Business cards have countless uses, and creating the best card for your needs can be challenging. Whether you are looking for a card to promote your business, share professional contact information, connect with friends, or any other reason, there is a business card out there for you. This guide will help you determine the best type of business card for you and how to make one.
Business cards have been around for centuries, and they’re still as relevant and necessary today as ever. Although some companies have stopped providing business cards to employees to make their offices green and paperless, business cards are alive and well in physical and digital forms. To this day, business cards remain the most efficient way to share contact information, which will build your network, boost your brand recognition, and improve sales.
Most people think of a traditional wallet-sized piece of card stock when they look to create a business card, but that isn’t the only option. When creating a physical card, get creative with a die-cut business card. These specialized business cards can be cut into fun shapes and designs so you can stand out. If physical business cards aren’t your style (they aren’t ours either), opt for a digital business card. Digital business cards, like the ones offered by HiHello, provide more space than a traditional paper business card while letting you showcase your creativity like a die-cut card does.
It’s important to know what information to put on a business card. Whether you're working with limited space on a paper business card or the unlimited features of digital business cards, it can be hard to choose what to include. Here is a list of the essential information to have on your business card:
1. Name
2. Title, department, and company
3. Basic contact information
4. Location
5. Photo
6. Website
7. Social media
Double-checking
If you opt for a digital business card, you eliminate any space constraints and include more information on your cards, like your WhatsApp, payment apps, Calendly, Yelp, and more. With HiHello specifically, you can add rich media to your digital business card, like badges, PDFs, and an embedded YouTube video.
For a complete list of items to include on your card, check out this guide to digital business cards.
Now that you know all the different types, it’s time to create a unique business card. Keep reading to learn how to make a paper business card using a design website or Microsoft Word and make a digital business card.
The first step to creating your paper business cards is finding the right place to print your business cards. Companies like Vistaprint and Zazzle allow you to design and print custom business cards.
If you create a business card through a design site, you can choose a pre-designed template. Select a design that matches your brand best. If you want to create your own design, try using a website like Canva to create and print your custom cards.
Start creating your business card by selecting the size you want. Standard business cards are 3.5” x 2.0”, but many companies offer mini cards, square cards, extra-large, and more. A larger size will accommodate more information, but keep in mind that not all sizes will easily fit in a wallet.
Most websites will allow you to select whether you want rounded or square corners on your business card. Select the one that best aligns with your brand.
There are hundreds of materials, textures, and finishes available for your business cards. Choose from plastic, paper, metal, linen, stickers, magnets, and more. Once you have selected the material, don’t forget about the thickness of the paper and the finish. Most materials come in matte and gloss, but keep an eye out for slick coatings, UV finishes, and more.
Paper business cards have limited space, so selecting the most critical information is essential. Always start by adding your name, company job title, and a way to contact you. As you begin to add more details, it can get tricky. In most situations, including an email address is a safe way to have connections contact you. However, adding a phone number and address can get more complicated. You might not want everyone to have those personal details, so consider using the company contact information here instead. If you have any more room, consider adding a website URL or social media profile so people can find you online.
The final step is ordering your cards. Once you have designed your cards and checked for any mistakes, it’s time to order your cards and have them printed. Once ordered, it can take a week or more to have them printed and shipped, so make sure you order new cards while still having a few old ones left.
Find business card templates by searching for “business cards” in the search bar at the top of the page. Review available templates and select the style that best represents your brand. Once you have chosen the suitable template, click “create.”
Using the template, input your information into a single card, and it will populate the rest of the cards. Each template will guide you to enter your information. Most templates include room for your name, title, company, address, phone number, email, and website URL. Some templates will have room for logos and other information, so make sure to pick a template with space for the information you’d like to include.
Switch fonts, colors, and sizes to match your company or personal branding.
Make sure to read through your business cards multiple times to ensure no errors. Double-checking that all information is correct is essential to making an excellent first impression and avoiding the costs associated with reprinting cards.
Either print your cards at home or send the document to a printing shop. If printing at home, make sure your printer has a thick paperweight for business cards. (Most often, business cards are printed on 14 Pt card stock.) Once printed, use a cutting tool to ensure you have straight, precise cuts.
Send the file to the store if you want to print your cards at a print shop like FedEx or Kinkos. Often you will need to export the file to a PDF file and email it to the store email or transfer it via flash drive. Once the print shop has your file, they will print it on the paperweight you select and cut the cards for you.
The first step to creating a digital business card is selecting the right app. Do your research and pick the card that will work best for you. HiHello offers an easy-to-use app with tons of features for free. With HiHello, you can share your digital business card using a personalized QR code through text, email, and more.
Whether creating your business card on an iOS or Android device or your computer, you can make a personalized business card in minutes.
Start by creating an account and entering your name, title, company, email, and phone number. Then, add a photo of yourself and any other information you want on your card. With digital business cards, you can add unlimited details to your card.
Use the guides below for more information on creating a custom digital business card on your specific device.
Once you’ve created your card and added basic information, it’s time to customize your digital business card. Personalize how your name appears to others by adding accreditations, preferred name, maiden name, and even pronouns. Add links to your website, social media profiles, YouTube videos, Venmo, and much more.
No need to wait around for your cards to be shipped—they’re immediately ready to go! Start sharing with family, friends, and anyone you meet, even if they don’t have HiHello. Send your digital business card using a QR code, send via email, text message, or send a link.
Business cards are entirely worth the time it takes to make them. The designing, printing, and shipping costs of business cards can quickly add up, and when you hand out a paper business card, you might be left wondering if it was worth the price. On average, each card you hand out is worth anywhere from 12 cents to a few dollars, or even a few thousand dollars for luxury cards. If you have to hand out multiple cards to get a single conversion, your business cards likely aren’t doing you any favors.
We recommend using digital business cards. With a digital business card like the ones offered by HiHello, you can share as many digital business cards as you want, and it’s free. Even with a premium subscription, a digital business card is more cost-effective. With digital business card subscriptions starting at $6 USD a month, you could have an entire year of unlimited shares for less than the cost of one pack of paper business cards.
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