We all love a bargain, myself included, but we’re also all aware of the popular phrase “you get what you pay for”. I’ve lost track with the number of business card orders I’ve submitted over the years, and to this day, I’m still amazed that customers want to skimp when it comes to their business card printing needs.
The whole point of a business card is that it reflects your business branding, and it’s the first impression most people will use to judge the quality of your service (apart from meeting you of course). So it baffles me when I hear that an additional $10 or $20 isn’t worth the spend to ensure a quality finish.
I’m not saying that as a small business (or any business size really), you need to be flashing out extravagant business cards, with additional add ons like foiling* or spot uv**. Now while yes, these can really enhance a design, depending on your needs, it’s not always necessary. I’m simply saying that using a cheap, thin stock with poor design will actually do more harm to your business reputation than having no card at all.
It’s been proven time and again that poor design will cost you sales. If this is new news to you, I’d highly recommend you do some independent research around this talking point.
I know with the increase of social media, a lot of people are surprised the business card is still around. You might ask, is it still necessary in today’s age? And the truth is, yes, it’s still a powerful marketing tool.
There are many options for online printing that include templates for your business cards. It’s easy for me to say considering my design profession, but I’ll never understand why anyone would want to use these templates. I’m aware not everyone is able to design these without this aid, and obviously hiring a graphic designer is an additional expense, but why would you want a generic design that doesn’t represent what your business or brand represent?
As part of the services offered through BlackRhino Creative, we not only design your corporate branding, including business card design, but also use trusted Australian suppliers for all business card printing. As a standard practice, I usually recommend a minimum 300-350gsm stock, with either a gloss or matt celloglaze finish. Obviously these specs may differ from client to client, I’m just stating that this is my general base starting point.
When it comes to designing your cards, I’d highly recommend hiring a professional designer. Not only will the design be customised and of quality (well it should be), but they will be able to set up your cards for print. If we’re being completely transparent, almost everyone can spot a DIY job, and I have to ask, is it really worth saving a few dollars at the expense of your business reputation?!
*Foiling - adding shiny metallic colours to your business cards
**Spot UV - a clear, shiny coating applied to specific areas of your business card to create an eye-catching contrast