Business cards are a staple for any business. They’re often the one item left behind after a meeting, a first encounter or a conversation that can leave a lasting impression and remind your new potential customer who you are and why they want to work with you. You want that little piece of paper to be powerful, to inform, and to impress so they remember you. So how do you get the most of out of that small 3.5 by 2 inch space? Check out our tips to make sure you maximize your business card’s potential.

Keep It Simple

Don’t overload the card with too much information, simplicity is best for that small space. All you usually need is your logo, name, phone number, email address, website and possibly your social media handles (or even just an icon for each to simplify). Different industries or companies may need more or less information depending on what they use and what’s required for their customers. Some people (like realtors) like to have their photo on there, but it’s not needed for every line of work so I wouldn’t recommend it if it’s not an industry-standard. Sometimes it can be handy to have very limited information about what you do if it isn’t clear with the design, logo or other info on there. But definitely keep it short and minimal, and let your contact information be the focus.

Organize It Well

People need to be able to find what they need on your card quickly so it needs to be laid out well. Use fonts, colors or font sizes to help organize your information so it can be read and understood quickly and easily.

Keep Your Audience In Mind

You don’t have a lot of space so your information is usually pretty small, but you do want your customers to be able to read your information on there. If you’re targeting an older crowd your font size may need to be larger than the norm, but for most fonts you can get away with a 5 or 6 point size since it’s meant to be read close-up. I like to make the person’s name a little larger to help that stand out. Print it out and hold it at a normal distance to make sure it’s legible and clear before sending it off to the printer.

Consider How It Feels

A business card is meant to be held so think about how it feels in someone’s hand when you’re creating it and what kind of impression that will give. Thicker paper gives the impression that your company sells high quality goods versus a really thin paper, which does the opposite. The paper’s finish can also give an impression as well. Glossy paper can sometimes feel cheap (although not always), whereas a nice textured paper can feel elegant. So consider what kind of impression you want your card to leave and ask printers for samples of their paper so you can feel it before printing.

Business cards are small but can be quite powerful and leave a lasting impression if they’re designed well. Make a statement with your cards and elevate the look of your whole company.

What are your best business card tips? Leave them in the comments below!