Business Cards – Top Mistakes to Avoid

Your business card is often the first step towards creating a strong and lasting brand impression. A good business card not only includes all your vital contact information but also reflects your company’s image. A business card is also one of the most cost-effective marketing tools that a business can have. But very often businesses make a number of common mistakes that can be easily avoided.

Here’s a list of the top ten mistakes to be avoided if you want your business card to serve the dual purpose of being noticeably appealing and an effective marketing tool.

1. Don’t leave out vital information out of your business card: However attractive your business card is, it is worthless if it lacks the critical information that a business card should entertain. Must haves on a business card are your name, the name of your business, your contact information (including physical and web address), and your business logo.
2. Don’t print cards that are too common: Most business cards leave no lasting impression and blend in with the rest. If you want your card to be an effective business tool, your card should look great, feel great and clearly define what your business is.
3. Don’t print poor quality cards: A poor quality card gives out the impression that the business will have poor quality products and services. Therefore it is advisable not to skimp on money when it comes to your business card. A good quality card should have been printed on good stock paper, have print that doesn’t bleed from a drop of water, an embossed logo and should feel substantial and pleasing to the touch.
4. Don’t use an oversize card: A standard business card should follow the 3.5 by 2-inch rule. Many people still use Rolodexes or tuck cards into their wallets-both difficult to do with an oversized card.
5. Don’t add too much color to your card: Never scare a potential customer with a super-bright or rainbow-colored card. Use color judiciously, sticking to one or two specific colors which also appear in your logo.
6. Don’t make your card too cluttered: Never clutter your card with too much print, like including a proverb or a quote from a book. When it comes to keeping your business card professional, simple is often best.
7. Don’t print too few cards: Always having a good supply of business cards at hand is important. Printing a sufficient amount in advance ensures that you never run out of stock when you most need them.
8. Don’t make the logo too prominent on your card: Most Fortune 500 companies use smaller sized logos to attract attention. Follow their cue and employ white space to bring attention to your logo instead of enlarging it for emphasis.
9. Don’t use a design template that doesn’t match your logo: Be careful while choosing a template based design, as an over designed template can distract attention from your logo.
10. Don’t make your card too unique: While you certainly want your card to stand out, getting too gimmicky like using complex dye-cuts, unusual shapes and sizes and odd card stocks (like metal) can make it more difficult for a customer to keep track of your card.