Business Card Do’s and Don’ts
What makes a good business card?
1. White space. Clutter suggests schlock. Clutter obscures vital information.
2. Sufficiently large font. Think about who’s reading your card. If they have to squint to make out your phone number, don’t expect a call any time soon.
3. Easy to read font. Fancy fonts may foil you by fooling the reader. For instance, can someone tell the difference between a lower case “i” and a “j” in your e-mail address?
4. Two colors. One color is bland. Three colors is a brass band. Two colors help draw attention to vital information.
5. Periods or space between segments of the phone number. Dashes are out. They’re difficult to read.
6. Front for information, back for marketing. It’s tempting to use a business card for marketing purposes. Use the flip side for product lists, service capabilities, vision statements, etc. On the front side, a simple tagline is plenty.
7. Standard size. Companies sometimes use an oversized card in order to “stand out”. That’s ok if the company wants to stand out as annoying.
8. Medium or heavy paper stock. The money you save on a flimsy paper is peanuts compared to the poor impression the card will make on customers.
Further reading …
The Roaring Lion brings up some other excellent business card tips.
Cost Per News takes a minimalist approach to business card design. Perfect for businesses on a tight budget.
Hi Brad - nice post. I’m always looking for simple tips to throw out to job-seekers, and this was a nice way to start a Saturday morning.
I like the blog, and have found few focused on this particular topic - nice job!
Dennis
And in addition to the more traditional card you defined, you could ALSO have a card available for those times when you need an ice breaker or when you simply feel like hitting them with a little “Shock and Awe”.(shameless plug for showoffcards.com).