Can I Use a Digital Business Card for My Small Business?

Small business proprietors are always in constant search of ways to keep up with the latest in modernizing their business activities, improving their brand image, and reducing the amount of cost they incur to run their business. The most recent of these innovations is the digital business card. As most businesses are becoming digital-savvy, more and more entrepreneurs are coming to the realization of the advantages that switching from the usual paper cards to electronic alternatives is surely going to present them with. But is digital business card really substituting the traditional paper one in a small business environment?

 

In this article, you would find out whether digital business cards will suit well to your small enterprise, as well as their advantages and value in organizing your networking and marketing strategies.

2. What is a Digital Business Card?

A digital business card is defined as an electronic version of any traditional business card which contains the entire contact details of a business or an individual. It may include, but is by no means limited to the a,b,c of the individual’s name, job title, email address, phone number, website, and social media, as well as a picture or logo. But unlike the paper business card transformed into electronic format, digital cards are meant for sharing electronically, be it through email, SMS, or by scanning it using a QR code.

 

Digital business card are thus stored in on smartphones and applications as well as online platforms, which keeps it handy and updates whenever required. It makes digital business cards very efficient and adaptable using the ever-changing needs of a small business.

3. Benefits of Using a Digital Business Card

3.1 Cost-Effectiveness

Arguably, one of the most immediately evident advantages of using a digital business card is the absence of costs. A traditional business card must be printed, and there is a particular design, material, and printing cost associated with it. Over time, the cost of printing hundreds or thousands of these paper cards can be overwhelming, especially if they need changes or correction.

 

Costs of this type do not arise at all with the digital business card. You can create, update, and share your digital card as many times as you like without worrying about the cost of reprints.

 

3.2 Environmental Impact

These days, sustainability is more than likely an aspect of concern for any business, especially the smaller companies that wish to embrace eco-friendly practices in their operations. Paper business cards generate waste and cause deforestation. Studies suggest that around 10 billion business cards are printed every year, with many of them being thrown away within the first few days of their printing.

 

Aside from that, going for a digital business card means making contributions toward reducing paper waste and, hence, having cleaner and greener earths. It is a simple change with potential significant effects on your business’s sustainability efforts.

 

3.3 Easy to Share and Update

Sharing a digital business card is as effortless as sending a message. With traditional paper cards, you are limited to distributing or mailing them by hand. Digital cards may also be sent directly via email, text, or using social networking sites, such as LinkedIn or Facebook.

 

In addition, updating your contact information becomes easy with such cards. Change your job title, phone number, or website; update only your digital card in the app or platform you are using, and all your contacts will always have access to the current information.

 

4.How Digital Business Cards Function

Digital business cards can take action with specific apps or websites. These applications can create a custom business card that includes all of your information. After doing this, the digital business card is stored on your smartphone or computer or even in the cloud.

 

The act of sharing a digital business card can be accomplished in the following ways:

 

• by emailing it directly to your contact. 
• sharing a link to your card via text, email, or social media. 
• with a scanner that will scan the QR code using their smartphones and will automatically add your information to their contacts.

 

There are many aspects of the platform where the user can track its performance-in terms of views and saves of your card, which is helpful for knowing how well your networking is going.

 

5.Digital Business Card vs. Traditional Paper Business Card

Convenience and Accessibility

 

A key strength of the digital business card is the ease with which it can be carried around. With traditional paper business cards, you can end up either rummaging through a stack of cards to figure out which right card to find the right card, or worse still, being left without them at some event one has deemed important. All this is possible from a digital business card, literally everything at your fingertips, no more going through panic over maybe forgetting them at home run out or not having enough when visiting with friends.

On top of that, the digital business cards are always on your smartphone and so can be shared with everyone anywhere.

 

5.1Environmental Sustainability

Digital cards have the edge in terms of sustainability; as noted above, paper cards are normally discarded after one use and tend to add to the waste in the landfills while digital cards can be saved and reused forever without waste being generated. Therefore, they are the most environmental friendly to small business people who want to minimize their carbon footprints.

 

5.2Cost Comparison

Costs vary for making traditional business cards, but the unit costs drop sharply when you order them in bulk. Nonetheless, even in bulk printing, huge amounts of costs go into printing physical cards-especially if designs or contact information changes. On the other hand, using a digital business card requires typically a one-time fee or little subscription cost to use the app or platform. The most economically sound option for small business owners with limited budgets.

