How to Make Your Plain Paper Business Card Mobile Ready
March 8, 2011
I am looking forward to attending the Verizon Executive Summit in Virginia in a couple weeks. This event is not only very informative, it presents many opportunities to meet and get to know others in the multifamily industry.
As I was making my list of things to bring for my trip, I realized that my supply of business cards was nearing its end. Before ordering more, I began to wonder just how I could make my business card “stand out” and make a unique first impression to those that I met at the conference.
And, how could I provide more information about me, my social networks, AND my company on my little 3.5 X 2 inch card – without overloading it with text and graphics?
The answer came to me as I was surfing the Internet on my new Android phone. A QR code to the rescue!
How a QR Code Works
My Personal QR Code
QR (short for “quick response”) codes are two dimensional graphic patterns that, when scanned by a mobile phone, will perform any number of actions. You can program a QR code to visit an URL online, dial a phone number, send a text message – even purchase a product via PayPal.
Because QR codes can be made to fit on a 3.5 X 2 inch business card, I realized it might be the perfect tool for supercharging my own card’s functionally. My personal QR code would do the job of bridging my offline and online world!
4 Steps to Making Your Business Card Mobile Ready
Step 1) Choose an online destination for your card.
The first step in creating your mobile business card is to create a web directory where your personal and company information are stored. An example location might be: www.yourwebsite.com/yourname or yourname.yourwebsite.com.
This web location on your site will only be accessed by mobile phones – not a desktop PC or laptop – so be sure that the files are formatted for that purpose. You will also want to track all traffic to your mobile business card (step 4), so keep this directory accessible by only the QR code you create in step 3.
Step 2) Create your web files.
A mobile business card can be as simple as one html page, or a collection of pages and scripts that enhance its functionality. Because your mobile business card is really an extension of your plain paper card, it is best to keep it simple when deciding on your content. Your photo and contact information such as email address, phone, and social networking links should be instantly visible in the top section of the page. I included a second drop-down tab that provides a short introduction about my company and links to our mobile company website.
3) Create a QR Code that links to your mobile business card.
A QR code is easy to create. There are many free QR code generators online that work great. Be sure that when you create your QR code, you designate its function to go directly to the web location that you created in step 1. The size of your QR code should be small enough to fit onto your paper business card. A paper card that is laid out in “portrait” style (as opposed to “landscape”) worked best for me. (see graphic )
Be sure that you test the QR code before printing. Remember: the action that is assigned to a QR code upon creation cannot be changed. A QR code created to go to your web destination will ALWAYS go to that destination, although you can certainly change the content of that location at any time.
4) Distribute and track your mobile business card.
After you have complete steps 1-3, the rest is easy. Simply network and distribute your card as you normally do. Hand them to prospective clients, include them in mailings, post them on bulletin boards, etc. Because QR codes are relatively new, having one on your business card is a terrific “icebreaker”. Many people you come in contact with will ask you what it is and how it works. Be sure you have your smart phone ready for a quick demo!
Unlike plain paper cards, every aspect of mobile business cards can be tracked and analyzed. Google analytics is free and works great for tracking purposes. There are also numerous websites online that offer QR code tracking for a small monthly fee.
I am excited about putting my new mobile business card to work during the upcoming conference. So get your plain paper business card up to speed by creating your own personal mobile business card system today!
