Business cards are an essential part of every businessperson’s arsenal. You have to have a business card ready to hand to anyone who might be a potential customer. Ideally, each business card will bring you an extra sale (or ten). However, that will only happen if your business card is effective, and it can only be effective if you make it better than the zillions of others out there.

Let us go through the process of designing your business card, step by step.

1. Determine the goal of your business card

Are you simply trying to introduce yourself and your business? Are you trying to gain an advantage in a competitive market? Are you re-establishing yourself after a tough period or an embarrassing moment? Whatever your goal is to make your new business card, always remember to stick with it. Business cards do not have to be just your name and contact information anymore. Be bold when you are thinking of your goals.

2. Decide what your business card will say

Once you know your overall strategy, now you will have to be a bit more specific. Decide exactly what content you will include on your business card. Remember that you can include more than your name and number. Write your slogan on the card. If you are offering incentives to new customers, put the incentive right there on your business card! You can even put special offers or coupons on them. It is really up to you, but has a clear plan in mind at this point.

3. Decide how your business card will look

You do not want the same old, black and white business card that you have seen thousands of times. You will want to go with color business cards, which are significantly more effective. Moreover, do not worry about the extra cost. Business card printing is not that expensive anymore, even for color business cards, and the increased profits you will see make it well worth the expense.

So now that you know what you are going to say on your business card, and you know you want to have color on your business card, decide how you want to put it all together. Do you want it to look formal and professional? On the other hand, do you want it to be more lively and spontaneous? As long as your design strategy fits with your type of business, then the sky is the limit. Just do not put colorful clowns and balloons on your card if you run a funeral home or anything like that.

4. Look around, and rethink

You now have a complete design for your business card, but you are not done. The worst thing you can do is take this design straight to the business card printing company you have chosen and have it done up. You might not like the results. First, look around at some sample cards or at the cards of your competitors. You want to make sure that your cards are unique. At the same time, you want to make sure that your cards are not so “out there” that they will distract the customer.

So evaluate your design for a few days before you commit to it. You will be happy you did.

5. Get ‘em done!

If you have taken some time to think over your design, you have most likely made a few changes to it. That is good; that means you are even happier with your card now. So now, if you are comfortable, get your business cards printed! In addition, start enjoying the increased revenue!