#1 Paper Quality – Business cards printed on quality card stock make a much better impression. Flimsy business cards that bend easily will be trash in no time.
#2 Ink Quality – Most business cards are kicked around for weeks or months before they’re used to get your contact details. If the ink flakes or runs with just a drop of water (or sweaty hands) your business cards are good as junk.
#3 Size – Even if you feel like being original your best bet is to just stick with the standard 3.5 x 2 inch size. Some people use business card scanners, business card binders or keep them in their wallets. If your card doesn’t fit, it’ll get tossed.
#4 Font Size – It may be tempting to use a smaller font to fit more information onto the front of your business card. If people can’t read your card they aren’t going to contact you, plain and simple. Instead keep the most important stuff on the front and additional details tucked away on the back of the card.
#5 Call to Action – People need to be told what to do. Plain and simple. It’s not enough to give people your information, you need to also give them a subtle reminder of what to do with it. Make sure your card carries a strong message about your products and services and includes a call to action such as “call us today” or “see how much you can save”.
#6 Colors – Both your card stock color and design element colors need to grab people’s attention. An emerging trend in the business world is to use black business cards with bright colors. This can help your design really pop and help your business stand out in a crowd.
#7 Image – Your business cards should accurately represent your company. Obvious black business cards wouldn’t be ideal if you ran a kid’s birthday party business or something family oriented. Your card should speak to your average customer and reflect the benefits of working with you specifically.