10 Things to Consider When Buying Best Business Card Service

Although they seem old-school, business cards are powerful tools in your communications arsenal

So much of the modern business day is spent online that some people forget about business cards. However, in an industry that relies on face-to-face interactions, clients and peers may use them to judge your professionalism. Don’t print shoddy DIY cards on pre-scored paper at a hotel’s business centre the night before an event. Invest in professional design and print on quality card stock to show that you care about the smallest details.

Here are 10 tips to make sure you stand out from the pack.

• Make sure your card has the basics: your company logo, your name (and professional designations), a phone number and email. If your website URL is different from your email domain, include that, too.
• If you use social media for business and to engage with clients or peers, list your handles. If your online presence is personal, leave them out.
• The quality of your business is reflected in your cards; do not print them at home. Most office supply stores offer business card printing on good paper with quick turnarounds for less than $100. Spend a little more to choose special finishes, such as glossy ink, extra-thick stock or a high-gloss varnish.
• If you can afford it, hire a designer. Rates start at about $60/hour for a junior designer, and go up to $100 or more for senior talent. The cost will vary depending on the card’s complexity. A designer can also align the branding with your website and other platforms (more on this in a future column).
• If you need to keep costs low, businesses that offer printing also offer online design tools you can use to make your self-designed card look more polished.
• Stick to a single font family such as Georgia or Arial. Avoid specialty fonts, such as those that look handwritten (we’re looking at you, comic sans).
• Keep font sizes reasonable. As a general rule, don’t go below 8 points or above 12.
• Some people use business cards to take notes. Make sure your choice of paper and finish can be written on.
• Take care of your cards! Invest in a card case and only carry a few at a time. Damaged corners and scuff marks diminish the value of giving out cards in the first place.
• Update your cards whenever your contact information changes.

Gil Martinez

Make your business cards more effective by following these hints and tips:

1 )Do consider the card / finish to use
There are a few options when printing your card, our 400gsm silk is the standard card thickness, but if you wanted to stand out a bit more you can add a gloss or matt laminate, we’d recommend this if you’ve got a lot of dark colours on your card.

If your business card doubles up as a loyalty card or appointment card that you need to write on, we’d recommend our 300gsm uncoated, perfect for writing on.

2 )Don’t supply the wrong size!
There are two main sizes of business cards, the British size is 85mm x 58mm, the same size as your bank card, the American size is 50mm x 90mm, much wider, supplying the wrong size could result in your order being delayed while we contact you.

3 ) Do include your logo or business name prominently.
Your business card is your way of a customer remembering you and visiting your premises or website, your logo or business name appearing the same above your door or on your website reassures your customer they’re in the right place.

4 ) Don’t Try and fit too much text on your card
The more text you try and write on your card, the more cluttered it appears, making it hard for customers to see what you’re offering, give enough information for people to pick up the phone or visit your website for specifics,

Instead of “We can undertake engine and bodywork repairs and servicing of all major manufacturers, we also specialise in tyres and vehicle electronics”

Try “All vehicles serviced and repaired, tyres and electronics a speciality”

5 ) Do make sure the text isn’t too small
The Flyerzone online editor automatically shrinks text slightly as you type, this is so that last word that’s two letters too long will fit your design without stressing you out. We recommend that any headings and names on your business card are around 9pt and that the main text is no smaller than 7pt, larger if you’re using a fancy font.

We use the exact same measurement of text size as popular office software to help you know how big it will appear in print

6 ) Don’t leave the reverse blank,
As with flyers, printing on the reverse allows you to add a bit more information, perhaps a larger version of your logo to help your card stand out, if you’re a photographer you might want to include a photo or two, if you offer a range of services it’s an ideal place to showcase four or five leaving a bit more space for your contact details on the front.

7 ) Do get contacted,
Make sure your contact information is on the card in a way that’s easy to understand with emphasis on your preferred method. This can be done using colour or size. As a builder you might be contactable by e-mail which you check in the evening but prefer phonecalls to your mobile as you can take these during the day,

Flyerzone Building Company

M: 0788 888 888

T: 0161 848 5702
E: help@flyerzone.co.uk

8 ) Don’t order too few,
It usually doesn’t cost much more for a larger quantity, unless your business is seasonal or your contact details likely to change in the near future then getting 500 business cards for £4 more than 250 will save you money in the long run.

9 ) Do look at your competitor’s cards
You might want to be deliberately different, choosing bright colours to stand out when compared with the less vibrant cards of your competitors, you might want to choose a card similar, we’d recommend against copying a competitors design as you don’t want to confuse customers, but it’ll give you an idea for what information to include.

Remember, only include logos for official bodies such as GasSafe if you are a member.

10 ) Don’t submit your order without proof reading it first!
Once your order has been printed, it can’t be changed, save your design, have a cup of tea, lunch or anything else you need to do and come back to it in an hour, read everything again and check that it all makes sense, that you’ve not spelt anything wrong, even better get a friend to read it too.
Mistakes in your contact details or website could be costly

At Flyerzone we can check and print a file you’ve created or we’ve got thousands of online designs you can choose from: click here to get started