When it comes to promotional items, business cards are often marketed as one of the cheapest options out there. That statement is responsible for two things:

1. Misconceptions about the cost of marketing

2. Disastrous do-it-yourself business card design

The goal of this article is to put an end to fictitious money-saving ideas and show you why design help from start to finish makes a huge, yet cost-effective, promotional difference.

Finding the Missing Piece of the Jigsaw Puzzle

As long-terms projects go, your marketing budget is one of the biggest. The job is never done until the first of the year. Certain financial aspects of your business are built on living documents and budgets that shift and move with them.

Although certain types of direct marketing are heading for extinction, many businesses still practice the same budgetary rules that coincided with direct marketing campaigns. What they don't realize is they are doing themselves a disservice.

Up-and-coming businesses are betting on new digital race horse. Reason being; switching to digital marketing methods costs 31 to 58 percent less per lead. While this doesn't change the fact that business cards are one of the cheapest promotional tools available; it should encourage you to take a second look at your marketing budget.

 Business cards are not among the dinosaurs of self-promotion. People still respond to and retain these contacts. Adjusting your marketing budget will allow you to put a little something extra in your card budget for design help from start to finish. Business card design is the other piece of the promotional jigsaw puzzle.

Giving Yourself a Promotional Black Eye

Take it from someone who knows, an effective business card requires a designer's eye. How do I know this? Let's just say, I've learned from my mistakes.

At a younger age, a friend and I decided to start a design and crafts business. Like a lot of people our age; we didn't have a lot of working capital to get off the ground, so we decided to pool our money when it came to promotion. That meant investing in cookie-cutter business cards.

The website we used, which shall remain nameless, boasted that they offered “design help from start to finish.” Little did we know, we would never talk to a live person. Their idea of design help meant a tutorial of screenshots we used to design our own card. 

Experts will tell you:

• Make the logo the biggest feature on the card
• Don't use fancy fonts and limit the number of fonts to two
• Choose contrasting colors, not complementary ones
• Use the back of the card as well as the front Include a tagline or slogan and include your contact information

This is great advice, but it's missing something: input from that expert on the final design. We followed the online instructions and eagerly awaited the arrival of our custom-designed business cards.

Talk about buyer’s remorse. Don't get me wrong; the cards look cool at first. The feedback we got from customers, however; soon made them lack-luster. Here are some of the comments we received:

• The card color is too dark
• The logo is the biggest thing on here
• I can't read this font
• Why did you waste the back of the card by printing a quote?

As you can see this wasn't our shining moment and it certainly didn't do our business any favors. If you are in the same boat as I was, don't beat yourself up. Running your own business is hard enough. Learn to ask for real expert help.

At Plastic Printers, our staff is there with you every step of the way. Unlike online plug-and-play card design; you will get real help from a live team of people. Once your cards are done, they are hand printed and you are sent a proof to approve. That way; you never make the mistake of paying for what you don't want. We work until we get it exactly right.

Your design is kept on file to make reordering and shipping easier. We strive to create products for which the quality is never in question. To learn more about our design services or to get the process started, contact us through our website: www.plasticprinters.com. We can help you put your money where your promotion truly is; making the jigsaw puzzle fit together and giving customers a clear picture of your business.