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nighthawk
04-14-2009, 12:26 PM
I am about to order some business cards, but have a few queries before I do regarding design best practices.

Whenever I have met someone through work and obtained their business card, it is always very plain - white with the company logo and their name / contact details.

However when checking printing firms they all offer fancy colourful designs. Why do few companies opt for fancy looking cards? Are they perceived as trying too hard, and being too over the top?

Is a plain white one less likely to be rejected and filed in the recycler? What does your business card look like?

Also does anyone else have any tips or suggestions for business card designs and content?

vangogh
04-14-2009, 12:31 PM
I could be wrong, but I think the reason you don't see as many fancy cards with colors is cost. Cost to have someone do the design and the cost to print the extra colors. It's kind of silly since that cost is marginal, but still...

Business cards aren't my specialty, but I think you want to keep them somewhat simple. Some people try to cram in more info than is necessary. Think about the info you really need on the card (logo, contact info, web address) and leave out the unnecessary. As for the design aesthetics if you can match the look of the card to what you do I think that can work well.

cocoy
04-14-2009, 01:07 PM
I have both.

I have a basic white with name and company name. I give this out to architects, engineers, contractors, etc... These people don't care what you card looks like. It's all about price and turnaround time. I think a simpler more "mature" card works better. I'm drawing construction plans. They're made to be functional, not pretty.

I have a more colorful one I give out to Realtors. Just figured I'm providing marketing material for them to stand out more, so I should show a more colorful card to associate. More lively and not so boring.

Example: An attorney with a very colorful business card? Would he lose some credibility with it? What kind of image does he give with that type of card?

I'd think a graphic designer would have a nicely colored card instead of your standard Patrick Bateman type.

At least that's how I go about it. :)

cbscreative
04-14-2009, 01:10 PM
I favor simple, yet attractive and attention getting. As a designer, I could get away with going over the top more, but that wouldn't work for every business. Like vangogh, I suspect cost (even though the costs are not that much) are the reason most business cards are so bland. But I have yet to find a business owner who uses good design on their cards and does not say it works very well for them.

A business card will not likely make a sale, but it does make an impression. When you make a great impression, it can open the door to a sale. Anything you can do to stand out is an advantage.

Cocoy, I like your example of a lawyer. No, his card should not look like mine, but I think he would do well to convey "strength" by doing something other than the scales of justice.

cocoy
04-14-2009, 01:22 PM
I'm looking at my wall of cards right now. There are about 20 on here.

All except one are white with just the company logo. These are all contractors, engineers, sales reps, etc... None stand out from the rest. The one that does stands out is all black with white lettering. Still simple, but stands out. It's for a high end furniture design showroom.

Patrysha
04-14-2009, 03:32 PM
Mine are colorful :-) Well sort of.

The front is black and teal and the back is black&white with all the contact information.

They've done well for me so far...and they've led to more color sales for my printer (who also happens to be a client :-))

I had fancier cards before for my former company (off white linen with the raised waxy feeling print...very plain design, but far from bland) I was going for an elegant, classy look that conveyed professionalism. This time around I went with color because I'm more confident in my quasi-rebel attitude and while I'm professional I wanted to be a little more bold and unique.

Evan
04-14-2009, 06:07 PM
People seem to forget that business cards are double sided -- that seems like another opportunity to be selling your business. And this is something that could be useful for even "serious" businesses such as attorneys, architects, or accountants.

Perhaps an estate attorney could have a random fact about estates on the back of his card. It could certainly be something that is a consideration by your client at a later time.

At a minimum, the back could be a discount towards a future service. It's quite a different "coupon", but people would be more likely to keep it around.

vangogh
04-14-2009, 06:15 PM
Absolutely. Why waste one side of the card. The coupon idea is interesting. Might not work for all businesses, but I can see it working for many.

I do like simple cards, though I also like to see a little design. If it's just black text on a white background, it blends in with every other card. Give it a little something, whether it's some color, or a different paper. Something to make it stand out a bit.

huggytree
04-18-2009, 08:19 AM
i dont like the plain white cards...when i look at your board of 20 cards you should be able to pick mine out in less than 1 second...i have a water droplet light blue background...perfect for a plumber...my fridge magnet & stickers have a light blue background too.....my logo is bright yellow....i want to be seen!!!!

Spider
04-18-2009, 09:28 AM
I had a lot of fun for a while with a plain black on white business card that had my name and phone number only. Invariablty people would say, "Er.. what do you do?" To which I would reply, "Depends! What do you want?"

That made me and my card a little more memorable. However, while my card and I were memorable, I feel people couldn't remember why they remembered me!

Remipub
04-19-2009, 04:06 AM
I wrote an article about business card design some time ago. It's not intended to be all inclusive, but perhaps you'll find it useful:

A concise guide to effective business card design:

For hundreds of years, business cards have been a vital means of disseminating basic information. Processes and capabilities have evolved, but some basic guidelines remain true in creating an effective business card.

