How To Make A Digital Business Card (Checklist Included!)

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When you’re starting a business, one of the most exciting things an entrepreneur can do is design their first business card. But let’s be real. Most interactions today are digital, and you can’t exactly hand over a business card through a Zoom meeting.

At least that was the case before digital business cards entered the market.

If you’re looking for the ultimate guide on how to make a digital business card for yourself or company, you’ve come to the right place.

I’ve been testing every card on the market for nearly three years now, and here to give you the quick and dirty step-by-step guide on how to make a digital business card.

But First, Why Should You Make The Switch?

You may be first wondering what is a digit business card and how does it work?

A digital business card is an electronic version of a traditional paper business card. It can be stored on a smartphone or other mobile device and exchanged electronically with different mobile devices.

Problems With Paper Cards

You can’t easily update the information without having to reprint them.
Once you hand out a card, you can’t give them the updated information over time.
There’s limited space on a 3.5″ x 2″ card & no way to add embedded website links.
Prospective clients or customers have to manually add the contact information to their phone.

Advantages of Digital Cards

You can update the information with a few clicks of a button, which updates your information for everyone.
You can add social media links, websites, and even payment options.
Many companies offer follow-up and company-wide analytics to track your team’s networking skills.
Never be caught without your card again, it’s always in your phone.

Note: The person who is receiving the contact information does NOT need to have a special app to obtain the information. As long as they have a smartphone, they can add the information straight to their contacts in under ten seconds.

How to Make a Digital Business Card

Without further ado, let’s get started with the step-by-step guide.

Step 1: Choose Your Type of Digital Business Card

There are actually three ways you can make your digital business card become digital.

It’s important to know that MOST companies will offer a combination of all three methods, and you’ll utilize what’s best for you.

Digital Business Card Apps
NFC Digital Business Cards
QR Codes

1. Digital Business Card Apps & Platforms

I have spent nearly three years testing all the options on the market, and I one-hundred percent recommend finding the best digital business card company that fits your needs.

Here’s an example of what Popl’s app and digital business card looks like.

When I open the Popl app, you can either have the client scan the QR code, email the link, etc.

When they scan the link, here’s what they’ll see. All they have to do is hit “Save Contact,” and it will auto-populate everything into their contact lists.

This example happens to be Popl’s, but pretty much every digital business card like Mobilo, Linq, or Wave has the same foundations.

Note: You don’t have to have an app downloaded. You can have a QR code as a widget on your phone or have the link saved, and then manage it from a computer. But I personally like having the app.
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2. NFC Technology & Products

Near Field Communication, or NFC, is a technology that allows devices to communicate with each other when they are close to each other. It’s mainly used for contactless payments (think of this when you use Apple Pay for your morning coffee with your phone).

Many companies offer an NFC digital business card or other products with this tech. Here are some examples from various companies:

What’s awesome is you can create a custom digital business card design to match your company’s brand image, color, and brand logo. They also often have a QR code on the front or back. I’ve found a lot of people like having these “electronic business cards” because it gives you a way to impress the other person.

How Do These Work? Easy. You just wave it to the back of someone’s phone and that same landing page pops up on their phone.

NFC products are not limited to cards either. You can get little stickers for the back of your phone, apple watch bands with your card embedded, badges for large conferences, and so much more.

3. QR Code Digital Business Card

The last way you can digitize you business card is with a QR code. As I mentioned before, oftentimes these QR codes can be found on an NFC card or a widget/app on your phone. But if you really cannot let go of those paper business cards, then at least add a QR code to them. Beaconstac is a good company to help with this transition.

Ultimately, I recommend choosing a platform that does all three. However, QR codes on paper business cards may be best for:

Familiarity: Many people will recognize this technology when you use it as a way to transfer your virtual business card.
Multi-functionality: You can attach your QR code to fliers, brochures, emails, and pretty much anything you use in your marketing strategy.
Wallets: You can also add these QR codes to your Google or Apple Wallet to get a more e-business card functions.

Step 2: Determine The Features You’re Looking For

Now that you have an idea of the different types of technology around digital business cards, it’s time to look at a few more features and what your needs are.

