A Website is More Important Than A Business Card

We are a company that offers many different solutions outside of just web design services. We can do a lot of things to go with it, like custom logo design, marketing, and SEO. We even do business cards. Fun fact: Your website is much, much more important than your business card.

Most business owners are more likely to update their business card than their website. Why? Because it’s usually cheaper and easier to buy a new stack of cards than to think about your website and your website strategy. And this is true – business cards are cheaper and easier. But they are less effective.

My top reasons why your business card doesn’t hold much weight for your business anymore.

People throw them away

I go to conferences, I exchange cards, and then I come home and throw them away. Studies show that 88% of business cards get thrown away. That’s a huge amount of trash and even more money that we’re throwing away. If I want to connect with that person, I’m much more likely to find them on Twitter, LinkedIn or Facebook than I am to dig through a stack of business cards to find that contact info.

Just the other day I asked someone, “Does anyone still have a rolodex?” (The answer may be no for anyone under 40 – side note, I’m 42 and do not have one.) The more business cards you get, the less value each one has because it’s more work to find the card and the info on it.

And if they throw away your card and need to reach you? They will look online. And see your website.

Your business card doesn’t sell you

Your business card has your info on it. Name. Email, Phone. Job title. Maybe a photo or logo. But it doesn’t actually sell you. It doesn’t say what’s great about you or why someone should hire you. It’s just a reference point. Your website (should be) regularly updated to reflect your services, your business card doesn’t do that.

It’s only good for people you meet in person

If you have a business that services clients virtually like we do, then unless you mail it to them, your card has no value at all. I have business cards, but I hardly ever give them out. Most of my clients I talk to via email or phone. Yes, I could mail them a business card, but that seems like a lot of wasted time and effort for something that will most likely go into recycling.

Your website can change at any time to reflect you

Your website is (can be? should be!) dynamic. You can update it frequently with new info, new data, and more selling points. You can’t do that easily with a business card. And you shouldn’t.

Is now the time we do away with cards altogether?

There are some people who would argue this. That if you’re doing your website right, doing well with your SEO, that a simple search should bring you up and the need for the business card is gone.

I wouldn’t go so far. Not yet. But I do see this as something that will be of less and less importance going forward in this digital age.

But what about digital business cards?

Great question! I am convinced that in the future, everyone will be swapping cards via phone. You’ll carry your well-designed virtual business card on your phone, and share them via air drop or some other app that makes them easy to send to people you’re chatting with. Business card design will stay, but physical cards will one day be a thing of the past.