An effective business card should:

• Identify the person and/or business
• Provide essential contact information
• Remind the recipient of what you do
• Contain some compelling feature(s) to make it stand out

Identify the person and/or business:
The card should identify the represented company by name, along with its distinguishing logo, if available. In addition the name of the individual handing out the card should be listed, including a title if pertinent. Adding a photo will also aid in identification as well as create a personal touch.

Provide essential contact information:
How much contact information depends on the type of service to some degree. An address (physical, mailing or both), phone and fax numbers are the norm, but consider including a cellular number, e-mail address, and website address. Be sure to include as much information as is prudent to be readily accessible to your customer without overwhelming them with numbers.

Remind the recipient of what you do:
Often times a company’s name has nothing to do with the product or service they offer. A simple tag line or brief explanation of services offered will go along way. Just enough to jog the memory – too much information on a business card will only get overlooked.

Contain some compelling feature(s) to make it stand out:
Odds are, you are not the only individual trying to get a customer’s attention. Some small compelling feature may be just what it takes to keep your business card on the top of the pile (both physically and figuratively). Maybe it’s a memorable quote, or an eye catching graphic. It could be the type of material on which the card is printed or the addition of rounded corners. The bottom line is this – you want the client to remember YOUR card, and not that of the competition.

A few other quick tips… be cautious of making the design too busy. This can include graphic elements or excessive wording. Too much “stuff” will make the card very difficult to read thereby lessening its effectiveness. Background images can add visual appeal as long as they don’t detract from the main purpose, which is to disseminate information. The small type common on a business card is easily lost when set over some background images. Utilize the back side of the card – back side printing is often very inexpensive and will give twice the space. On a final note, remember your card is a reflection of you and your product or service. Avoid flimsy papers, unprofessional printing (do it yourself kits) and cheap looking “cookie cutter” designs. A poorly made card could actually do more harm than good.

orion_joel
04-19-2009, 04:39 AM
I think that the colour part of things has been discussed a few times before on this site. Especially in regards to what the colours may relate to, and the meaning of some of the different colours.

I think that a lot of people that do use colour on their cards do not plan it very well. They will just pick some colours that they like, and sometimes this can lead to a poor impression or combination.

When i started my business 6 years ago, i went for a plain black and white card. At the time this was a cost thing, as i wanted as many cards as possible because i was thinking i will be giving them out left right and center. End of the day though i have probably barely gone through 250, and i bought 1000 at the time. So i could easily have gone with a more exciting colourful card, got about 250 for a similar price at the time as 1000 black and white, and maybe be in a different position now.

vangogh
04-19-2009, 04:33 PM
Remi, I think you're 4 points are pretty good. The first 3 are essentially. It's why you have a business card in the first place.

I think the biggest errors people make with business is forgetting to include essential information or trying to include far too much information. You have to think about the point of the card. Your business card isn't going to close a sale. It's there to generate further contact. You can and should add your web address so people can get more information on the way to closing a sale and you should have your contact info.

As for the last point about standing out. I like cards that have something to make them stand out. Whether it's the paper, or the color, or the design, they do get my attention and make me want to hold on to them. At the same time if your company is one I want to do business with then I'm hanging onto your card even if it's black text on white card stock.

I do agree with the idea of the card representing your brand and as such shouldn't be unprofessional in any way. That's really true of everything you do. You should always be brand conscious.

Spider
04-20-2009, 09:11 AM
Regarding color, I favor black print on a white card.

Let's face it, the space available is pretty minimal no matter how little you put on your business card. That means it must be small and difficult to read. Black on white is one of the easiest color combinations to read. I think balck on yellow is the only combination that is easier to read than B+W. All other color combinations are more difficult to read.

I find most business cards difficult to read because of too much text, too small print and colored background.

Black on white is best for the job at hand - providing your name and contact information.

cbscreative
04-20-2009, 10:17 AM
Joel raises a good point. I know it's been mentioned in the past when we are talking about business cards, but it's good to bring it up again here. Most of us don't hand out business cards like we used to. As a result, 250 cards can last a long time.

Even when I used to run them by the thousand, I still made them nice so they stand out. Business cards are really a very inexpensive way to make a good impression. Skimping on quality is self defeating IMO.

BTW, my first batch from 7 years ago was 1000 and I have most of them left (haven't used the originals for many years). I run much smaller batches now.

vangogh
04-20-2009, 12:04 PM
Frederick if the card is designed well you can still read it fine even if it's not limited to black text on white. You could always have the text that way and add color to the whitespace. You don't need to do a lot to have a card stand out.

Steve and Joel - true about the cards.

nighthawk
04-20-2009, 07:21 PM
Thanks for all the tips, very much appreciated.

