Digital business cards provide an efficient, minimalist, and safe method to create a different omnichannel experience.
While business cards play a crucial role in a brand's identity because they provide potential customers with their initial physical impression. The design of the card, including the logo, layout, and illustrations, contributes to this identity.
50% of business owners strongly believe that business cards are beneficial for their businesses. However, a surprising 88% of business cards end up being discarded within just one week.
Over 90% of business leaders see the reality of B2B omnichannel—where customers buy through various channels—as more significant than before the pandemic. So what's the story about a digital business card?
What Exactly Is a Digital Business Card?
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A digital business card is a modern and secure way to exchange professional or personal information. Just like traditional business cards, they contain contact details. However, digital business cards go a step further by including an online component, such as social media usernames or a web link.
Digital or electronic business cards store information in an online format known as .vcf (virtual contact file). It has features such as NFC tags, or QR codes. Hence, people can easily share this contact card through email or social media.
Companies can even place them on paper business cards and other materials like emails, printed receipts, and social media images. The convenience of accessing information instantly and being able to save it for later use are significant advantages of using digital business cards.
1. Easily Share Contact Details
Business cards are mainly used to exchange information. In the past, this was done using printed cards, which you simply took out of your pocket and gave to someone.
While giving your card is a quick process, there's a chance the other person might lose it. Also, your card will likely end up in a pile with other cards and be forgotten. After all, if they need something, their first thought would be to take their phone and search for it on Google.
Some digital cards, when shared on a smartphone, will automatically add you to their contact. Hence, you know they will always have your details with them.
2. Grow Your Network
When you make a business card, it usually has only your basic info—your name, job, email, and phone number. There might be a link or two, guiding your contact to your professional social media accounts. But that's all. If you try to add more, you might make your card messy and less nice-looking.
This isn't a problem with digital business cards. Instead of putting lots of links on your card, you can use a QR code or web link that goes to your "Link in Bio" page to share all your profiles. This way, your contacts can follow you on their favourite social media site.
3. Keep Everything in One Place
Digital business cards offer more than just connecting on social media. Since you can add almost any link to these cards, you can use this feature to include all sorts of information.
For example, if you have a restaurant and want to guide people to it, you can put a Google Maps link on your digital card. This means when your contacts are searching for a place to eat, they can simply open your card and tap the link to get directions straight to your restaurant.
You can even make a big digital business card that shows your main details when seen from far away. Then, when someone looks closely, they can discover things like your portfolio. There's no limit to the info you can add to your digital business card, as long as you arrange it neatly.
4. Easily Change Your Details
Digital business cards have another benefit: You can quickly update your information without needing new prints. If you use an app for your digital card and you need to make fast changes, you can do it from your phone. This will automatically update all the contacts who have your card.
For example, imagine you lose your phone and need a new number. Obviously, you wouldn't want your work contacts calling the old number. By updating the info on your business card, you can make sure that calls will reach you on the right number every time.
5. Saves You Money
Although many people still value fancy printed business cards today, they can be quite costly to keep up. Every time you give out your card, you're actually spending money—because you have to cover the expenses for the card and the printing.
What's even more troublesome is that when you update your information, your existing set of cards becomes useless.
So, if you change offices, get a new work phone number, or move up in your job, you'll likely need to get new cards printed. But with a digital business card, all you need to do is make a few edits to your details, and you're all set.
You won't have to go to the printers and ask for a new bunch of cards. Also, if you're using a Linked In Bio page or a link shortener, you just need to change the links on the relevant pages; no need to modify your card at all.
6. Eco-friendly
With over 80% of consumers looking to interact with companies prioritizing people and the environment over profits
Apart from saving money, going digital also helps the environment. When you don't print business cards, you avoid buying paper that usually comes from newly cut trees. Additionally, if you are using plastic-based materials and you stop printing cards, you decrease plastic waste.
If you take a look at the desks of many corporate professionals, you'll likely see piles of unused business cards stored somewhere. These cards just sit there collecting dust, and when these professionals change industries or retire, the cards usually end up in the trash.
Wrapping Up
Business cards significantly influence brand identity, yet their short lifespan and the evolving omnichannel landscape signal the need for innovation.
Digital business cards offer help by seamlessly aligning with trends observed in mobile app development—flexibility, efficacy, and eco-friendliness.
Similar to how mobile apps cater to user preferences, digital cards enable instant updates and efficient sharing, enriching user interaction.
Moreover, they echo the environmentally conscious approach of both commerce and technology by curbing paper usage. This transition not only addresses changing consumer preferences but also resonates with the forward-looking ethos of the mobile app development domain.
