Article: Ideas for Designing your Business Card

View List of All Articles

• Of course, use your company name and your company logo. Your logo is important to develop recognition.
• Use your tag line. For example, a common tag line for packing and shipping stores is We Pack and Ship Anything to Anywhere. Why have a tag line if you don't use it?
• Put your address, phone number, and fax number on your business card. In this day and age, the only reason for a business card is for someone to use so that they can put your information into their computerized address book. If you don't list all of these, it will be seen as an unprofessional business by many people.
• Use your extended zip code (nine digits). If you are in the shipping business, this is especially important. The post office requests this, so use it. To learn yours, visit http://www.usps.com/zip4/.
• " Include your company's web site address and your email address. You should at least have an email address.
• Include any affiliation logos, such as FTD Florist or the NPC logo, if applicable.
• Use a font style and size that is easy to read.
• Add an extra color or two to make your card more attractive to the viewer's eye.
• Don't crowd so much on your card that it's too "busy" for the viewer to take the time to read. Consider putting information on the back of the card.
• Suggestions for information to include on the front or back of the card include store hours, services and products offered, and simple directions or a map showing where your store is located.

ADVANCED TIPS
Make your card stand-out from the rest with some sort of style that signifies your company or business. Following are some ideas from business cards which I have received.

• Many people who are in the box-making or shipping business have a their cards cut at angles to fit the overall graphic lines of a box which outline the card.
• Many will have the card made in a material that signifies their industry. I have received some some plastic and glass cards from those in these fields.
• You don't have to be extravagant to take your card a notch higher. Simply consider using a raised ink imprint to give it some texture.
• Color is good, but be careful if you choose a card stock that is in a color that is other than white or an off-white color. You will need to make certain that the color scheme works for the overall design of the card.
• Many can now produce their own business cards from their own printer. If you do this, make certain that the business card that you buy can be separated to have clean edges.

Most of these tips can be applied to your ads, stationery, web site, or other advertisements that customers see. The overall concept is to make the advertisement attractive to the viewer's eye so that they will consider looking at it, to give information that the customer needs, and to portray the company's objective.

Fran Scarborough

View List of All Articles

© Copyright 2002 - 2005, Vision Alliance
All Rights Reserved