MBA940 Q&A Wednesday: I’m an Online Business. Do I Need Business Cards?

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Today's question comes from Fabian and Fabian asks, I have an online business do I need business cards? Great question Fabian. Some people think that business cards are a thing of the past, but today I'm going to explain when you need business cards and when you don't. Yes, there are certain types of businesses or types of situations where business cards are not a must. But but there are businesses and situations where having a business card could be really advantageous. So depending on what business you have, we're going to get an answer to this question. So let's get into it. Let's get down to business. So Fabian asks, I'm an online business. Do I need business cards. So when I was preparing my answer to this question on today's episode, I thought to myself, when's the last time I gave out a business card? And more importantly, why? Why is that so? For example, I think the last time I gave out a business card was maybe three years ago. So why haven't I given out my business card for so long? In fact, my business card is outdated. I really need to update my business card if I plan to continue to give it out. But the answer to that question, why I haven't given it out so much is because the nature of my business or businesses. So we run a podcast, the Hundred Dollar MBA Show. We have the program the Hundred Dollar mba. And we also have a software business called Webinar Ninja. Webinar Software. So in a nutshell, I'm in the product business or I'm in the content business. I'm not really in the services industry, meaning I'm not a photographer or a filmmaker or a freelance graphic designer. I did have a business consultancy business about six years ago and I really did need business cards and I gave it out a lot because a lot of my business was one on one with a client and they need to be able to easily contact me, look me up and have all the information handy. And that's where a business card is really great. So I can give it out. They can just look, look at the card when they get back home or to their office and they can email me or look up my website, things like that. But with a product based business, whether it's a software or a course or even a podcast, which is free, if the name of your business is quite easy to remember, they could just Google it. So they can just Google the name of the business to find you. And if you have some decent SEO, if they Google the name of your business, they should find you. Unless your business is called Apple for example. But our business is called the Hundred Dollar mba, we work really hard on our search engine optimization and we rank at the top of the first page, so that's not an issue. Same thing with Webinar Ninja. Easy to remember Webinar Ninja. Often I like to choose businesses that have the solution in the name. So we offer webinar software. So we're Webinar Ninja. So half the name right there is easy to remember. Webinar. It's all about webinars. All they really need to remember is Ninja. If they Google us, they'll find us. But more importantly, you know, that's really what I want them to do is go to my website to read more about it, to watch our videos and to really get an understanding or, you know, take a free trial. They don't really need to call me or email me for any reason. Everything they need is on my website. This is often the case with a lot of online businesses. Whether you're an E commerce store or you sell physical products on your store and people have to actually go to your store to see the things that you have to offer or you're selling books or courses, the best place for them to go is your website. Now having said that, having a business card with your name and website is not a complete waste of money. It may be worth investing getting a few business cards. I think printing, you know, 200 business cards cost you 20 bucks or something. With Vistaprint, a very low cost investment, you can design it yourself, make it simple, or use one of their templates. Vistaprint was a sponsor on our show before. So if you want to save 25% and go with them, you can go to Vistaprint.com and use coupon code MBA. Now, obviously only order if you need business cards, but I do think it's kind of good to have a few business cards in your wallet just in case you meet somebody for the first time and they want to kind of keep in touch or they want to check you out and it's just easier just to give a card. This is especially handy if you go to large conferences. You know, if you go to launch conferences, you're meeting a lot of people, a lot of times crowded, it's just easier to hand somebody your business card rather than explain what you do or tell them and they mishear you and they have to type it in their phone for the most part. You know, I've been to large conferences without business cards and it's not too bad, but at times I wish I had a few in my pocket to make it easier. Now, if your business is online, but it's in the services industry where you actually have clients and you invoice them and you work based on the time that you spend. Whether you're a painter, a graphic designer, a developer, a freelancer of any kind, a business card is essential because you're going to be working with that person potentially and they want to be able to contact you directly, have your email address, have your phone number and be able to contact you and work out a deal or work out what they actually need so you can be able to serve them. They're not going to be able to just go to your website and find what they need and just, you know, sign up unless you have package deals of your services. Even so, a lot of people want to talk to the person they're going to be working with or the person that's going to be managing their project. In this case, highly recommend you get business cards. It's going to really help you easily communicate with people. It's non confrontational to just hand over a card if they want to find you later on, if they want to look you up, call you up later. Sometimes they just need to think about it and walk away from you for a second. And a business card kind of just says, hey, this is my information. If you need anything, if I could be any of help, you can contact me when it's convenient to you. We don't have to close a deal right now when we're standing in this conference or in this cafe. You get the point. So business cards can be a great way to kind of ease tensions and really ease things when you're face to face in person. Now my advice when it comes to creating your business card, keep it as simple as possible. Don't give a million different things that you don't need. Don't give yourself Twitter handle and your Facebook handle and all that stuff. I mean, I personally think that's just a bunch of clutter really. You're giving them a business card so they can continue this conversation you're having right now. Later on. What's the best way for them to communicate with you? Is it your email address? Is it your phone number? Choose 1 maximum 2 mediums, put it in there, put your name, put your website, and that's pretty much it. A lot of business cards don't need to be double sided because of this. In fact, there's a lot of people that prefer to have one side of the card blank so they can take a few notes down on the other side while they're talking to you. Maybe they want to write down some of the things that you've discussed and it's a good way for them to remember you. So just keep it simple.

