What is there really to say about business cards? They’re just little rectangular pieces of cardboard with your name and contact information on them, right? If you think that’s true, then you’re missing the boat on what is probably your least expensive and most seen marketing material.

Business cards can be much more than just simple reminders of your existence. Typically, when you make use of your business card you’re handing it to someone. You probably have the opportunity to give a short “commercial” about yourself in the process. Where does the business card go from there? Often it stays with that person. Other times it goes in the trash. Sometimes, however, that business card goes for a little ride. It passes from one hand to another. Now, it’s in the pocket of someone who hasn’t heard your little “commercial”.
Here’s when a little sprucing up comes in handy. If you’re in a service business, a photo is always helpful. After all, you’re essentially selling yourself. Your logo is a must, no matter what. If you don’t have a logo, get one. It lends credibility to your business. There’s nothing wrong with a rectangular business card, but perhaps some design considerations could benefit you. I know a travel agent whose business card is in the shape of a luggage tag. How many travel agents do you know who are still in business? He relies heavily on networking, and his business cards get a lot of mileage. If you’re going to be using your business cards at a trade show, the design is especially important. Your cards will need to stand out from the many others that the show participants will receive.

These days, there are lots of options for business card designs. Interesting shapes abound. Some are magnetic so that they can easily stick to a refrigerator or a filing cabinet. Others open up to reveal a wealth of information on the inside. Don’t get too carried away, though. At a recent networking function, I received an extravagantly designed business card that was three times the size of a normal card. It was beautiful and very informative. I was interested in this person’s business. Unfortunately, the card did not fit into my business card holder or pocket. I didn’t really know where to put it, so I set it on the table with every intention of taking it with me. When I left the meeting, it slipped my mind and I forgot it. So, remember the function of a business card – it’s small, easily stored and simple to carry around.

Think of your business cards as itty bitty sales people. If they get dirty, throw them out. Stained, bent and crumpled business cards reflect poorly on your business - just like a salesman with coffee stains on his shirt would. A business card holder will help you keep them in pristine condition. Don’t cross out old information and write in new information. That’s sloppy. If changes need to be made, get new business cards.

A useful card from hairstylist Yuka Suzuki: yukamakeupartist.com

How does the back of your business card look? Blank? Use that space! It’s great for a bulleted list of your services or products, a brief mission statement, or even some short sales copy. Business cards with a map to your location on the back are a good idea as well. Make sure a person who anonymously receives your card remembers not only who you are and how to get a hold of you, but also how you can solve his problems. Let him know the benefits of doing business with you.

Given the low cost of business cards, there’s really no reason you shouldn’t use them more often as marketing materials. You may even be able to leave them at other places of business. Make sure you get the business owner’s permission first, though.

These tips probably won’t make or break your business, but they’re sure to make a difference with a few potential clients or customers. The small investment is well worth the potential return. 

A recent study conducted by Stanford University’s Persuasive Technology Lab and Consumer Reports WebWatch invited more than 2,600 people to rate the credibility of Web sites. The results of the study showed that web users pay far more attention to visual aspects of a site (such as layout, typography and color schemes) than to its content.

We find that people evaluate a web site’s visual design in less than 8 seconds. That’s a quick first impression! So what makes a web site user-friendly? The answer to that is different for every type of web site and every web surfer. But we can offer some guidelines based on comments people in the study gave and based on what our clients have told us.

• Web surfers like a site that loads quickly on their computer. Your web designer should optimize all images used on your site for the web.
• A user friendly web site is easy to navigate. Place the main menu on every page of the site, in the same place. Make buttons that need to be clicked visually obvious and easy to select with a mouse. Use alt text to describe images for handicapped web surfers who may not be able to view them.
• Have your contact information clear on every page of your site: phone number, physical address and email address. I can think of at least three reasons for doing this. 1) It makes it easy for viewers to contact you. 2) Your site will be referenced properly if someone prints out a specific page from it. 3) It shows that there’s a real company behind your site.
• People return to sites that contain useful and timely information. Update your site’s content and make note of the last time a page was updated if it is particularly timely, like a schedule of events. A calendar with information that expired 6 months ago will make surfers wonder what else is not accurate on your site. If you are providing data or statistics, make it easy to verify the accuracy of this information. You can provide citations, references or links to other sites. Even if people don’t follow these links, your material looks more reliable.
• Your web site design should be appropriate for your purpose and a superb marketing piece. Almost everyone knows someone who can put a web site together. But your web site represents your business to the whole world 24 hours a day. Ask your designer about their choices for layout, typography, images and more. If they have well thought out answers, then your best interests were in mind when your site was designed.
• Beware of clutter on your site, or people will avoid it. Some “cluttering” items are: links to unrelated sites, overuse of animation and pop up ads. Some web designers forget about users and instead highlight their dazzling technological skills. Instead, keep it simple and keep ‘em coming back.
• Let users see that real, trustworthy people stand behind your site. You can show employee photos and bios, a photo of your offices or list respected organizations that you are a member of, such as your Chamber of Commerce or the Better Business Bureau. Be sure to highlight the expertise in your organization. Give credentials if they’re impressive.
• Avoid errors on your site, no matter how small they seem. Typos and broken links hurt a site’s credibility more than most people imagine. If you don’t have the information a surfer is looking for, they’ll search for someone else who does. If you wait a day to proofread site changes before making them live, you’re more likely to find typographical errors.

Successful interaction between a web site and a user keep people coming back for more. Suddenly your web site operates the way people think it should, because your designer thought about what people want from your site before creating it.

Some information for this article was collected from: Fogg, B.J. (May 2002). “Stanford Guidelines for Web Credibility.” A Research Summary from the Stanford Persuasive Technology Lab. Stanford University.www.webcredibility.org/guidelines.