6. The Most Commendable Platforms to Create Digital Business Cards.

Many platforms allow easy access and generation of digital business cards. Of these, some of the most come out as:

 

6.1 HiHello

One of the most famous places to create digital business cards is HiHello. The app creates cards, allowing personalization to your brand, which then can be easily shared either via email, text or through your social media channels. HiHello also links up with several customer relationship management (CRM) systems, making it ideal to business owners who want to keep track of their contacts without a hitch.

 

6.2 Inigo

Inigo helps you create wonderful digital business cards that you can share via text or email with all the cool designs. Inigo’s cards have the cool feature of being interactive by allowing you to add links to your website, portfolio, or even social media pages. This feature would be great for small businesses trying to solicit interest from a potential client.

 

6.3 Canva

Most people associate Canva with easy-to-use design tools. But canvas is present to DIY templates for digital business cards creation. This does not mean that Canva is wholly a digital card platform; however, it works wonder for business owners seeking to custom-design their cards with different aspects of layout, color, and more.

 

6.4 about.me

about.me is all about creating a personal landing page that doubles as a digital business card. This is a great website for freelancers or even small business owners who want to put all their details and social media profiles up on one link so that people can view their portfolio.

 

7. Integrating Digital Business Cards With Your Marketing Strategy

7.1 Integration With Social Media

Integrate your digital business in the social profiles. A few examples are having the link to your card in an Instagram bio, LinkedIn profile, or Twitter account. This allows a potential customer to access the contact details without you asking.

7.2 Networking Events

The digital business card is great for networking events because instead of fumbling through paper cards or carrying a stack to hand out, it allows instantaneous and easy sharing of your information with people. Just share a QR code or simply give your card through text or email.

7.3 Email Signature

Adding a link to your digital business card in the email signature would serve as a good promotion for your business while keeping it available for access to your contact details. This especially comes in handy if your email correspondence with clients or potential customers is high.

8. Digital Business Card Security Considerations 

It’s true that digital cards are convenient and time-saving; however, they also have security issues as personal and sensitive information regarding phone numbers, email addresses, and job titles is stored on them. These cards also require a trustworthy site with data encryption, as well as privacy protection. Look to read the terms of their privacy policies before trusting them with your data.

 

9.Business Type

Digital business cards can still be especially advantageous to businesses lying in industry verticals where technology, innovation, and networking pace forward. Examples of such companies would include tech, consulting, design, and digital marketing firms that will easily avail of flexibility and modern appeal offered by digital cards. These industries have been noted to adapt faster to new technologies, thus making the vehicles a right option.

 

Nonetheless, business terms that are heavily dependent on face-to-face interaction or niches that have clientele that cannot be considered highly tech-savvy may find paper cards more effective. Accordingly, consider your customer base—if you are dealing with older generation or much more conservative clients who perhaps would not be willing to embrace digital means of communication, paper business cards might be the winning option.

9.1 Networking and Digital Savviness

For any small business that is really into networking events, online forums, and online marketing, the days of having to exchange cards will soon be very long gone thanks to the wonders of a digital business card. Such small entities that rely heavily on online connections including some on such professional networks like LinkedIn should never be without one. Digital cards enable you to share with anyone your information, wherever he is and which device he is using. If you host webinars, attend online events, or simply have a solid presence on the web, digital business cards are quite well-placed to keep everything uniform when reaching out to prospects.

10. Conclusion

Every small business owner has an eye for any way that saves costs, boosts efficiency, and rakes a modern image. Digital business cards are a feasible, budget-friendly, and sustainable option to traditional paper cards. They come with a host of benefits-from easy sharing to decreased carbon footprint. Digital business cards give an impression of professionalism with savings of time and money. They are extremely easy to create, share, and update, while being creatively integrated into the digital strategy of your business. Platforms like HiHello, Inigo, and Canva even make card design and management hassle-free, so many organizations consider it a blossoming opportunity. Before making that transition, however, it is important to take note of one’s business type, market, and client base. If your customers or clients are a little more old-fashioned, you may want to wait to go completely digital before keeping some paper business cards on hand. This does not negate the fact that any tech-savvy, digitally-focused organization needs these digital business cards to make a mark in the crowded marketplace.