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Business Card Tips: Get Your Card Scanned & Read with Purposeful Design

By
Real Estate Broker/Owner with MBA Broker Consultants CalBRE Broker #00983670

Back in “the day” the more unusual the card, the more likely people would remember you, right?  But today, the rules have changed!  As people seek methods to consolidate the plethora of incoming data, business cards are now quickly scanned into cell phones (using iPhone or Blackberry apps), or scanned contact management software such as ACT!  Which means that our business card design must be SCANNABLE.  The purpose is much different than before.

Today I received a black business card with the Century 21 logo.  Once scanned, the black background overpowered the card, the text was way too tiny for the software to interpret (meaning I had to type it in manually), and the logo was not readable when scanned (so I had to type in the company name manually).  It made me think about what is needed to meet the requirements for today's business cards!

When you design your business card, the most important purpose should be for scanning; and therefore, endless contact retention!  Here's some tips to help you design better cards:

Do:

  • Use a sans serif font (such as Arial).
  • Leave white space.
  • Use a white background.
  • Put your real estate license # on the card.
  • Include your email, cell phone, and twitter handle.
  • Realtor® registration mark.
  • Max. 3 designations or certifications
  • Company name printed as text, not just a logo (logo won’t scan as text)

Don’t:

  • Use a black or dark background.
  • Use tiny fonts.
  • Cram words together.
  • Put important info on the back.
  • Include your street address (it's irrelevant).
  • Include your fax # (very rarely used since most offers are emailed or uploaded).
  • Put your name and title on the same line, it's hard to distinguish between them when scanning.
  • Use fancy layout, such as a fold-over card, an extra-big card size, or text on an angle.
  • Use thicker-than-normal paper or flimsy paper, these don't scan well.

What to put on the back of the card?  It's a pain when the back of the card is glossy because it's to slick to write on.  Also when the back is black or a dark color, it's annoying that you can't write on it.  Always use white background, with a matte finish, so you or the recipient can write down notes to follow up.  Here's ideas for the back of the card:

  • A mortgage payment chart
  • Appointment reminder on the back
  • QR code link to your web site
  • Simply leave it blank

Ready for the next topic:  what type of card reader/ scanner is best?

Regina Brown

Posted by

Regina P. Brown
Broker, Realtor®, M.B.A., e-Pro, GREEN
California DRE # 00983670
www.CalCoastCountry.com

                

Text copyright © 2011-2018 R.P. Brown, All Rights Reserved

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Comments (7)

Debbie Laity
Cedaredge Land Company - Cedaredge, CO
Your Real Estate Resource for Delta County, CO

I'm all about using QR codes. It's the next wave. But I also agree...make your business card simple. I do like my designations on it.

Feb 02, 2012 05:58 PM
Jordon Wheeler
The Jordon Wheeler Group - Fairburn, GA
J W Group Real Estate Sales and Service

Hi Regina,

Excellent post recognizing the shift in technology around business cards.  And I would guess that the paper card will be obsolete in five years as cell phones and smart phones become the norm for capturing and exchanging information with business contacts.

Best of success to you this year!

Feb 02, 2012 06:06 PM
Ronald DiLalla
Century 21 Discovery DRE 01813824 - Anaheim, CA
No. Orange Cty Real Estate

Hi Regina,  many great tips....thanks for sharing with us in ActiveRain Land.

Feb 02, 2012 06:52 PM
Wallace S. Gibson, CPM
Gibson Management Group, Ltd. - Charlottesville, VA
LandlordWhisperer

Unfortunately, state licensing requirements often require cards to be cramped and provide NONrelevent information.  I'd rather just have my QR code and cel phone #.

I started using my 2.5X4 note cards from Levenger * my name, phone and website are on it and whoever I give it to can actually WRITE on it....not a business card - a DOING BUSINESS card!

Feb 02, 2012 10:25 PM
Karen Anne Stone
New Home Hunters of Fort Worth and Tarrant County - Fort Worth, TX
Fort Worth Real Estate

Regina:  I guess I have some questions and concerns, here.  It may simply be because I am "older"... or perhaps it is my market area... Fort Worth, Texas... but it appears to me that the great majority of folks interested in things like QR codes are the salespeople themselves who are aware of them.

I don't mean to say I am working in an area in the middle of nowhere where nobody has indoor plumbing, but I cannot recall seeing a QR code on any for sale signs.  And again, it is Fort Worth, Texas... which I believe is the 16th largest city in the country.

There are just some areas where "riding the next wave" is not necessary in order to have a thriving real estate market, which Fort Worth does have, and a market area where prices have NOT fallen, but continue to rise... although at a fairly slow pace.  But... here, that's a good thing.  No bubbles to burst.

Feb 03, 2012 03:21 AM
Karen Anne Stone
New Home Hunters of Fort Worth and Tarrant County - Fort Worth, TX
Fort Worth Real Estate

Wallace:  Your "DOING BUSINESS card sounds interesting to me.  I would love to see a copy.  Perhaps you could do a post on it ?

Feb 03, 2012 03:24 AM
Regina P. Brown
MBA Broker Consultants - Carlsbad, CA
M.B.A., Broker, Instructor

Debbie, thank you for the idea to put a QR code on the card, I'm going to add that to the article! 

Thank you fellow AR's for stopping by to comment!  :)

Feb 04, 2012 10:19 AM