Clean, compelling,
product-relevant

At a single trade show, you can expect to receive a stack of business cards in the double digits.

And while a good networker is enthusiastic about receiving them, no one looks forward to reviewing an indiscriminate pile of contacts. (Most probably don't bother.) Here are tips for a card worth keeping.

Leverage your online personality. ValleyWag suggests relying on curious Googlers and just printing your name. This works best if your homepage or portfolio appear at the top of your search results. Make sure those sites have contact information.

If you don't have a strong Google rank, don't worry. Add your Twitter URL instead. Turning networking contacts into active Twitter followers is a good way to form casual and lasting relationships with them.

Don't shirk the design. Don't try saving cash by printing cards on cheap (or worse, perforated!) paper. This card is an extension of your brand, so why not hire a designer and get lavish with the cardstock? Of particular importance:

• It should be legible from at least a foot away from your face.
• It should not be cluttered. Name, title and logo are plenty already. Never mind emails, faxes, office phones, mobile numbers. What are the top three ways you can be reached?
• It should be visually appealing.

Make it easy to write on. Networkers often earmark notable contacts by writing things down on their business cards. Don't use glossy paper; make sure the material is pen friendly. Leave plenty of open space. Why not affix your card to a wallet-sized pen?

If your title is vague, frilly or uninformative, drop it. Shoot for actionable and authentic.

Curve your corners. It looks cleaner and more modern. Sharp corners get dog-eared more quickly.

Avoid showy graphics. They can make the card look dated even before it's back from the printer. Oftentimes, your logo is graphic enough.

Give your card a job. Reencoded.com compiled a fascinating list of business cards that double as shoe horns, lock picks, bottle openers, greenhouses, toothpicks or product samplers.

If you use a novelty card (such as those linked above), make sure that what you choose is relevant to your product or brand. The executives at WeeWorld distribute assorted business cards that feature different WeeMees they have made. These make for good conversation, especially when variations are given out in a group.

A unique business card can be appealing, but common gimmicks can merely make it more disposable. Avoid oversized cards, cheesy titles ("Chief Party Animal!") and hard-to-read print. We once knew someone who used a poker chip as his business card, just because it was quirky.

Unfortunately, "quirky" is not universally appealing.