Business cards are an essential tool for people in the work force, especially those who meet clients and colleagues on a regular basis. These people need to use business cards not just to introduce themselves and the companies they work for, but also to promote their products and services to the recipient of the business card.
Business cards come in many different forms and can contain various sorts of information. However, there is only so much information that we can put on a 2.5” x 3.0” card. Thus, the key is to be brief and to put only what is necessary on that card.
There are actually ten elements that should always be included in the design of a business card, and they are as follows:
1. Your Name. The name of the person giving the business card is one of the two most important elements of a business card. It simply tells the recipient whom to contact whenever he needs the products or services of the card’s giver.
2. Your company’s name. This is the other of the two most important elements of the business card. The company name is usually the most prominent feature of the card, as emphasized by the size of the font used on it.
3. Your address. Whether the address given in the business card is a physical address or a mailing address depends on how the company conducts its business. There are even companies that opt not to put any address on the business card except for their website.
4. Your phone numbers. The phone numbers are another set of contact details that people include in their cards if it is possible to reach them by phone. Aside from the phone numbers, these figures typically include fax numbers, mobile phone numbers, and extension codes. Country and area codes should also be included.
5. Your email address or IM username. Since we already live in the electronic age, many people list their email addresses among their contact options. However, some people already shun email for their bulkiness, and thus prefer instant messaging.
6. Your website. If your company has an official website, this is typically included in the business card. The website’s address can be put with or without the http:// prefix.
7. Your job title. In some cases, the job title is omitted, but nonetheless, this tells the recipient of the business card just who he is going to deal with when he contacts the person who gave him the card.
8. Tagline. This is a short description of what your company is about, especially when its name is somewhat vague or generic-sounding.
9. Logo. Not only does this provide a visual element on the card, but it also establishes the corporate identity of the company.
10. List your services. This part enumerates and promotes the core services of the company. This is often put at the back of the business card.