, email and website. It might be a good idea to have a reference to the service or product you provide. But don’t give too much information or list everything that you do or sell. Remember, the card is not an advertisement. It is supposed to be a handy access point for your key contact details.
4. Don’t use random visuals or your photograph.
Clip art, stock visuals or pictures with no connection to you or your company seem very unprofessional. So is using your photograph on the card. It is better to have a sparse card rather than use material that is not relevant to you or your company.
5. Do double check for errors and typos.
Misspellings and errors in your business card can be a big turn off. If you can’t be trusted to be careful and correct with your own business card, how can anyone trust that you to do a good job with anything else? Therefore be vigilant that there are no mistakes that will reflect poorly on you and your capabilities.
Business cards not only act as your introduction but also enhance credibility, sense of professionalism and legitimacy of your business. Get them right and see how they help build your brand!
