Business card ideas

One of the more important ideals of business is presenting your business in the best possible light. One of the cheaper ways of advertising your business is with business cards. I'm curious on what everyone else thinks of business cards. Features like layout, graphics, slogans and other information that is placed on those cards. Please specify what you like to see on a business card and to what extent. This information will allow me to better design the cards for my own business that we are trying to start up. Thanks for your help!

Wraith

 

Business name, person's name and title, email address, phone #, and physical address are all I need on them. I don't particularly care for them though. People are too quick to throw them at you..

 

I've designed many a business card, but I've not yet come to do my own yet. Clients tend to want their business card to say everything about the company, all in a 4.5cmx3cm box. I find a better strategy is to spark an interest in the company, rather than explaining it all. That way you get an idea of what the company does, and you're interested in their services without needing to go into detail in hideously small font.

A nice visual representation of the company's business (for example one of my recent clients was a wholesale fireworks merchant... simply an exploding firework on one side), accompanied by the logo, type of business, perhaps a slogan and the contact details set out in a stylish way works great.

For my own business cards we're going to try somthing different. I was thinking about a star shaped business card, but that'd just be hard to store. We're going to get metalFX metalic printing on our cards, with UV lacing (the sort you get in bank notes). We're going to have rounded edges too, saves them getting dogeared (at least for a while).

 

hmmm....How about personal preferences? That's the best I can do...lol I'll list what I like to see on a card that will usually result in me actually keeping the card instead of tossing it.


- Printed on a textured card stock that is a very light color off white, gray, blue, cream etc.

- Color of ink must compliment the card stock used.

- Has to have a logo of some type to represent/identify the business (catches the eye so easy to identify at a glance), logo should not be more than 2 colors.

- Font that is easily readable at a glance for the contact information and possibly with a different font used for the actual business name...font style needs to blend well with the business logo.

- Card should include business name, name of contact person (and title) along with address, phone, fax, email and depending on the type of business, the license/contractor number.

- A 1 - 5 word (max) description of what service the business provides..possibly at the top of the card (centered and maybe small bullets between the words). Not always necessary of course..all depends on how well the business name describes the business but even so, a 'little' elaboration doesn't hurt. Example: Graphic & Web Design - Photo Restoration

- If the business has a store-front the card should compliment their window letting/sign etc. so the business as a whole (location, what they do, etc.) sticks in my head.

Does that help at all? You don't want too much info on there but at the same time you want people to idetify the card with your business and what you do. IMO of course

 

I could show upload the business card of the guy I did couple of weeks ago if that'd help?

 

Me too...

 

The basic premise for any presentation I've found is the KISS principle - Keep It Simple Stupid. Don't overload with information or put non-essential distractions. You need to take in account of those visually impaired people (colour blondness, short/long sighted even blind!) and so a good contrast between the text and background is good as well as a decent size of font. Perhaps in the case of blind some embossing may be considered.

 

You could crete a talking business card....like these birthday cards you get....that would be cool for those who are visually impaired

 

I'd thought of that but how would it be activated and de-activated? You don't want one with a "crazy frog" tune that would irritate the pants off everyone.

 

pressure sensor on the back of the card?

 

Hokay, he's the one to hand (not sure if its the final but its pretty damn near)

 

Whoaaa..that is neat Goldie......good job buddy

 

Thank you I did the logo as well, by the way
Bit of a shame we charged a puny ammount for that card, but it was part of his package which is giving me almost industry worthy wages

 

If you want, since it's on there, we can all e-mail him and suggest he gives you a tax-free cash bonus for the work

 

Don't forget the back of the card, usually not used. You can get pretty specific on what services you provide there. Bulletted points, but keep it simple. Put a "PTO" on the bottom front, if you like. Lots of people will turn a card over anyway, or pull it out of their wallet, or whatever, the wrong way up, so hit 'em again. Bazza

 

It never occurred to me to use the back of the card. Could even place a couple of blank lines there as most people I know use the backs for scratch paper for other ppl's phone numbers. Great idea Bazza!

 

One guy gave me a business card that had information on the back. It contained a map of the company's location. Actually used it once. Make sure your business card contains a cell phone number as that seems to be the only way to get a hold of people these days. More and more people are using IM as a way to do business ... may not hurt to include that. I use IM with my customrers all of the time actually. It sounds crazy, but it can be effective. Just my 2.5 cents.

 

Think outside the box or, in this case, the front side of the card. Bazza

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