Cheap Business Cards vs. Expensive Business Cards

Business cards may be small but their impact is huge. A business card plays an important part in making a lasting impression upon those you do business with. There has always been debate over whether to spend money on expensive business cards or save money and buy cheap business cards. Both sides of the argument have merit. The cheap business card side of it does have some flaws. Why should one not use cheap business cards?  Experienced sales reps know how important it is to make a good impression on their prospects. They buy nice clothes, drive nice cars and wine and dine prospects and clients – only to give them a 5¢ business card? Why not consider a 10¢, 15¢ or 20¢ business card that would really wow a customer and add to the overall good impression? Look at your present business card, does it build confidence in you and your company? Or does is give the impression that you are a fly-by-night outfit? Something to think about when you are choosing your business cards.

If you decide to spend a little more on your business cards, there are some things you should know that will help save you money and still make a good impression. The following is a list of tips that will make your business cards more effective.

Feature your company name prominently with your name and title smaller. Using your company logo is important because it will help people associate your name with the product you are selling.

Don’t take up too much space listing all the ways you can be contacted. It’s best to list your phone, fax and email address. Personal cell phone numbers and beeper numbers should be given to the client verbally when necessary.

Business cards printed in full color can add a dramatic impact to the look of your business card. With the improvement in printing technology, full-color business cards are fairly inexpensive today compared to five years ago.

Don’t overlook the backside of your business card.  It is a great place to add more sales and marketing information, your mission statement, a map and location or photos of your products. One caution to consider when using the back of the business card is if you ever need to write a note to a prospect, having printing on the backside of the card makes this difficult.

Use a QR code on your business card. A QR code will allow someone with a smart phone to easily download your contact information into their phone or link them to your web site or youtube video.

Have your business card coated on one side with a high gloss UV coating. This protects the card and makes it hold up better. We recommend a UV coating if your card has a lot of graphics or photos. The UV gloss makes the graphics and photos really pop. If your card simply has a logo and text, a UV coating may make the card look cheap so a good quality opaque paper may be better.

With no other printed pieces, does design and ink color matter more than on a business card?  On a card with text and a simple logo, the addition of one or two colors can accent the card and pull the eye to a slogan, title or phone number.

Paper – The type of paper you use on your business card can really impact the message you are trying to convey. There are basically 3 types of paper:

1. Coated cover usually 12pt or 14pt. This paper is great if you have photos and heavy graphics. This paper is also the best for using a UV Coating.

2. Linen usually 100# cover makes the best card for professions such as Lawyers, Doctors, Accountants or Dentists. Raised-letter printing looks very good on a linen paper.

3. Opaque cover normally available in 80# or 100# thickness. This is a non-gloss stock and is the workhorse of business card paper. It supports simple text and full color business cards. About the only thing you cannot do with Opaque cover is apply a UV coating. There is not much difference cost-wise for 500 or 1000 cards among the 3 paper options.  It really boils down to which paper best supports the design elements.

Paper color – You can get just about any color paper under the sun for your business cards. You will want to make sure the same paper color is available for letterhead and envelopes. You want everything to tie together. A note of caution on paper color, sometimes envelopes with matching colored paper can be very expensive. You will want to check prices before you decide on a paper color to use.

Business cards are one of the most important tools for your business today. The time and effort you spend creating and printing business cards will pay future dividends. Wilson Printing has graphic designers to help you design your business cards and print them for you. We can also professionally print your card.

Mark Hale

CEO