Are You Making These Business Card Mistakes?

More than 13,000 REALTORS® attended the REALTOR® Rally at Capital Hill last Thursday. Now, combine that number with all the people attending the NAR Midyear conference – and just take a moment to imagine the number of business cards that changed hands in D.C. over the last week. You may have handed over your card without thinking, but perhaps it's time to examine whether or not it's as effective as it can be.

So, dig one of your cards out of your wallet and hold it in front of you. Then, run down this list and see if you've made any of these mistakes.

1) Font size is too small. You may be able to read your business card, but that doesn't mean everyone else can. Make sure the font is large enough to see without holding the card right up to your eyes.

2) Font color is too light. This isn't just about the font color itself; it's about the contrast between the font and the background color. Once again, make sure you don't have to hold the card right up to your eyes to be able to read it.

3) Design is inconsistent with website. Your branding should be consistent across all channels. That means the look and feel of your website should match the look of your business card. This includes the color scheme, the company logo, the tagline, and maybe even the font.

4) No social media info. Are you on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn? Your business card is a great way to drive people to your profiles on social media sites.

5) No Web address. Most agents and brokers spend a significant amount of time working on their Web presence. After you've put all that time and money in, of course you want people to actually visit it. After all, it's on your website that people can view your listings and fill-out lead capture forms so that you have their contact info.

6) Absent or outdated email address. The only thing worse than not including your email address is to include an outdated email address. It may be expensive to reprint business cards every time one of your details changes, but lost business carries its own "expense," too.

7) Poor paper quality. Shiny paper. Thin, flimsy paper. The paper your card is printed on makes as big an impression as the information printed on it. By choosing cheap paper, you're sending a message to the people you hand your card to.

8) Card is cluttered with too much information. More isn't always, well, more! Particularly when it comes to business cards, you'll want to avoid cluttering things up with too much text or graphics. A cluttered design can make it difficult for people to quickly find the information they need to get in touch with you.

9) What do you do? It should be evident from your business card not just what your job title is, but also if you have a specific focus (a.k.a. commercial, short sale, etc.) or any special designations.

10) Back of the card is blank. You know how I said you should avoid stuffing your card with too much info? Well, using the back of your business card is one of the ways you can include more information without screwing up your design. The back of your card is a great place for a tagline or slogan – or for a QR code that sends visitors to the About Me or My Listings page on your website. For more about QR Codes, visit our product directory.