Looking around a few websites and sample sites, it seems a lot of cards from individuals tend to include a photo of the individual in place of a corporate logo. I can see this will help people to remember who you are.

Is there anyone here that includes a photo on their business cards?

vangogh
04-20-2009, 07:26 PM
Since it seems appropriate here's a link to my delicious profile (http://delicious.com/vangogh99/inspiration+business-cards) for the tags business-cards and inspiration. Should lead to posts with some create business card designs. Maybe not the thing for everyone, but some are really beautiful.

KristineS
04-22-2009, 12:51 PM
We have white cards with color print that corresponds with the logo colors for whatever the company is. That seems to work well and looks nice.

Regarding the using the back side of the card, I've seen that used to advantage a time or two. I do like Evan's idea of including an interesting fact or making the card a coupon. It might increase the chances of the card being saved.

Vivid Color Zack
04-26-2009, 01:38 AM
With the price difference from boring standard cards (20-30 bucks for 250) to awesome cards with premium card stock and fancy options like embossing and spot gloss (89 bucks for 250) it's often easy to say "they both do the same thing, we don't need that"

But what you don't realize at that point is that when you hand someone a very nice business card people notice. I am not making this up - literally every person who touches my card comments on it. For me I can really use that as a transition into a sale, maybe it's not as valuable to people not in the business of selling printing, but I am pretty sure having your card stand out can never be a bad thing.

nighthawk
04-26-2009, 08:44 AM
With the price difference from boring standard cards (20-30 bucks for 250) to awesome cards with premium card stock and fancy options like embossing and spot gloss (89 bucks for 250) it's often easy to say "they both do the same thing, we don't need that"

But what you don't realize at that point is that when you hand someone a very nice business card people notice. I am not making this up - literally every person who touches my card comments on it. For me I can really use that as a transition into a sale, maybe it's not as valuable to people not in the business of selling printing, but I am pretty sure having your card stand out can never be a bad thing.

In your case its slightly different, its not so much a business card to provide contact information, but more a sample of your work. Your business card really has to be high quality - a boring white one on plain paper just isnt going to cut it. The same is probably true of any creative job roles, such as designers or marketing experts - the business card has to show off their talents.

Its probably still true of other job roles, but to a lesser extent. Your business card needs to stand out for the croud, but its less a form of marketing for less creative job roles.

vangogh
04-26-2009, 02:57 PM
I'd agree that any creative professional has the advantage of their business card serving as both contact info and an example of their work. I still agree with Zack about shelling out the extra money for a better card. We're not talking a lot of money and if it means your card is more likely to stand out and get saved, it's well worth it to spend that money.

Realistically if the card leads to one extra lead or customer it's probably paid for itself.

cbscreative
04-26-2009, 05:33 PM
I agree too. The exact requirements of what makes a great card will vary for different types of businesses, but standing out from the crowd would be an advantage for any business unless they want to be like "Arnold's Rug" from a TV ad several years ago.

Business cards are probably the least expensive of ways to stand out. Like Zack said, $20 vs. $89 shouldn't be the issue unless your business can't turn a $70 profit on one or two customers out of every 250 people you hand cards to. Even then, you need to figure the lifetime value of one customer.

I know we have some other new business owners here too, so I'll say this mostly for their benefit, and the principle is not just about business cards. One mistake newbies in business often make is doing things cheaper than they should, thinking they will do better when the money starts coming in. Every business "brands" itself from day one. The first customer will set the stage for the second. Sell cheap the first time, and you will begin a pattern that is very difficult to break free from. If you leave a low cost impression with your business card, or any other materials, you will not get the kind of business that you can get by leaving a great impression.

It's not just a business card, it's a representation of your company. It may not get you the business directly, but it leaves the impression that helps lead to business. If you view marketing, advertising, and design as an expense, you'll never get the payoff of those who realize it's an investment (and it pays much better than a lot of other investments are doing right now).

vangogh
04-26-2009, 05:45 PM
Every business "brands" itself from day one.

Great point so I wanted to call it out to make sure it gets seen. Everything you do contributes to branding your company. $50 or $60 is not a lot to spend to leave someone with a good impression of you and your business.

Spider
04-26-2009, 11:59 PM
I must say I feel a little at odds with the general consensus about "cards that stand out." Did any of you ever hire or buy from someone because they had a nice, colorful, "quality" business card?

Did anyone every keep a nice, colorful, "quality" business card and throw away the B+W cards?

Does anyone really judge the business acument of someone with a nice, colorful, "quality" business card as being superior to some one with a plain B+W business card?

The cards I throw away are the odd sized cards (slightly larger so they stand out in a collection), folded cards (that stand out because they have more information) and cards printed in 'portrait" rather than 'landscape' (that stand out because they are a little unusual.) I throw them out for two reasons--

1. because they don't work in my card file system, and
2. because when I'm ready to buy, I want a no-nonsense business that can do the job or supply the goods and not be more concerned with their nice, colorful, "quality" business cards than they will be about my business.

