How to Design and Print a Better Business Card

How important is your business card to your success? If you're like most small businesses, you understand that your business card is often your only leave-behind, and so it must make a great impression on prospective customers in order for them to follow up with you. Unfortunately, despite having this knowledge many small businesses owners, managers, marketers and account representatives settle for business cards that simply do too little to make that impression. If your business card needs a tune-up, try the following tips for designing and printing a better business card.

Attention-commanding layout

Instead of the somewhat-droll typical layout with your logo on top, your contact information in the body, and perhaps a mug shot of you on the right, try mixing up your layout or exploring creative layout tactics that command attention for your business card, your company and you. For example, scrap the mug shot and fill your entire business card background with a photograph of you at work, happy customers, or some representation of your products and services. Try playing with font sizes to accentuate the most important information. Your name, for example, should be big and bold so it stands out to customers so they recognize it when you follow up. Boxes, borders, shadowing, and other affects can be applied – albeit sparingly – to enhance the visual appearance of your business card. You can also try mixing up the order of information presentation. Instead of leading off with your company name and logo, for example, try making your name the most prominent and leading headline on your business card

Add value and actively market

All too many consider their business cards to be little more than contact information purveyors, or branding tools. That's unfortunate because business cards are: a) the most commonly used marketing tools among networking professionals; b) the cheapest marketing tools you have so you can distribute generously; and c) capable of doing so much more than simply telling potential customers how to contact you. If you want to make your business cards truly stand out, add value to your business cards by including helpful information, hints and lists on the back. You can print folded business cards to give yourself extra space for adding value. You might add popular local sports team schedule to ensure your brand is noticed repeatedly; or you can come up with something handy your target customer might use to better their lives. A fire extinguisher sales and exchange company, for example, might print a fire safety checklist on their business cards. Moreover, you can use your business cards to actively market your products and services by adding discount coupons and coupon codes, VIP passes, or some other incentive that will help demonstrate your expertise and give customers a great deal, too. In this manner you can actively market your company using business cards

Premium printing

It can be difficult to measure business card return on investment, but you still want to keep your printing costs low. That doesn't mean you have to opt for poor quality. In fact, you can get premium quality business card printing at budget prices if you know where to go. Opt for 13-point eco-friendly recycled matte or an ultra-thick, premium16-point gloss cover paper stocks, and add a UV coating for an extra-rich sheen. Look for deals – PsPrint routinely prints business cards for as much as 60 percent off – and you'll get an unbeatable price on premium business card printing that tells your customers you are successful and trustworthy.