Printable business card websites offer a business a unique way to advertise that involves little cost other than your time. In this article I describe five websites that offer free printable business cards, describe how they work and explain their costs. I also offer some tips on how to use your business cards to market your business. Most of the companies I reviewed offer the same set of data on the printable business card including:
Business Name
Message
Name
Job Title
Address 1
Address 2
Address 3
Phone
Fax
Email address
Website
If you don’t provide the data, most will leave a blank line in its place. Also, most will allow your message to wrap onto the next line. So how is it that companies can offer free products and make money? When they sell you your free printable business cards, they only offer 250 cards. Then you pay for delivery. Most try to convince you to have your printable business cards shipped quicker, slow delivery takes 21 days and costs about $5.50. These businesses also put an ad for their own business on the back of your free printable business card.
VistaPrint
Stationary Stationary, Free Business Card Printer, Lowest Price Printing are pseudonyms of VistaPrint.
This website really works hard at convincing you to buy extra products. They offer 42 styles of business cards that are unique and interesting. The send you through three pages of additional items for sale, a page of selling different deliveries, than two more opportunities to buy more during check out, then two more opportunities to buy more after your order is completed. Cost of delivery is $5.45. You must create an account to order.
GigglePrints
This website is kinder about selling you additional products. They offer 60 styles of business cards, but well over half are sideways print designs that are duplicates of the earlier designs. They have a good Mt. Rainier card that’s fun. Cost of delivery is $5.25. You must create an account to order.
Prints Made Easy
This web site offers 60 styles of business cards. Their pricing is advertised as free for 100 cards and only $6.95 for shipping. Yet, when I looked to order them, 100 cards was always listed as $14.99. The neat thing about this web site is it offers an editor that allows you to view and move your text around, changes to fonts, and really colorful graphics. Too bad their free printable business cards aren’t free. The only good thing was you weren’t required to set up an account.
DCP Print
This web site offered a huge list of categories of designs that ranged from business like, to subtle nature, to flamboyant. They also offered the ability to upload your own design. The text entry portion was with an editing tool that provided a great deal of flexible entry including changes to fonts, font colors, and design layout. Shipping the slow method cost $9.95 for 21 days for delivery. They did not try to sell other items on your way to checking out but you were required to set up an account.
Print Pelican
Print Pelican offers designs via industry, with 2 or 3 designs that fit that you can select from. Entering data is pretty easy, but it is hard to proof read the card because the display shows it very small. When you go to check out, you create an account and find that ground delivery will cost you $14.85 with options available. The good news is they will send you 500 business cards.
Once you have your business cards, be sure to leave one at restaurants where you dine, especially with the bill and in win free dinner options. Stick them on community billboards at shopping centers. Tape them to message boards. Anytime you mail in a bill or send a letter by snail mail, be sure to tuck one of your business cards inside. Leave them in the folds of magazines you read at the library or on an airplane.
If you are a writer, consider printing clear labels with your most recent publications and sticking them onto the back side of your business card along with web sites where your columns are featured.
