How to Find the Most Suitable Business Cards to Use

Last Updated on September 1, 2024

The cult film American Psycho (2000) has an iconic scene where polished Wall Street executives compare business cards, going over each minute detail in a strange game of one-upmanship meant to ultimately decide who the office’s alpha male is. The confluence of money, greed, ego, and yes, murderous intent displayed in that darkly comic scene is something to behold. So, whenever the topic of business cards comes up, it’s hard not to think of that sequence and how deeply unsettling – yet hilarious – it is.

But, there is a grain of truth in what this scene is trying to convey. A business card is how you announce both yourself and your business endeavors to the world. Being able to personalize your cards and have them reflect the perfect combination of professionalism and personality is something that most of us are on the lookout for – especially if you’re going to have to order business cards, which usually come in gigantic stacks of five hundreds. If you’re looking to promote your business and services and need to get some business cards made, then the following handy tips should be of help to you.

Choose the Design Carefully

This is one of those rare cases in which the saying “don’t judge a book by its cover” can and should be thrown out the window. The design and look of your card should communicate everything you need to a potential consumer or client about your services and products. And they should be able to glean the information they need in just a glance. The design should not only communicate your values, but it should also help distinguish you from the competition out there, and get people excited about being in touch with you. There are so many options to choose from, and everything about your card can be customized. However, keep in mind the general rule of having the card mimic what you’re selling.

If you’re in a fairly traditional business, or you have a relatively straightforward approach to your work, then keep things neat and simple. If, however, you are in a creative industry such as graphic design or filmmaking, then you can get creative and choose brighter colors and bold graphics, even adding a catchy tagline so that people remember who you are and decide that they absolutely have to give you a callback. The design is a key element and you shouldn’t skimp on that front.

Settle on a Size

Most business cards are made to be whipped out of your wallet quickly so that it could be shared with virtually anyone while on the go. But, there are different sizes you should familiarize yourself with, and decide upon fairly quickly. The size and orientation your card will take will influence other design elements such as font size and the amount of information you can include about yourself and your business. Rectangular cards with horizontal orientation are the ones people tend to be most familiar with, while vertical cards aren’t used too often – unless you’d like to strike a different tone than your competitors. In which case, that would be a good move for you to make.

Don’t forget that you can make other elements of your business operations, such as the way you pay for raw materials, distinctive by even customizing your own credit card. This is a handy way for vendors to remember you and perhaps want to cultivate better relationships with your company. Just like business cards, there are various personalized business credit card matches that you can choose from. This is always a smart choice and a great way to reflect a professional image. Just remember that you need to settle on the size, layout, and design before you decide upon the other features in your business card.

Consistency Is Key

When choosing a vendor to help you produce business cards, keep in mind that they should help by accommodating the design elements already contained within other elements of your business operations. Especially if you’ve been around for even just a few months. You want your customer base to recognize you and make the necessary visual connections between your cards and anything else you produce in terms of marketing materials. For example, if you already have a logo, or send out a newsletter – even if it is an electronic version – then you should include components of that design in your business card. Try to integrate things such as a font that you’ve used, a sign, tag line, or what have you in your business card design. Keeping all of your elements consistent with one another is important and building brand awareness amongst the public, so don’t skip this step.

Special Touches

Even if you keep your business card fairly subtle and sedate in terms of design, layout, and contents, you can add small, unique touches that will give it some flair without being too “noisy.” You can add a gold foil accent, raised lettering, play around with the final card shape, or even use a more premium kind of card stock that will help you stand out from your competitors. You don’t have to be flashy, but you shouldn’t have to be boring either. 

Consider Loyalty Cards

Coffee shops and other businesses have their business cards double as loyalty cards, which can be stamped every time a customer visits the establishment ending up with a few perks in the end. This is a clever way of getting over the terrible problem of having your business card misplaced or even thrown out. When the business card can have another layer of practicality added to it, it is always a plus and will ensure that your clients won’t ever misplace it.

Of course, the most important tip is to ensure that all your information is correct and up to date. A business card with an old phone number or address is practically useless. So, if you want to avoid this slip-up, make sure you order new business cards whenever a change occurs. Other than that, with the tips listed above, you should be well on your way to having a beautiful stack of cards that your customers and competitors will remember.