Why 45% of people think business cards should stick to a traditional design
There are many things that can impact a consumer’s opinion about a business. Some of them are obvious, such as customer service, quality of products, the speed of deliveries and customer reviews.
But some of the biggest things that impact your brand in the eyes of your customers are more easily overlooked – such as your business card design.
Recent research has revealed that 45% of people believe that business cards should stick to a traditional design. To find out why, we delve into what the research revealed and what makes an effective business card design, according to consumers.
Biometric research reveals business card design impacts brand image
The new research by instantprint assessed perceptions of business cards according to their design. To do this, they used specialist equipment to carry out biometric analysis on 2,000 UK adults.
The research was conducted in 2019 and can help brands identify what works in terms of business card design depending on a business’s industry.
Heart rate monitors, a biometrics dial, and eye tracking camera were used to test user reactions to seven different styles of business cards for ten different industries.
The eye tracking camera determined which designs captured the most attention. Then, the heart rate monitor and biometrics dial were used to determine how the user felt about each design.
Interestingly, the research revealed that design preference varied by industry. Overall, it was the more traditional card designs that consumers tend to prefer.
Design preferences vary by industry
Overall, the results of the research revealed the majority of consumers are drawn to more traditional business card designs. However, there were some discrepancies depending upon the sector.
Bakers, chefs and estate agent business cards had more success with brighter, bolder designs. Estate agents also preferred prominent logos.
Where contact details are displayed also played a role in design preference for these sectors. Bakers and chefs preferred their logo to be centralised or slightly to the left, while estate agents prefer having their contact information more prominent than the logo.
Surprisingly, designers prefer a more simplistic business card design. They also prefer to avoid centralised logos and think that the cards shouldn’t contain fancy artwork.
Another interesting finding of the study was that men were more likely to judge a company by their business card compared to women.
What makes an effective business card design?
This new research highlights how important business cards are in terms of generating new clients. Understanding what turns consumers off in terms of business card design, can help you to create more effective cards.
For example, yellow, white, green, peach and blue are the most effective colours you can use. Keeping the text simplistic and adopting a no-frills approach to the design is often the most effective option.
Of course, this is just one aspect of how to create an effective business card. Paying attention to the design and ensuring it best represents your brand are key to drawing in new customers.
So, if you’re looking to improve results from the business cards you hand out, you’ll want to pay attention to their design. The above are just some of the ways the design of a business card can impact a company. It’s better to stick to traditional, simple designs if you want to attract the most customers.
Photo by Allie Smith
