7 Common Business Card Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Designing a business card that brings attention to your brand requires knowing what not to do. Here are common business card mistakes and how to avoid them.

Keyword(s): business card mistakes

If you're a small business owner, you've probably thought about getting the right business cards for your company. Well, you're not alone.

Believe it or not, over 27 million business cards are printed every day, and your business could be benefiting from them right now. Luckily, by following the right steps, you can have some impressive business cards to wow your clients and partners. 

However, there are some common business mistakes you should be sure to avoid. Let's talk about some of them.

Business Card Mistakes: Not Having Them

The biggest mistake you can make with business cards is not having any. You may think that we're in the digital age now and that everything is online and people don't care about business cards anymore. However, you'd be wrong.

Don't ever underestimate the power of face-to-face interactions, and having a hard copy as a reminder of them.

In fact, 64% of marketers believe that word-of-mouth advertising is still the most effective form. Having met a business owner in person and being given a business card shows professionalism, invests people into your brand, and will likely make them more interested in doing business with you.

Background

Too much or too little background can totally change the look of your business cards. The background is the only part you can really read from a distance before you're even-handed the card, so this is the make-or-break first impression. 

Don't overthink the background and make it too jumbled like you're trying to tell a story with it, but don't leave it too bland at the same time. What's really important is that the card background and text work together. You might even be able to wow somebody with just a plain white background if you can make your text pop enough. 

Spelling/Grammar Mistakes 

Don't mess up your spelling or grammar. Please.

If somebody reads your business card and knows that you had unlimited time to create and review them before handing it to them, and still chose to give it to them with a misspelled word on it, that will not leave a good impression.

Review your spelling and grammar before printing. There's a useful extension called Grammarly you can use when you type things up that will review your spelling and grammar. You can even keep it for your emails and everything else you do for your business.

Adding Too Much

You want your business cards to be clear, concise, and right to the point. Give people the relevant information they need to find your business and contact you when they need to, along with your website if they want more information.

On the other side of the coin, make sure you have enough on your card to tell them what they need to know!

Choosing The Wrong Styles

Styles and themes are great, but you don't want to overdo it. You want the font to be legible, and you don't want the background or the border interfering with the readability of the card. You want everything to just look cohesive and professional.

Not Utilizing The Back

If there is more information you're trying to give people, beyond just your basics, you have the back of the card to do so, and that's where it belongs. Give out your social media handles, your business hours, or whatever else you might want to put on there.

Uneven Borders

A border might look awesome on the screen before you print it, but when it's cut out, you don't want one side to have the border touching the edge while the other side has a huge gap. You want everything to be even and consistent so it looks as professional as possible. If you're worried about this, just get rid of the border altogether.

Not Matching Your Brand

The style of the card should match your brand. When you think of a company like Apple, the brand is super slick and futuristic-looking. Everything has the barest minimum design features. Now imagine if Apple sent out a business card with a bunch of flowers and hard-to-read text on it. It would look weird, wouldn't it?

If you have a book shop, use the same font and style you'd see on a book cover. If you own a cake shop, a frosting-style font would look appropriate. Just stay on-brand.

Using The Wrong Paper

Don't just use a bland notebook or sketching paper. You need to use thick paper that will last a while in your wallet or in someone's pocket. A gloss cover or lamination will go a long way, adding a very professional aesthetic to your business cards.

Doing It All Yourself

Everyone has different skills and expertise. You might be able to run a business like a total pro but have some trouble designing business cards. Maybe you tried following everything on this list already and it didn't work out. So what?

This doesn't even mean you have to hire a graphic designer. With the right business card printing services, you can just upload what you want your cards to say and you'll get professional-looking business cards that will really wow everybody you hand them to.

Get Printing!

Now that you know some common business card mistakes, be sure to avoid them and get started right away! You don't want to miss an opportunity when it comes up.

If you want the best business cards and more for your brand that you've ever seen, check out some excellent graphic design services for your company, whether it's your website, banners, catalogs, or whatever you need! Just build that brand and enjoy!