Designing business card carefully, and your business card will make you look professional, build trust and set your company apart from others in your field.

When attending conferences, fairs or networking events, exchanging business cards at the end of a conversation is crucial for following up afterward.

So how do you ensure that your card represents you and your business in the best possible way?

How to make a good business card

1. Remember, first impressions count

Your business card says a lot about you and your company. Designing business card should communicate your values, distinguish your business from the competition and encourage people to get back in touch.

If your style of working is straightforward and formal, your business card should reflect those qualities. Or, if your products or services are playful and creative, try to capture those traits by using bold colors and a catchy tagline.

2. Choose the most appropriate size and shape for your needs

Before you sit down to designing business card, it’s important to know what size and orientation your card will take. This not only influences the text size and amount of information you can include but also communicates things like whether you’re conventional or a bold non-conformist.

Horizontal rectangular cards are the format most people are familiar with. Vertical cards are less common and can be used to differentiate you from your competitors.

If standing out is your goal, then you might also want to consider a specialty plastic business card or Color Fill extra thick card with an eye-catching layer between the front and back sides. Decide where your business lies between understated and bold.

3. Choose a design that fits you

Select colors and design elements that are associated with your business area to make your card easy to recognize and representative of the products or services you provide. If you sell luxury products like jewelry or evening wear, you might represent this with a foil detail.

You specialize in a style of stone masonry or carpentry; you may include a photo of your work to showcase your area of expertise. The choice of finish and paper stock can let your customers know whether your company is the most affordable solution around – or that you offer upscale services.

Your choice of paper stock can also suggest whether you’re a fresh and fun new venture or a well-established business that’s been around for decades.

4. Be consistent with your website and other promotional materials

This way, it will be easier for your customers to remember and recognize you. If you don’t have a website or other marketing materials, but your business has an established logo or is well known for something in particular (be it your sign, the building, the uniforms of your staff, etc.), try to integrate that into your business card design.

5. Add a special touch

Whether you include embossing, raised print, metallic finishes or choose a catchy card shape, your customers will notice the difference and your card will stand out.

6. Give your business card additional uses

Use the reverse side on your card for appointment reminders, loyalty stamps or even a handy calendar. Think creatively, don’t just use a basic calendar template, try to mark important dates for your customers, depending on what your business is offering them.

7. Make your business card sticky

Forget marmalade fingers, by ‘sticky’ we mean how long your card will be in a place where your customer can see it. We’ve seen magnetic cards work very well for businesses offering recurring services like plumbing, house painting, gardening, pet sitting, hairdressing, car services, etc. People put them on the fridge to refer to on a regular basis.

8. Ensure your contact details are easy to follow

The way your information is laid out is an important consideration. If in doubt about how to organize your contact details, the classic arrangement of text fields follows this order:

  • Company name

  • First name and surname

  • Job title

  • Contact info (email, phone number, social media handles, etc.)

9. Make sure your contact details are correct

Proofread. Proofread. Proofread.

Clear contact details, correct spelling and choosing a legible font in a readable size are all things that need to be triple checked. Apart from your name and job title, make sure to mention your business, telephone number, website, email address and social media handles if relevant to your marketing activities.

Make it easy for your customers to contact you the way they feel most comfortable.

10. If in doubt, talk to Wild FX Signature & Print

They will be able to make sure that the design elements like your logo will appear crisp and clear on your physical card. It’s important to make sure that your images are the right resolution and your text fields are an optimal size for readability.