With all the amazing applications on our cell phones, life is getting easier. For instance… business card scanning.
When I was at a conference recently, I watched a young woman scan my business card into her phone. I regret that it wasn’t easy! Not because the software wasn’t scanning, but because my pretty business card was not designed to be scanned into the phone.
Not only do our web sites need to be responsive (the word that says it will look great on a phone,) but our business cards need to be designed for our phones as well. From print to electronic.
From my experience, the rules are simple.
- Don’t use an unusual or script font for your name and other vital information.
- Don’t use light lettering on a dark background, such as white on black.
- Don’t use shiny paper. Too much gloss throws the scanner off.
- Don’t crowd the text; put long descriptions on the back side.
Pictures, colors, fancy or plain paper, horizontal or vertical design didn’t make a difference. So have fun and be unique, BUT…
Bottom Line: Going forward, you want your business card clear enough to be scanned into your customer’s phone. For the more technical wizards, don’t forget your QR Code.
What did I finally buy for a bank-breaking $5; ABBYY Business Card Reader (Android and iPhone versions exist)
What an improvement over the one I tried to use ten years ago.
Small Business Spoken Here 