Seems obvious, doesn’t it? But you’d be surprised how many people get this wrong. First the name. If your name is David but prefer to be called Dave or even Steve (for some odd reason), put the latter on your card, not the former. A business card isn’t meant to provide your genealogical information but introduce you to people who may be interested in talking to you. Introduce yourself as you like to be called to avoid awkward re-introductions later.

What about your job title? As a freelancer, entrepreneur, or small business owner you probably wear many hats in your business. Which one do you note on your business cards? Use the one that describes your main function in the business—where function means the work prospects may hire you to do.

I can’t tell you how many business cards I receive at conferences and networking events that don’t say what the person giving me the card actually does. Instead, next to the name it says CEO, Founder, or President. You may think that sounds fancy, but it’s simply unhelpful. By the time I go home, I’m not sure what the person’s job was or why I should call. Looking at a card from John, the Founder of Video Masters, for example, doesn’t tell me much. “Was John a videographer? A video editor? A script writer? Oh, I forgot.” Trash!

If you want to keep your position credentials on your business card, do so after your functional title. For example:

Contact information is the meat of a business card. If you want people to contact you, you have to tell them how. But which of all your contact info should you include? The key word to keep in mind here is “direct.”

What’s the purpose of putting your web address on your business cards? Not simply to show people you have one. That’s almost a given these days. Hopefully, interested prospects will be so impressed by your business cards that as soon as they go home they’ll be typing your website into their browsers to find out more about you. So why not send them to a page with that purpose?

Create a page with a welcoming message or record a short, fun introductory video where people get to know you better and understand how you can help them. Put a special offer on there for them, or have a little bonus they can download as a thank you for connecting with you. In short, send prospects to a page that deepens the connection you’ve created with them in person while giving out your card.

One last pro tip: Make the URL to your website something very short and easy to type. No one will go home and type out a 3-line web address. Keep it simple and intriguing and you’ve got a higher chance of luring people in. Personally, I’d be much more intrigued to check out a link to “domainname.com/magic” rather than a bland link to “domainname.com/landing-page.”

Include your social media profiles on your business card. But not all of them. Social media channels have become indispensable parts of both traditional and virtual businesses. If you’re not on social media, you don’t exist in the eyes of your customers. Quite literally.

That doesn’t mean, however, you should list all eight or however many social media accounts you have on your business card. First of all, because of the simple design rule in Tip 6 to follow. Second of all, you want to give prospects the opportunity to connect with you, not overwhelm them with your presence. Be strategic about your social media listings and list only the few channels where prospects can get a good taste of your work.

The personal business card template above is available on Envato Market. You can easily pair down the number of social channels on this card. Customize it to promote only those channels you are most active in.

For example, if you’re a photographer or videographer with an active Instagram account, list that. If you’re a graphic designer with lots of clout on Behance, send people there. If you’re a small business owner with a strong textual presence and following on channels like medium, promote that. List your strongest profiles, not just any of your social profiles.

Yes, white space is so important it gets its own tip on the list. How many times where you handed a business card that was so absolutely overstuffed with information it made you feel nauseous just looking at it? Remember, the point of business cards is not to overwhelm prospects but to invite them to connect with you. And clutter invites no one.

White space doesn’t have to be the color “white” of course. It just means there has to be empty space on your card for the information (and your prospect looking at it) to breathe easily. Check out these awesome minimalist business card designs that contain all the necessary info without unnecessary clutter.

This final tip is the be-all end-all and the holy grail of business card designs. All the above tips fall under the category of practical advice for best results. Yet, even if you follow those to a the letter, but form them into the most commonplace and boring presentation (that we’ve all seen a thousand times before), no one will be contacting you anytime soon. No matter how many cards you give out.

You need to get creative with your presentation in a way that expresses you! 

Show people what you do through your card design rather than simply tell them through your job title. If you’re in the music industry, for example, you could use a business card designed like a digital turntable or a classic piano template depending on how you make your music.

If you’re a photographer, you may choose a modern camera card design, or go for something with a more classic (but still creative) design, if that expresses your brand better. A general purpose business card such as the one below would work.