Electronic Visiting Cards: A Complete Overview
In the past, and even today, paper business cards are extensively used. However, they have recently been overtaken by technology. With the advancement of digital technology and the prevalence of online presence, it only makes sense to have a digital business card as well.
Nevertheless, what precisely is a digital business card? What exactly does it accomplish? Continue reading to learn why you should have a digital business card available to distribute to your contacts.
What are Electronic Business Cards?
The online equivalent of a conventional paper business card is a digital business card. They can be produced and distributed using text messages, social media, or email. The same details as a traditional business card, such as your name, job title, company name, and contact information, are often included on a digital business card.
A QR code that can be scanned to instantly add the person's contact information to your phone, connections to social media pages, or even a brief bio are common additions to these profiles. As more individuals use their cellphones as their main form of communication, virtual business cards are growing in popularity.
We can now be confident that both sides have strong points to offer in the issue between digital and paper business cards. Fundamentally, both kinds of cards let you build and use your network while assisting you in finding business prospects.
But compared to conventional business cards, a digital card for business has a better and lucrative benefit.
We must be honest: Post 2020, there is a widespread adoption of electronic business cards over paper business cards. After all, everyone is abandoning handshakes in favor of other non-touching greetings. Therefore, it won't come as a surprise if it also occurs with business cards. So, with that said, let's begin with the benefits of using electronic visiting cards, but first, with the concerns regarding paper business cards.
Concerns Regarding Paper Business Cards
Design and printing are pricey
You must spend money to hire a qualified designer to create your paper business card. An excellent design will be costly unless you are fine with a plain one. You'll have to pay the designer again if you wish to redesign it. The cost of printing it must then be increased. This will be a difficulty if you are trying to save money in any way possible.
They are cumbersome to transport
There is a limit to how many paper business cards you may carry at once. Additionally, just moving them around is a pain. They take up a lot of room in your wallet or pocket. If you keep them in your briefcase or backpack, it will take more time for you to find them when you need them. Additionally, if you collect paper business cards from others, you will soon become overwhelmed by the volume and most of the cards will end up forgotten in a hidden compartment of your luggage.
Discarded after some time
Let's face it, the majority of us simply throw away business cards after saving the contact information on them. According to studies, more than 88% of paper cards are discarded after one week. This is wasteful for the environment and for the resources of the individual who gave you the card.
What are the Benefits of Electronic Visiting Cards?
1. Exchange contact details Immediately and Easily
Sharing information is the main purpose of business cards. Previously, you could do this by simply pulling your printed calling card from your breast pocket or card carrier and handing it to the other person.
Although giving out your card is a simple process, there is a chance that the recipient will lose it. Additionally, it's likely that your card will be lost in a stack of other business cards. After all, if they needed something, they would likely pick up their phone and Google it right away.
2. Expand Your Network
The basic information you would provide on a business card is often just your name, company, position, email address, and phone number. There may be one or more links in it pointing your contact to your professional social media accounts. But that's pretty much all. More information could result in your business card seeming cluttered and less professional.
Electronic visiting cards are not problematic in this regard. To share all your profiles, use a QR code or URL that points to your Link in Bio page rather than writing each link separately on your business card. Your contacts will be able to add your profile to their favorite social media network in this manner.
3. Organize your information in one location
More than merely increasing your social media contacts is possible with a digital card for business. These cards allow you to pretty much place any link, so you may use that ability to add a variety of details.
You can include a Google Maps link on your digital business card, for instance, if you run a restaurant and want to drive customers there. In this manner, all your contacts need to do to get to your dining area for lunch or dinner is to look at your business card and hit the link.
You can even design a sizable digital business card that, when enlarged, displays your basic information. The viewer can then see features like your portfolio when they enlarge the image on the business card. If you can enter the information cleanly, there is no restriction on how much you may include in your digital business card.
4. Instant Information Update
The ability to rapidly change your information without having to print new cards is another benefit of a digital card for business. You can update all the contacts who have a copy of your digital business card from your phone if you have an app for it and need to make any urgent changes.
Consider the scenario when you misplace your phone and need a new one. Of course, you don't want any of your contacts in the business world calling the old number. Simply changing your contact information on your business card will guarantee that calls are routed to the right number every time.
5. It's Economical
Elegantly printed business cards are still valued by many nowadays, but they are expensive to keep up. Since you must pay for both the card and the printer, every time you hand your card to a contact, you are paying for it.
What's worse is that your current batch of calling cards become invalid when you change your contact information. Therefore, you'll probably need to purchase a new set of cards if you change workplaces, get a new business phone number, or get promoted. But if you have a digital business card, you can get by with just a few minor changes to the information.
You can order a fresh set of cards without going to the printers. Additionally, if you use a link shortener or a LinkedIn bio page, you only need to alter the links on the relevant pages—your card doesn't need to be changed at all.
6. The Environment will Benefit
When you transition to a digital card for business, you not only save money but also some forests. You save money by not printing your business cards and avoiding the need to buy paper stock, which is typically made from recently felled trees. Additionally, if you stop printing cards and cease utilizing materials made of plastic, you eliminate plastic waste.
You'll undoubtedly notice that most corporate workers have stacks of unwanted business cards stashed away on their desks if you look. These cards are merely collecting dust and will likely be thrown away after the person moves on to another industry or retires.
Consider all the resources that have been consumed, including the millions of trees that have been cut down, to produce the vast quantities of paper stocks needed for business cards. By using fewer printed business cards, we can lessen this waste.
7. Greater Creativity
With a printed business card, you are constrained in space. These business cards can only fit so much information on their 3.5 × 2-inch surface. You can only design a card with a surface area of 14 square inches, even if it has two sides. Additionally, you can only add text and images to it.
But when designing a digital card for business, your only restriction is your creativity. You can add rich media to your calling card in addition to links and QR codes, if you want.
Additionally, you aren't constrained by physical space because an electronic visiting card allows you to quickly add fine details to your card using the zoom capability on a smartphone. For instance, you could design a sizable, high-resolution business card that, when zoomed out, displays your general contact information. However, as you zoom in, you may use that area to display your portfolio, complete address, or any other information you wish to include.
Time to Switch to Digital
It's time you got your brand an electronic visiting card. You can easily create original designs that represent your brand and personality. Your inventiveness isn't constrained by the physical world while using electronic visiting cards.
Having a printed business card might still be worthwhile if you save it for VIPs who value a classy, well-made card. A digital card for business, however, is a fantastic method to interact with people and remain in touch for everyday use!
For more information, connect with our professionals at FutureSoft.