The cost of the cards has absolutely nothing to do with this. I certainly don't think someone who is prepared to spend a little extra on nice, colorful, "quality" business cards will do a better job or supply superior merchandise because of it.

Agreed, a printer can certainly use his card to demonstrate his work, but even a web designer, in my view, isn't so much demonstrating his design skill with a nice, colorful, "quality" business card as demonstrating his concern for the frivolous!

And I don't measure the effectiveness of a nice, colorful, "quality" business card by the number of people that comment on it. Better to measure the number of sales it gets you. And I am inclined to believe that no-one ever hires or buys from someone because they had a nice, colorful, "quality" business card?

vangogh
04-27-2009, 01:51 AM
Frederick I think it's less about which cards you save or don't save and more about how your card represents you. Take the case of the person who prints their own cards. They come across as cheap and amateur and that's what the card says about you and your business.

I think if your card is something more than ordinary it sends out a good message about your business. It says you are professional and that you go above and beyond the usual. With any creative professional it definitely works as an example of your creative skills.

Why would a company that puts effort into their business card not be concerned with your business? If anything it says they pay attention to details.

cbscreative
04-27-2009, 12:42 PM
I haven't seen anyone advocating the idea that a nice business card equates to more business automatically, it simply provides the impression that the business person cares about quality. Like vangogh, I view cheap looking business cards as an indication that the company would skimp on other things. This instantly makes me more apprehensive and less likely to do business with them.

Frederick, your comments prove that we all view things differently. But I think you are seeing our comments about "nice" business cards to just be colorful or extravagant. That's not it at all. Anyone with software can create a full color design that's hideous, and print shops can even print them in all their shameful glory (complete with gloss coating if you want it).

It's hard to define what makes a great business card, and we've already said it will be different for many businesses. The ones that stand out are more than just a chop job using clip art and/or mismatched fonts and design elements (the "Look ma, I did it myself" kind). You can always tell the ones that have been designed by a pro and have more thought put into them, even if they are only single color.

vangogh
04-27-2009, 03:36 PM
Steve, I'll agree with you again. I don't see it as a direct relationship to how much business your card brings in. Truth is your card on it's own won't bring in any business. I can't imagine anyone seeing a random business card and having it convince them to contact the business.

It's really a branding thing. Your card will make an impression on people and I don't think a nice design making a bad impression. A nice design will make a good impression and help communicate what your business is about and why it's a good choice.

Vivid Color Zack
04-27-2009, 11:28 PM
And I don't measure the effectiveness of a nice, colorful, "quality" business card by the number of people that comment on it. Better to measure the number of sales it gets you.

My point was that if someone comments on your card it gives you a good opportunity to start your bond with that person. It turns a 2 second exchange of cards into an actual conversation that you can guide however you like. I always make an effort to say something nice whenever I receive a card because chances are if it's a halfway decent card they are proud of it. If someone isn't sure how much they like you I'm willing to bet a compliment is a good way to help them decide.

I don't think I've ever said "that's a great card I will buy their product" but I guarantee you I've said "that's a nice card, I'm going to save it." Not guaranteeing a sale, but the chances are much better than if the card ends up in the trash.

Spider
04-27-2009, 11:39 PM
I do agree with that, Zack. Getting a conversation going is always good news, and to have that conversation be about something with your company nme staring them in the face has to be good.

vangogh
04-28-2009, 12:32 AM
Zack that's a good point about a nicely designed and printed card extending the conversation. I never really thought about your business card being a conversation starter or continuer, but it does make sense. I would think combined with a good elevator pitch a nice card will have someone remember you long beyond the card finding it's way to the rolodex.

cbscreative
04-28-2009, 01:30 PM
Another thing I learned a long time ago that has helped me over the years is the importance of the "delivery" of the card. A nice business card holder is essential (I use a leather wallet type). The cards are inserted so that as I take one out and hand it to the recipient, it is readable to them in my hand before they even take it.

You don't want to have to fumble for a card. You don't want to hand it to someone upside down so they have to turn it around to read it. Be ready, confident, and professional, and that speaks as well as any pitch, and as well as the card itself. Think of it as being quick on the draw, and your business card holder is like a holster.

Even though I don't hand out a lot of cards, I'm still armed and ready about 98% of the time (probably less if you count sleeping).

Vivid Color Zack
04-28-2009, 06:06 PM
You don't sleep with them under your pillow?

cbscreative
04-28-2009, 06:25 PM
You don't sleep with them under your pillow?

No, but they are either in a shirt pocket or placed on the dresser next to the bed. Does that count? If I suddenly need one, I can still get to it quickly.

vangogh
04-28-2009, 10:38 PM
I wallpapered my office with them :)