·· Business Card Design ··
Make your business card so much more..
In order for your business card not be thrown in the trash, make sure that your business card has another use, an innovative design, or something other than just the usual contact information printed on it.
Try printing something different on your business card sized card-stock.
Some ideas include:
- Make your card into a loyalty card with something like a 'buy 5 get 1 free' offer printed on it.
- Make your business card double as a VIP card that can give return customers a 5% discount when they produce the card.
- Feature a promotional offer on your business card.
- Make your card into a coupon that can be redeemed for a free lesson, a free consultation or a free gift.
- Include a short survey on your card allowing customers to leave valuable feedback. Offer a free gift or discount as an incentive to complete and return the survey, and on it's return you can supply a new business card with contact details on it.
- Make you business card into a nametag or baggage tag.
- Make your business card into a clothing tag, if you are a clothes shop and attach it to clothes that you sell.
- Make you business card double as a ticket for an event
- Make your business card into a referral card. This can enable someone to invite a prospect to attend your meeting or club. On the front, print a form to fill in the date, time and location. On the back, include a brief overview of the club. Let members hand them out to potential recruits.
- Make your business card double as an appointment card. Print a few lines and the back of the card and print 'next appointment' at the top of the card.
- Put a calendar on the back of your card. When designing your card, make you sure that you bear in mind that although the business card may appear to be a small thing, with a bit of creativity you can create and turn your business card into a very powerful marketing tool for your business.
Tags · Business cards · Marketing · Ideas · Alternative uses · Added value
24.09.2008. 04:59
The smart choice: 4/4 full colour business cards
Are you using 4/4 color business cards?
4/4 color refers to the full photographic (unlimited) colors on both sides of the business card.
Color business cards have become very popular in the last few years as the cost of producing them are coming down. Color business cards look better, are more effective and give better results than your standard business cards. Have you ever swapped business cards with someone only to feel embarrassed about your business card when you see their flashy well designed business card. There is no need to be. 4/4 color business cards are widely available nowadays, and available very cheaply.
Imagine a person receives 2 business cards from 2 gift shops. One is a standard with a 3 color logo and contact details on the front of the business card. The other is a 4/4 full color business card with product pictures on the back. If the person was looking to purchase gifts and they were looking through their business cards which one do you think would stand out?
Next, imagine a person receives 2 business cards from a computer repairman. One is a standard black and white business card with contact details on the front and services offered on the back. The other is a 4/4 color business card with a photo of himself on the back next to his services offered. Which do you think the person would first contact if they came in need of a computer repairman.
With 4/4 color printing there are many things you can do that you cannot do in limited colors or black and white. Looking at just the examples above you will be able to make your business cards stand out more, offer more information about your products including product images, or make your business card more personal (by including your photo on the card people will feel like they have already met you and feel more comfortable in contacting you).
4/4 Full color business cards have been shown to give a 20% better conversion rate than normal business cards and can definitely give a better first impression than your standard 1-3 color business cards. With these statistics it seems hard to debate whether color business cards are necessary for your business. I think for the great majority of businesses, full color business cards come at such a little cost and can give such a great first impression of your company, putting across the impression of your business being modern, stylish, professional and together with product pictures or photographs of people can help make your business much more 'familiar' and trustworthy, providing you with better contact rates from your distributed business cards.
So don't waste anytime! Come up with a creative, bright, well designed color business card that represents your business well, and you will surely see the results. Get the leap on your competitors!
Tags · Business cards · Full colour · Full color · 4/4
24.09.2008. 04:52
Raised Text (Spot printed) vs Full color Business Cards
When searching to get your business cards printed you will have no doubt come across a large number of options available to you. Here we will look at 2 of the most popular ones, being raised print and full color.
How do raised letters and full color business cards differ? What are the price differences between the two? Which once will give the best first impression for my business? These are a number of questions which get asked frequently.
What are the differences in raised letter and full color business cards?
The main difference is the way that the ink is applied to the business card during the printing process.
Business cards with raised text refers to cards that have text that stands up slightly off the page and can be felt by running your hand over it. For this type of business card, each color that is used on the business card requires a separate plate, and the business card needs to be be run through the press for every color chosen. This process of printing is called spot printing. This type of business card can have an elegant and refined look to them.
Full color printing using offset printers is much closer to printing of your ink jet printer at home. All the colors used on your business card are applied to the paper at the same time, to combine and create hues and shades. So different from the raised text cards described above, they only require the single run thought the printing press. Full color allows a lot choice and applications in the design of the business cards, and full color business cards tend to have more sharper, modern and creative designs.
What are the price differences?
Prices can differ a lot, even for different raised text business cards.
As mentioned above for spot printing and raised text business cards, for each color used the card must go through the press. Therefore for low color or black + white cards, raised text can be the cheapest in cost. However as soon as more colors are used, more work is required and this will mean a higher production cost. Therefore raised text business cards are only really viable if you are planning on keeping color to a minimum.
Full color business cards on the other hand have become more affordable. The problem here is that most printers will most of the time set a pretty high minimum order, say 1000 cards per time. You may be able to find printers willing to print 250 or 500 cards however you will probably find that prices are pretty much the same as for 1000. This is because the setting up of the printer is probably the biggest cost in the process printing of business cards. For this reason, the more you buy the better price or deal you will get on full color business cards.
Which once will give the best first impression for my business?
This is a very difficult question to answer as every business has it's own image it wants to portray of itself. To answer this question go back and read some of our articles on the advantages of full color printing.
From my point of view the only time that raised text business cards would be if you are looking for a business card that gives the impression of professionalism and maybe elegance, e.g. lawyers, writers, ballet dancer, etc. and maybe will only serve the purpose of giving contact details and not looking for new business.
In conclusion the cost involved in the printing of your business cards, whether raised text or full color will be very similar if you look around. With full color business cards getting a 30% better response than standard business cards, this would provide a very good reason to choose this type of printing if you are looking to use your business cards as a marketing tool for your company.
Tags · Raised text · Full Colour · Full color · Business Cards · Types · Design
24.09.2008. 04:22
Double-sided Business Cards: Double Your Sales Potential
Swapping
business cards is one of the most basic and common forms of networking
in the business world. With something that is so common practice,
people often hand out cards blindly while not really thinking about
what the card does AFTER you hand it out.
How do your clients feel about your business card? Put yourself
in their shoes. Is it valuable to them? Does it solve a problem?
Take
advantage of the extra real estate on the other side
Most business owners don't utilize the backside of their business
cards. It's prime space to include important facts, offers, and
information that help sell your company to the holder. Including
valuable offers on your business card will make it worth holding
on to.
P.T.O
- How to get someone to turn over your business card.
One small abbreviation added to the front of your cards can double
your success rate. P.T.O. (Please Turn Over) lets the holder know
there is something of value of the backside, and it would be in
their best interest to check it out. Alternatively, you could include
"See back for special offer" if you have the space for
it.
Now that you have their attention, reel them in with a: Survey,
redeemable for a free gift, Punch card for frequent clients, Valuable
coupon URL to a special webpage targeting business card recipients.
Research your sector to learn what business card marketing words will flip their switch and turn them on to your company. Give them what THEY want.
Even if you only hand out 50 cards using this technique, you've just created 50 opportunities for new business. Just imagine the possibilities that would come with having 1000 highly effective business cards floating around.
Now that you've found the secret recipe for business card marketing success, hand those cards out wherever and whenever you can. The more you hand out, the better chance you have of scoring another life-time customer.
Tags · Business cards · marketing · double sided
24.09.2008. 03:58