A business card is one of the most inexpensive and versatile tools in your marketing arsenal. Your business card says a lot about you and your company. Having a well-designed business card designed by us is a cost-effective way to promote your business. The importance of having an updated, accurate, eye-catching business card cannot be underestimated. Make sure your business card mentions your location, your hours, any specialty services you might offer, and anything else that will help distinguish you from your competition. Your business card should express you as well as your web-site does. Merely because your card is so less expensive than your website does not mean it should be designed less carefully.

Business Cards Benefits

Serendipity - good luck - brings many business opportunities. You never know when you might bump into your best new client. You might meet him in an elevator, or you might fall into conversation with a stranger sitting next to you on an airplane, who will turn out to be the most important business contact you will ever make. These little cards take on particular importance for those with small businesses or the sel-employed. A business card is a small, portable, easy thing to carry - don't leave home without it!

Attract Customers

There are many ways for people to bring customers to their businesses. Some do this by launching an involved marketing campaign website, television ads, and the whole shebang. A few use no marketing at all; they flourish through word of mouth. Business cards are a kind of "word of hand".

A well-designed business card should always have important details that will enable its recipient to find you. Among these are your name, the address of your place of business, fax and phone numbers, email, and website. Since most people who get business cards simply put them in the drawer with the others, we will help you be imaginative enough to make people want to look at it, and to recall it.

A well-designed business card requires a professional designer. A few good examples are giving it in the form of a magnet that can be placed on the office fridge. Should that person drink coffee in the office, one can have a coaster made that people will surely notice. Since computers are a necessity in the workplace, a mouse pad will also be a good idea to give away.

Business cards might also be shown by one contact to another. Thus your circle of acquaintances grows.

Business Card Marketing

One of the most frequent requests I hear is, "May I have your card?" Whether it's a sales visit or business-to-business (B2B) networking at a meeting or a conventon, the practice of swapping business cards is the standard ritual of introduction. During the "get to know you" phase of a committee meeting, there is always somebody in the room who dolefully announces he has "forgotten his cards". Don't let that person be you.

Remembering Key Information About People You've Met

Even as it is important to give your card to others, keeping theirs can help you remember the names of new contacts. Nobody likes to have his name forgotten. The most effective way I've found to remember people I've met is to retain their business cards.

During our conversations, I often take quick notes on the back of the cards that I can refer to later, such as his appearance, or I jot down a reminder about something from our meeting, an action item I have agreed to, or something they told me. Once back at my desk, I review the stack of cards.

I write thank you notes, delegate action items, pass along leads and the myriad of follow up details that occur after a business trip. Without the cards, I'm left only with an attendee roster and pads of paper. If you want to sell something to a reluctant potential client, get his card - don't just give him yours.

Proofreading Avoids Costly Mistakes!

Make sure you proofread your business cards before they are printed. Once you print, you can't turn back without paying extra for reprints. Here's an easy trick to use when proofreading to ensure that what is to be printed is correct: Read each line backwards, from left to right and from bottom to top. This will force you to look at each word and number, instead of only skimming the information that you are so familiar with.

Extending The Usefulness Of Your Business Cards

Have your cards printed on a paper stock that someone can actually write on. If your cards are plastic or a dark color they will be less useful to those who receive them, especially if they, like you, take notes on cards. While business cards that look and feel like credit or gift cards may be a novelty, they will most likely be tossed rather than kept as useful reminders for further action.

Utilizing Logos, Graphics And Alternative Languages

Check your sales agreement for instructions regarding logo placement on your business cards. Card associations, many banks and vendors have specific rules regarding the use of their logos. Ask before making an embarrassing mistake.

Additionally, be sure to include any logos you are entitled to use that might lend further credibility to your business, such as from a trade association, chamber of commerce or Better Business Bureau. If you conduct business in languages in addition to English, you might consider having your contact information printed on the back of your business card in these other languages. Add a line to your business card such as, "Se Habla Espanol."

Have Your Cards Nearby No Matter Where You Are

Keep a supply of business cards in your wallet, briefcase, car, computer bag and desk, and invest in a simple business card holder to protect the cards and keep them looking crisp and clean. Never give somebody a soggy card permeated with the DNA of your sweat, or smelling like last week's pastrami with garlic sandwich.

Give Your Business Cards Away

Many sales managers monitor their sales staffs' activities based on the number of business cards each rep collects during the day. You'll have a better idea of how many leads you're generating if you give a card each time you receive one. Make your business card a productive tool for generating profits..