A business card is a greeting card for your customers. The design is only limited by your imagination. Many people choose to design and print business cards themselves not for the reason of saving money. Instead they do it for customization and creativity.
Many websites make the design and customization of business cards as easy as a few clicks. The design of a business card online starts with choosing a business card template, change the font size, color, layout, or add additional text if you need, then customize it to your business with title, description, phone number and URL of your website if you have and choose to show it on the business cards. These online sites also give you the option to add your company logo or a photo without having to use their designs. It is a fun and easy way to create your business cards online and can actually save you time and money because you do not have to consult a graphic designer. You are the designer.
As the designer of your business cards, you need to make several decisions: 1) do you want a back-and-white business card, or a color business card; and 2) do you want a horizontal or vertical business card in terms of styles. Black-and-white business cards look professional and are suited for businesses in engineering, manufacturing and scientific fields. Color business cards are suited more for professionals who are in arts, web design and marketing. While horizontal business cards look traditional and conservative when they’re printed in black-and-white, vertical business cards may create the artistic and liberal impressions.
Once you’ve chosen a template, color and style of your business cards, the next step is business card printing. Business cards are often printed on papers. Some business cards are printed on plastic cards or even magnetic cards. A magnetic card is ideal for your customers to keep on their refrigerators so they will not lose your number. Color raised ink will make your company logo or your name stand out on a white background. Plastic business cards resist fading and scratching. Plastic card printing requires specific equipments which are not offered by all business card printing companies.
Business card printing online, as well as design, is fast and easy. You can get the look and feel of the cards instantly before you receiving the real cards. Consumers will likely keep business cards designed with character and printed on plastic cards around even after using your company’s services.
Archive for August 30, 2010
A DIY Guide for Designing and Printing Business Cards Online
Increase Sales by Just Remembering to Always Carry Your Professional Business Card
Are you in sales? So do you always carry your professional business card with you? What is it costing you when you don’t have it or if your business card is not professionally printed? Maybe these two scenarios will reinforce the belief that you must always, always carry professional business cards with you at ALL times.
SCENARIO ONE
You are attending a business networking event where you begin to exchange professional business cards and discover, Oops, no card. What message or messages did you send at that moment to your prospective lead, strategic alliance partner, center of influence or heavens forbid a potential customer?
Unprepared to do business? Not a professional? Why are you in business? I certainly do not want to do business with this person? I wonder if he or she runs his or her company the same way? I will not be referring this person? I do not believe I will be doing business with this person?
SCENARIO TWO
You are attending another business networking event and participate in the ritual exchanging of professional business cards. As you receive the other person’s business card, you have some of the following thoughts:
Paper stock is not heavy? Edges are perforated or not cleanly cut? Graphic is common; not unique? Printing is not crisp, smudge? Think the card was home printed? Person is not serious because email address is generic such as Yahoo? What business does not have a website listed? This is not a company I want to do business with? I am unsure what the person does and I do not care to learn more? Couldn’t he or she go to at least Vista.com and have the card look somewhat professional?
Your professional business card is a mini billboard or even better, a direct mail piece that tells everyone about you, your company and hopefully, your unique selling proposition (USP). This very small piece of paper can also be your backstop. Even if you did not have time to speak with the other person, then your card may stop your pitch from leaving the ballpark so to speak.
Finally, during the exchange of professional business cards at that business networking event, there are three critical business networking behaviors that need to happen to ensure that your card hits the target to increase sales. First, you should always accept the other person’s professional business card and examine it. Just don’t immediately stuff it into your pocket and more to the next person.
Second, when handing the your card to the other person and when receiving his or her card, remember to always give an authentic smile. People do business with people they like and trust. A sincere smile can go a long way to begin to establish that trust.
Third, the initial goal of this exchange is to begin to make a friend and secure that first appointment so if you do have an extended conversation focus on that person and not you or what you sell.
If you goal is to increase sales, then make every business networking opportunity count. Always remember your professionally produced business card and you will achieve your goal to increase sales.
Free Business Cards- The various benefits
When a new business is started, there are many expenses which have to be made. From fixed costs like the location, investments, various registrations, client acquisition to hiring people, setting up workplace etc. In these costs are added various overhead costs also, which do not get count exactly into investments or marketing costs. Nonetheless these help the business in the long run, and they can’t be done without. One of such costs or expenses is the relationship building expenses. This is a very essential activity which is required to be done on the part of a businessman, especially one who has a new startup. Without getting contacts and widening network in the industry, it is not possible to survive, neither it is possible to fight the cut throat competition. For these, business cards are needed. But these come for a cost, and when a new business or enterprise is started, it makes a big percentage of the total investments. But, these can be got free also, as free business cards. These are the same as the usual ones, but with a different quality and lesser customization, since these are printed in large numbers, and for their printing also, least costs have to be incurred to make them free for the clients.
These are amazing tools of business promotion, and if they come for free, these can’t be compared with anything else. These are made on the predefined templates, and only certain details like the name, address, contact numbers, logo design etc are changed as per the client’s given details. There are various design templates which are available online, and the client has just to select the desired template for his/ her card. Similarly, the various sizes can also be chosen for these, depending on the particular requirements. Various size options are available, but the most popular and the standard ones are the 400 GSM cards, which are usually selected and preferred by professionals and companies. Due to their size, these are just right to hold in hand, and to carry in a wallet or purse, or even pocket.
Free Business Card printing involves the free printing and paper, while charges are made only on the delivery of the cards to the doorstep of the client. These are generally very low, and if the location of the client is close or nearby, it reduces even lesser. Hence, these are very economical when the cost considerations are high, which are, generally for a new startup.