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A couple more tips when it comes to your business card for an online business. Specifically, I've seen this on business cards for online businesses, people that have businesses where you can check out and buy something immediately on their website. I think it's a pretty nifty idea. And it's a coupon code where it says, hey, thanks for meeting me in person, or it's great to meet you. Here's a special code for those who meet me in person. It could be like John Hookup, and that code will give them a percentage off or free shipping or whatever it is, and it makes them feel special. They get a special deal, a special discount, or maybe some sort of way for them to get started for free. Something like an extended trial or something. I think this is a great idea because it allows people to take action or gives them incentive to take action with the information on your card. They look at your card and they say, oh cool, they're hooking me up with a great discount or a great trial. I'm going to check them out. Another great little tip I saw when it comes to business cards for online businesses is instead of just showing your website address, your normal homepage, you give them a special link, a special landing page. And on that page it has a special welcome video. In that video you could say, hey, it was great to meet you in person. Thanks so much for checking me out. And it's a little bit more personalized and there you can also give them a special offer or a special thing that you want to give them. But having a special page with a special video that, you know, kind of addresses them personally and says, hey, it was great to meet you in person. Thanks for checking me out and keeping my card. I want to hook you up with a special deal or simply I just wanted to thank you for checking me out. Pretty cool. I love this idea. So to sum up, to answer today's Q and A Wednesday's question from Fabian, it's not going to hurt to have a business card if you have an online business. But if you're in the service industry and you are dealing with clients, it's a must. So take a look at some of the tips. Take a look at what you could do with your business card. Be innovative. Get them printed and have them handy in your wallet or your pocket or your briefcase or backpack or whatever you use. That wraps up today's lesson, today's episode. If you have a question you want to ask here on Q and A Wednesdays, please do so. Just go and email me at omar100.mba.net. you'll hear me answer your question right here on Wednesdays. Alright, that's it for me today guys. But before I go, I want to leave you with this. If you're not open for business yet, if you are not selling anything yet, if you're not actually changing hands with money, right, you're not actually doing any kind of business transactions on your website. No need for a business card yet. Don't put the cart in front of the horse. Make sure you have something of value for people to go to when you give your business card. There's no reason to give out a business card if you don't have something to offer yet. We often get excited and we like to do all these little things that have to do with our business, but is not really a business yet. We don't actually do things that make money and help us open for business, right? So make sure you have something solid and something for them to consume when they go to your website before you start printing business cards. All right, I'll check you in tomorrow's episode where I discuss what are the three essential steps to any sales process if you are clueless about sales or just need some guidance when it comes to like how do I actually make a sale with my products and services. This three step process is going to be your archetype. It's going to be your plan, your template to making sure you go from somebody who doesn't know anything about you. All the way to the sale hit subscribe to get the episode automatically and I'll see you tomorrow. All right, Take care.

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