Your business card is your prospect’s first impression of you and your brand, so you must get it right.

But, with so much conflicting advice on what to include, how do you make sure your business card makes a great first impression?

To help you get started, we've put together a list of the top 7 mistakes people make when designing their business cards and how to avoid them.

1. Leaving out key contact information

A business card may be small, but this doesn’t mean you should compromise on the information.

Your business card will be the key point of contact for anyone who wants to do business with you. So, it's important to give them the details they need to connect.

So, what should you include on your business card?

- Your name

- Your company name

- Your job title

- Your business phone number

- Your email address

- Your company website

- Your business social media accounts and LinkedIn profile

Top Tip: Including a QR code on your business card is a great way to share your contact details without overcrowding your design. Your QR code could link to your company website, your LinkedIn profile, or a link to send an email.

2. Using poor quality card stock or printing your business cards at home.

72% of people judge you on the quality of your business card. In fact, 39% of people would go as far as to not do business with someone who has a cheap business card.

Sure, it’s important to have a great design and include crucial information, but if your card feels flimsy it could imply that your business provides mediocre products and services.

So, which paper stock should you use for your business cards?

For a quality business card, we’d recommend opting for a 400gsm – 450gsm paper stock. Or for a premium, stand-out business card, 810gsm Triplex business cards are durable and sure to get your business noticed.

3. Not making use of the back of your business cards.

The back of your business card provides a fantastic opportunity to include additional information about your brand.

However, it often gets forgotten about or overlooked.

To ensure your using your business card to its full potential you could include your company logo, a QR code, your USP or business slogan on the reverse of your card.

Top Tip: The back of your business card also provides a brilliant opportunity to showcase your creativity. You could use special print finishing techniques (like foiling or Spot UV) to highlight your logo and help your business card stand out from the crowd.

4. Avoid typos and grammatical errors.

It may sound simple, but you'd be shocked by the number of business cards with spelling and grammatical errors.

Of course, it’s common to make a simple mistake, but typos could give your customers a negative impression of your business.

In short, you should always check your business cards several times over for any mistakes before you send them to print.

5. Using an oversized business card

An oversized business card may seem like the perfect way to stand out from the crowd, but is it practical?

It’s likely that a large business card won’t fit into a wallet or business card holder and may not be kept, meaning that it’d be better to opt for a standard-sized 55 mm x 85 mm or square 55 mm x 55 mm business card.

6. Not communicating what you do

When someone looks at your customised business card, can they tell what you do?

If not, it’s unlikely that your business cards will generate any business.

By including your business logo or a short line stating what you do (if your logo isn’t self-explanatory) your prospects will know what you do and who to come to, should they require your services.

7. Including broken links on your business card

An outdated email address, a non-existent website and a broken QR code don't leave your prospects with the best impression of your company. Moreover, it makes it harder for them to contact you.

Business card printing is incredibly affordable and it couldn’t be easier to reprint them if you upgrade to a new website.

In addition, if you opt for business cards without lamination – they’re recyclable! Meaning that upgrading your business cards is suitable for even the most sustainable businesses.

Top Tip: Sometimes QR codes work differently onscreen from how they do in print. Always ensure you ask for a proof from your printer to test whether your QR codes work before sending them to the press!

Are you ready to leave a lasting impression on your prospects?

If you struggle to ensure your brand is remembered, creative business cards could help ensure your business makes the right first impression.

At Soar Valley Press, we offer a wide range of creative business cards and can help you with every stage of the process from, graphic design to choosing your paper stock and printing your final product. We make the process simple.

Contact us today by calling 0116 259 9955 or email orders@soarvalleypress.co.uk to enquire about our affordable business card design and printing service.