- Get Your Business Card Working With Your Website Free
- Get Your Business Card Working With Your Website Without
Depending on the type of PayPal service you choose, she might see a shopping cart page integrated with your website. In other instances, she’ll see a shopping cart or checkout page hosted at the PayPal site (branded with your business’s logo). After reviewing the checkout page, Mary Ann clicks the Pay Now button. This directs her to a. Many people I speak with want to know how to improve their SEO and get more traffic to their site rather than their website just being a digital business card. This brief overview highlights the essential elements of developing effective content to drive more traffic to your site. With Canva’s business card maker, you’ll be remembered for all the right reasons. Free and easy-to-use business card maker. Canva is free to use and created with the non-designer in mind. There’s nothing to install—everything you need to create your business card design is at your fingertips. Get inspired by 29 professionally designed Networking Cards Business Cards templates. Customize your Business Cards with dozens of themes, colors, and styles to make an impression. The Custom card can be printed with your own logo or design. After you place your order we will work with you to get the design right. Before we start production you will get a digital print proof for approval. Once everything is to your liking we will start production.
- February 10, 2009
- byServeNow Staff
Business cards have changed dramatically since they first appeared in China in the 15th century. At that time, they were essential tools of etiquette that were only for aristocrats and royalty, but in today’s competitive market, business cards are an essential tool for any business interaction. With the sheer amount of business cards that are distributed today, it is more important than ever before to set your company apart from the rest.
Think of your business card as a first and last impression. People can make assumptions about your business based on the information on and the quality of your business card. It also serves as a lingering reminder of you long after you have parted ways with a potential business associate. What do you want your business card to portray about your business? There are some simple rules to follow regarding what should and shouldn’t be on your business card.
Business Card Do’s
Brand Your Company
Your business card is your first opportunity to brand your organization with a potential client or peer who could offer you referral work. If prospective clients receive your business card from a friend or coworker, it is the only information they have about your company and thus it is your one opportunity to impress them. Put your logo on your business card, and use fonts and colors that are consistent with what is on your website and other printed materials. It is important that your branding is professional. Do not include clip art or cartoon images on your business card.
Include All Contact Information
It sounds simple, but make sure your potential clients have all of your contact information. List a telephone number that will always be answered, a mailing address, a fax number, email address, and website. If you have a toll-free number include that with a local phone number. You never know when an out-of-town client will choose to call a toll-free number over a local number.
Use the Back of the Card
The backside of your business card is the perfect place to include information that makes your card worth holding on to. According to Chris Brunner, owner and developer of GreatFX Business Cards, business cards with printing on both sides are the most effective. If a card is unique or rare (laser cut metal or chocolate for example) it may have a better chance of marketing success…but unique and rare comes with a price. In order to be effective on a budget, you should plan ahead for what content to include on the card. List information such as additional office locations, services offered and professional memberships. These details often are what makes a client take notice of your business over another. Don’t let this space go to waste.
What Do You Do?
“One of the biggest mistakes I see on business cards is that it is not clear what a company does,” said PInow.com Brand Manager Troy Piegols. “People may put emphasis on the color and design of the business card, but if you don’t have a strong, relevant tagline it is ineffective. Someone who receives your card may not be clear on what you do if it does not mention your core business practice.” Examples of strong relevant taglines are 'XYZCompany – Successfully Serving Papers Since 1980'; or 'Riviera Enterprises – Professional Private Investigation Services.'
Business Card Don’ts
Don’t Design Your Own Business Cards.
Unless you happen to be a trained graphic designer, do not design your own business cards. You work with professional clients and you should give off a professional image. Your business card is fundamentally the first impression and is a lasting reminder of you. Do not let your lasting impression look like the “Before” example in the image above.
Use a High-Quality Printer.
Do not use perforated business card templates that you printed on your office printer or free business cards that place the printer’s logo on the backside of the card. Your business card is first and foremost a reflection of your business. You should not be sharing that space and co-branding it with a printer. This can muddle your message, and confuse people who aren’t familiar with your company. Customers’ first impressions will be “free business cards” instead of impressing them with your professionalism. Business cards can be more reasonable than you think and a tax write-off.
Keep Them With You
Get Your Business Card Working With Your Website Free
Once you create a top-notch business card – distribute it! Have you ever met a potential new client and realized you left your business cards at the office? Have you attended a conference and met someone who could have referred you business, but instead of your business card they have a name and number on a cocktail napkin? Make sure you always have a stack of business cards with you, and remember to treat your business card as an important branding opportunity. Keep in mind that your business card is one of the most basic, but most effective forms of marketing and branding your company.
Want tips on how to network using your business card? Read Here’s My Card: How to Network Using Your Business Card to Actually Create More Business.
As the old cliché says, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” Research tells us that close to 85% of buyers and sellers in today’s market use the Internet to find both information and Realtors. If that’s the case, you should be treating it like an electronic business card. Here are five self-test questions that will help you decide if your web site is doing its job.
- Is the look consistent with your overall image?
- Is the content current?
- Is the content useful rather than self-serving?
- Is your writing professional?
- Is your contact information complete and accurate?
Is the look consistent with your overall image?
The format, color scheme, and overall design of your business card may be dictated by your company. If that’s the case, keep your web site similar in its look and feel. Repetition leads to recognition, and you want to be recognized. The web site doesn’t have to be identical, but if your company’s colors are blue and white, your web site should not be black and beige. You can express your own personality without sacrificing corporate identity.
Is the content current?
There’s nothing worse, from a client’s point of view, than reading through a page of information and then discovering that it was written in 2007. You can’t afford to look stagnant. If you’re talking about current mortgage interest rates, you should update them weekly (or provide a link to a site where that information is available and current). If you’re talking about recent sales in your particular market, use statistics from last month, not last year.
Is the content useful rather than self-serving?
Sure, having an “About Me” page is fine. You want clients to get a feel for your personality. You want to publicize your specialties, your background and experience. However, the client (whether a buyer or a seller) wants information first. Give them useful market data and then invite them to get acquainted. It’s fine to have a featured listing on your home page, but don’t make listings and sales the focal point. Instead, provide interesting insights into your local environment, links to available resources, and fun facts.
Is your writing professional?
Perhaps grammar, sentence structure, and punctuation are not your strong suit. You are not alone. However, nothing will destroy your credibility faster than clumsy sentences, misspelled words, and long, rambling paragraphs. To keep your writing sharp, get coaching from an expert or use our library of professionally written blog posts designed especially for Realtors.
Is your contact information complete and accurate?
This looks easy, but a simple mistake here can cost you plenty. Your website should have a “Contact Me” link in the home page menu bar. On that page, you should have:
- Your name
- Applicable professional designations (ABR, CPS, CPM etc.)
- Street address (with link to map)
- Office telephone
- Office fax
- Cell phone
- Email address
- A professional (not snapshot) photograph
- Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and other links if you use them
Get Your Business Card Working With Your Website Without
You don’t need to be a techno-geek to have a credible, attractive web site. Follow our simple suggestions and your electronic business card will put your best face forward. The good news is that a good web site, unlike a traditional business card, is working for you 24/7. Isn’t that worth a few minutes of your time to do it right?