July 19, 2023
Once the staple of professional introductions, business cards have undergone a transformation with the rise of digital alternatives.
But does this mean we should abandon our trusty paper business cards altogether?
The answer is not that simple.
Thus, as the traditional paper business card faces increasing competition from its digital counterpart, the question arises: Which one is better?
Join us as we weigh the pros and cons of digital business cards vs. paper business cards.
Buckle up, and let’s go!
A digital business card is a more modern version of a traditional paper business card.
Digital business cards come in various formats, and you can easily create them using online platforms or specialized apps.
Despite versatile design options, most digital business cards include the same basic info:
Your name,
Job title and company name,
Phone number and email address, and
Website URL.
In addition, and depending on the digital solution you’re using, your digital business card can have additional features like social media links or QR codes for quick scanning.
A paper business card has been the traditional way of exchanging contact information for decades.
Paper business cards are typically made of sturdy paper or cardstock and contain essential details about a person or a company.
These details usually include the individual's name, job title, company name, phone number, email address, and physical address.
And although you can also get creative when it comes to design, paper business cards have limited space for information.
Just as with any product, both types of cards have their pros and cons, so let’s check in more detail the potential decisive factors in the digital business card vs. paper business card battle.
Digital business cards enable you to exchange contact details globally because they don’t require physical presence. Thus, the possible outreach is much wider.
Furthermore, with digital business cards, you don't have to worry about carrying around stacks of cards or running out of them at crucial moments.
🏆The winner: Digital business cards.
Perhaps one of the biggest advantages of digital business cards over paper ones is that you can actually see the metrics and how many people viewed your digital profile.
In addition, if you host a networking event, you can get valuable insights into ROI, top performers, etc.
🏆The winner: Digital business cards.
ProTip: With Tapni, for example, you can understand
event networking activities
better by getting
actionable analytics.
Design-wise, you can get very creative with paper business cards. You can choose colors, fonts, and materials, incorporate your logo, a custom-made image, etc.
However, digital versions allow for more
✨ creativity,
✨ interactivity
✨ dynamic content, and
✨ customization options.
For example, you can incorporate eye-catching visuals and multimedia elements like images, videos, and portfolios.
Therefore, you can showcase your work and provide potential clients with more comprehensive information about your services.
🏆The winner: Digital business cards.
If you know that people throw away approximately 88% of business cards within a week, the environmental impact of paper business cards is humongous.
Translated to “the language of trees,” it takes 7.2 million trees annually to produce business cards.
As a result, digital counterparts seem to be much more environmentally friendly.
However, most digital business cards are made from plastic, which isn’t exactly a treat for the environment.
Nonetheless, you usually have only one digital card instead of hundreds of paper ones. Therefore, although digital business cards also affect the environment, their negative impact is considerably smaller compared to their paper counterparts.
🏆The winner: Digital business cards.
Some digital solutions, such as Tapni, actually
plant a tree
for every digital card made. How 😎 is that?
Being dependent on internet access makes the use of digital business cards limited compared to paper business cards.
Therefore, relying solely on a digital business card could potentially limit your reach when networking in case there is no internet access or you deal with individuals who prefer traditional methods.
🏆The winner: Paper business cards.
Many people have concerns about privacy and security when it comes to sharing personal contact details digitally.
And yes, like with any digital product, there is still a risk of data breaches or unauthorized access.
However, the risk is minimal with professional digital platforms since they use state-of-the-art security systems.
For example, most platforms are SOC 2 compliant, type 1, or store all data on Amazon Web Services.
In addition, they are GDPR compliant.
🏆The winner: Paper business cards, although digital business cards are considered safe, too.
When it comes to exchanging information, we should mention two aspects:
of business cards, and
you can share.
Thus, depending on the aspect, we may call a draw here.
Physical Exchange
One of the main advantages of paper business cards is their tangibility.
Handing someone a physical card at networking events creates an immediate connection between you and your potential client or partner.
Furthermore, it allows for face-to-face interaction and gives off a sense of professionalism.
🏆The winner: Paper business cards.
The Amount and Type of Information
Digital business cards shine when it comes to the amount and type of information you can share.
Not only can you include interactive material, such as videos, but you can also share your info in a number of ways:
By scanning a QR code,
Via text messages
Via email
Via social media channels
Via
the NFC technology
Via URL, etc.
Therefore, sharing contact information has become easier than ever.
🏆The winner: Digital business cards.
One of the biggest drawbacks of paper business cards is their durability, i.e. the lack of it.
Therefore, they can easily get lost or damaged over time. Moreover, people may misplace them in their wallets or purses along with countless other cards they receive at events.
Thus, they often end up forgotten or thrown away when decluttering their workspace.
On the other hand, digital business cards are made from more durable materials, making them more long-lasting.
🏆The winner: Digital business cards.
In addition to being flexible in terms of content, digital business cards also allow for easy information updates.
For example, if your phone number changes or you want to add new achievements or accolades, simply update the information on your digital card without needing costly reprints.
On the other hand, printing large quantities of paper business cards can be financially and environmentally costly.
Constantly replenishing supplies may not align with sustainable practices, and it isn’t practical to print a new batch of business cards every time you want to update the info.
🏆The winner: Digital business cards.
Due to many more customization and design options, digital business cards will likely make better first impressions.
