A business card is an essential piece of kit that could get you noticed from the crowd, for it can attract potential clients to look at your work further, and get them interested in you and your line of work.

Whatever industry your in, it’s always important to have a well designed and thought out business card, that is easy to read and discover what you do. It reflects you and your companies brand, so it’s design needs to be thought about in detail. This is all well and good, but what do I put on my business cards to get noticed by my target audience, to get me more work and clients?

Should It Be One Sided Or Double Sided?

Well you could argue the case for both, even though one sided costs a bit cheaper than the other, I think it’s got to be double sided. Double sided allows you to put a effective logo on one side, and your details on the back, which one sided cards simply cannot do, unless you squeeze it all in, making it look tacky.

Reflecting a poor image to a potential client. Everyone expects there to be two sides to every business card, and for clients to find that it only has one, can leave them with disappointment and a sense that you are not professional. Sure double sided costs more, but I think this is an expense that is worth investing in.

What Do I Put On The Business Card?

It is extremely important that you show your contact details, which includes your own personal website (if you have one), your email address and telephone number. These contact details are essential, as there would be no point in having a business card if they weren’t on there!

You could also include your Twitter or Facebook address, but I feel that these could get in the way of the most important content. You could also include a QR Code, which automatically takes them to your website on their phone, is another element which you could include.

But be aware that you don’t take up too much room with these elements, but could be beneficial if done correctly.

On The Other Side?

This could be anything that represents your company, and the brand you want it to communicate. This could be your logo, an effective piece of typography, or an illustration.

This is really up to you, being creative and thinking of a excellent concept can make people want to pick up your card, so have a good old think about this option as this is also important in attracting people to your business card.

If design is not really your thing, you could think about hiring a graphic designer, and they will be sure to come up with an effective business card concept, that reflects you and your brand. If you want to do it yourself, Business Card Inspiration

Size?

There are a few business card sizes you can purchase, including mini cards, but I think the most common, and most effective is the standard 85mm x 55mm, which is the perfect size to showcase you and your company. It is perfect to fit in your wallet, and that of your clients! I believe that mini-cards, are just too small and can easily be overlooked by bigger ones. The standard 85m x 55mm allows you fit all the information you want to show on one side.

Thickness?

This really counts on where you buy it from and your budget, regarding how much suppliers charge for their printing. With thickness however, I believe that potential clients are more likely to keep hold of yours, if they feel like it’s a high quality item. If you do find a reasonable supplier, anything over 250 gsm (grams per square meter) is a decent thickness to have, as it’s more like card, and less like paper, which is what were looking for.

Where Do I Buy Them From?

There are a few companies which sell good quality cards which are affordable. Moo are a very well branded, highly regarded company which sell good quality products. Even though you could find cheaper alternatives, the customer service, design upload, and quality of cards is what makes moo stand out.

I hope you liked today’s tips and advice on business cards, how have you experimented with your business card? How creative have you been? It would be great to hear from you.