Printed Vs. Digital Business Cards: Which One is for You?

Exchanging business cards is one of the most traditional practices in the business world that is still done up to this day. Business cards contain a person’s name, job title, and contact information. The typical business card also has a typeface, colour scheme, design, and images to create the desired branding.

As is the trend in today’s age, business cards have also evolved from typical paper cards to digital ones with NFC tags. With digital or smart business cards, professionals can now transfer their contact information electronically, and they no longer have to bring multiple copies of their cards to conferences.

Both paper and digital business cards have their own advantages and disadvantages. Some people are still debating on what the better choice is between the two.

Printed Business Cards

Printed business cards have been used since the 17^th century in France as a way to introduce people to one another. To make this business card, you have to design the card or choose from thousands of templates before printing.

Pros of Printed Business Cards

• Grabs attention in an instant

One of the main advantages of giving traditional business cards to your colleagues is that these cards can easily grab attention. Unlike digital business cards, you don’t need to scan traditional business cards. Once you hand your business card over, it will take only seconds to make an impression.

• More room for creativity

Because of their tactile nature, paper business cards allow for greater expression than their digital counterparts. Traditional business cards allow designers more freedom in terms of texture, colour, and printing method, all of which contribute to making the card stand out from the crowd. Card stocks, paperweights, and treatments like gloss and matte can all be selected by the sender to tailor the card to the recipient’s tastes and give it a unique look.

Cons of Printed Business Cards

• Needs frequent redesigning

If you’re going to print paper business cards, you should at least be sure that you are not going to change your contact information in the next few years. If you do, you should inform your connections. One of the disadvantages of paper cards is that you cannot update physical copies in real-time.

• They are more expensive

Paper cards can be more expensive than digital business cards in the long run. The cost of reprinting, graphic design, and other costs can accumulate, especially if your business card needs updating. On the other hand, having digital business cards require only a one-time purchase.

• They have limited information

The information you can add to your business card is limited by its size and design principles. Most of the time, people only put their name, contact details, job title, and logo on their business cards, and oftentimes, it would be difficult to put an impression.

• Easily disposable

Most of the time, paper cards are just disposed of within a week. If not, they get damaged, crumpled, or torn down over time.

Digital Business Cards

Digital business cards use technologies like NFC to transmit electronic information. With digital business cards, you can share web addresses, user profiles, social media, contact numbers, and even PDF files. Digital business cards can contain as much information as the owner likes.

Pros of Digital Business Cards

• Simple to design

Paper business cards have more edge when it comes to the design of the card. However, this does not mean that you cannot get creative when making digital business cards. There are apps online that let you edit the page where digital business cards direct your connections to. You can do this even without the help of a graphic designer.

• Easy to Share

Digital business cards are easy to share because all you have to do is let your client scan the card, or you can send them the link to your digital business card anywhere worldwide. And unlike paper cards, digital business cards are updated in real-time if you decide to change your contact details.

• Stands Out

Because not everyone uses digital business cards, you can easily stand out and impress clients with these. While some people still use traditional paper cards, your business looks different because you use digital cards. So, make sure that your ideas for business cards are different from those of your competitors.

• Attach Media

With digital cards, businesses can attach a wide range of media, which is a great advantage. They can add videos, links to their surveys, mailing lists, sign-up forms, and other media. The different types of media on the card give the client a good impression of your business. It also ensures better engagement.

• Affordability

You only need a one-time purchase of an NFC tag when buying a digital business card. With its benefits, you can say that this is the superior choice over paper cards, which may cost you hundreds of dollars for reprinting. And because you don’t need to reprint digital business cards, it is an eco-friendlier option.

Cons of Digital Business Cards

• Depends on internet access

Unlike paper cards, digital business cards depend on internet access, and your client cannot receive your card without a stable internet connection. On top of that, there is a chance that your card can be buried in inboxes if you don’t tell them that you are sending them your business card first-hand.

Which is Better?

By a mile, digital business cards are better than paper cards. However, you cannot discredit traditional paper cards because you might also need them one day. The best solution is having digital business cards but also printing some paper cards in case of emergencies.

That way, you can send business cards anywhere in the world but also have one if you are face-to-face with another client. If you are looking for the best NFC tags for your business cards, look no further with NFC Tagify.

If you are interested in high-quality digital business cards, you can visit our website at https://nfctagify.com or call +44 16 0080 0080 today.