Company Size: Are you a solopreneur, or are you looking to purchase a business contact opportunity for your entire company?
Budget: Are you looking for a free plan or one-time cost, or are you okay with a monthly subscription? You often need to pay for a monthly premium plan to get access to all the features.
Transitioning Options: If you’re a major enterprise, does the company help you transition thousands of employees and train HR?
Core Features: What core features do you need and what can you live without? Some things to think about include payment links, video embeds, analytical metrics, or customization options with administration options (what features does an Admin need to control vs. what features can an employee control?).
Integrations: What type of integrations do you need? Is it compatible with HR to automatically cancel when an employee leaves?
Card Design: How important is the design of your card? Some companies offer extremely modern, sleek designs complete with video images in the background.
Landing Page Features: How can you customize the landing page (the preview that pulls up when you share your card)?
Sharing Options: Are you looking for a way to share your digital business card via email, social media, or text message? Some apps make this easier than others.
Storage and Organization: Do you want an app that will keep track of all the digital business cards you’ve collected and help you organize them?

Step 3: Choose Your Company & Design Your Electronic Business Card

Hopefully, you now have an idea of what type of business cards would be best for you or your company.

Now, it’s time to choose which company you’re going to go with.

Here are a few resources to help you with this:

My Ultimate Guide: 13+ Best Digital Business Cards
Digital Business Cards for Teams (recommend this if you’re looking to transition a large company with dozens of employees).
Curated list of NFC business cards
Breakdown of metal digital business cards (made of metal to impress those clients).

You can use the following business card checklist so that you don’t forget to add anything.

Digital Business Card Checklist

Company name, logo, and color scheme
Location Address (Map & Directions as well)
Video Embeds showcasing your company
“About” Section with pertinent information
Employee Name & Job Title
Employee Photo (AI headshot generators are great for this)
Contact information (Email, Phone Number, Fax Number)
Social Media Links (FB, Insta, TikTok, X, LinkedIn, YouTube)
Website URL or Landing Pages
Portfolio of Work, Products, or Services Offered
Any other unique URLs you wish to share

And that’s it! You now have a beautiful, modern, digital business card that will impress any potential client or customer. Plus, you can easily update it as needed and share it with anyone, anywhere. No more lost business cards or forgotten contact information. Go forth and network away!

Step 4: Attach it To All Appropriate Platforms

Lastly, it’s time to attach your digital business card to multiple platforms, including LinkedIn profile, Twitter, and Facebook. You can even include it on your personal website or blog.

If you purchased a QR code, then you can attach this to any marketing materials, such as brochures, or attach it to the end of an email signature on Gmail or Outlook.

My personal favorite is adding it to my e-mail digital signature, as you can see here:

Step 5: Practice Using It Before Meeting Potential Clients

This may be obvious, but please practice sending your virtual business card before you use it. This will save you from an embarrassing moment, as you should test out your card and make sure you’re scanning it at the correct area of the phone. Not to mention, this new modern way of contact exchange may be new to the other person.

Ask a friend or family member to test out all of the links and make sure everything is in functioning order.

Step 6: Network Virtually and Share Your Business Card

Now it’s time to get sharing and show off those high-income skills.

Share it in person at conferences, events, or even a coffee meet-up.
Share it on all social media profiles in the “About Me” section. For instance, your Facebook networking business page or your LinkedIn Profile is a great place to start.
Send over the link via zoom or virtual meetings.
Add it to email signatures for easy contactless exchange.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How do digital business cards work?

Digital business cards are essentially electronic versions of the classic paper business card. Typically, you create a “landing page” on an app or platform, and then you can share this via a QR code, NFC digital business card, or send it electronically.

Why choose a virtual business card over a physical business card?

If you’ve ever been to a conference, then you know that a business card typically ends up in a massive pile in a drawer or straight in the trash. A virtual card allows you to organize your business contacts neatly and are easily accessible. It also allows you to include more information about your business, like website links, while allowing you to keep everyone updated.

What platforms can I share my digital business card on?

Most digital business cards can be shared via email, social media, text message, or even printed out if you’re still missing the physical aspect of the business card.

Are there any free versions available?

Yes! There are tons of apps that have a free version available, which can be very useful if you need just a single business card for yourself.

Will a virtual business card increase my business exposure?

If used correctly, a digital business card can definitely leave your clients with a more memorable experience, which can increase conversions. You can also customize your landing page to include things like video embeds to give future clients the full scope of products or services you’re offering.