Furthermore, when linked to your digital profile, you can really create a wow effect and be memorable and original.
🏆The winner: Digital business cards.
When it comes to choosing between a digital business card and a paper business card, the decision ultimately depends on your specific needs and preferences and your target audience.
Paper business cards have stood the test of time, and their tangibility and more personal feel make them a popular networking staple.
However, it would be a great pity not to exploit all the benefits digital business cards have to offer.
Tapni is a digital solution that goes beyond creating digital business cards and accessories.
With Tapni, you can also:
💣 Automate Lead Generation by importing new connections to your CRM system.
💣 Create fully-customizable digital business cards
💣 Get Actionable Analytics to get valuable insights from a networking event.
💣 Share info in multiple ways.
💣 Create a Custom Link to display only the digital profile you want your contacts to see.
💣 and so much more.
Curious to find out more?
Create your Tapni digital business card today and redefine how you connect to the world around you.
Paper business cards are a networking staple, and depending on the type of industry and target audience, they do remain relevant.
However, their digital counterparts are more practical and cost-efficient.
The biggest disadvantages are:
The limited space to include your info,
The lack of interactivity and fewer sharing options,
Negative impact on
the environment
, and
The cost.
The biggest benefits are:
Limitless options in terms of design,
Multiple ways of sharing info
Being environmentally-friendly
Durability, and
Cost.
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Print on demand is a service that allows you to customize white-label products, with your own designs, to sell them on a per-order basis.
It is an alternative way to save time and investment as well as avoid the tedious process of inventory management. So you can channel your creativity and simply sell your custom products at a fraction of the cost.
If you want to know about how print on demand works, how to set it up, etc click here.
There are essential pointers that one needs to evaluate before signing up for a print on demand service. In this article, we are going to talk about the pros and cons of Print on demand, for designers looking to set up their own store on POD services.
The majority of POD platforms are incredibly easy to use. It is mostly a simple process of signing up, creating a profile, and uploading your designs or products. This can be done in minutes.
While some of the sites offer a free setup, some charge a registration fee. On the other hand, sites like Merch by Amazon need you to get accepted into the POD program to begin selling your products.
One of the biggest pros of print on demand service is that the model gets rid of the biggest downside of inventory-based troubles such as stock costs, expenses, etc. It also eliminates the possibility of getting stuck with extra merchandise that you’re unable to sell or stock-outs because the merchandise goes into production after an order is placed.
Since most of the technical, logistics and production bits are handled for you by the print-on-demand service, you can have the freedom to focus on what you’re good at and spend your time producing more designs, and products that you want to sell.
Print-on-demand services are white-labeled, which means you can customize your products and packaging with your branding so that when your customers receive their orders, there’s no sign of the third party service.
The fact that a third party handles the production for your designs, eliminates the need to have your own machinery needed to print your own stock. The technical part of the printing process is handled directly by your POD partner.
The cost of goods for an on-demand printing service will be higher as compared to buying wholesale. This means that your profit margins will be lower.
Because the print on demand companies handle the whole of the shipping, packaging, and selling, they are going to take a larger percentage of the profit, and pay you a commission for the product being sold.
Artists can either be paid through a percentage on each sale, that is through royalties, or markup from the bottom line cost of the product, where the artist can choose to finalize the retail price. Hence, depending on the product, the profit margin can be quite low.
While these print on demand companies handle the selling for you, they are following the market carefully and capturing buyer information, so they can market to them again and hopefully make more sales.
Because you’re selling on their site, you won’t ever get to know who loved your work and bought it. You won’t get their information so you can make more sales unless they somehow reach out to you.
You might also miss the chance to stage your brand. Odds are, big POD companies package and ship products with their logo attached to them, not yours.
So while it may be helpful to you that they are facilitating the sale and delivery of the products, it is important to know the limitations of the service as well.
While you create your art, your designs, and your products, make sure the print on demand service you are investing in holds quality as a priority. Some print on demand companies care about the bottom line and in the process, the quality is lost. This can reflect badly on your art business and affect your sales.
Do your research to see which companies have the highest quality printing. Check into the quality of their website and customer service department, too.
On the other hand, if you’re a seller looking for extremely customized and specific products to sell, some print on demand companies might not have the option for you. Mainstream apparel or merchandise like T-shirts etc won’t be an issue since they are common products.
However, if you wish to sell, for example, products only of a specific fabric, then you might find it difficult to sell through a print on demand service.
POD companies work with different suppliers to source products or product materials, for example, fabric. This means there are a lot of moving parts, and sometimes products may go out of stock or become unavailable.
Since every product is printed on-demand, it takes longer to fulfill orders than it would if you already had your products available in stock. While this may not be a con for the designer, it may be a con for the customer ordering your product.
Having said this…
… it is important to understand that there are challenges with the convenience that print on demand services offer. However, a deeper understanding and evaluation of the crucial elements of the POD company such as the quality of the product, the delivery time, your profit percentage of the sale, etc, can help you make the right decision for your artwork business.
So whether you decide to go ahead with a Print on Demand service or just sell your custom designed merchandise on your own e-commerce website or store, Design Shifu can create your designs for you. Design Shifu is an on-demand graphic design agency that designs merchandise and much more with a 24 to 48 hour turnaround time, for a flat monthly fee! Check out our portfolio and our pricing page.