WHAT IS A VIRTUAL BUSINESS CARD? BENEFITS OF USING VIRTUAL BUSINESS CARDS FOR BUSINESSES
Virtual business cards are much more than just digitized business cards - they are the future of business cards for companies! Business cards are an integral part of the network and corporate culture. Due to the changing world of work, information such as job titles, department names, and telephone numbers are no longer constant but change at a much faster rate than before.
Due to the lack of flexibility of paper business cards, companies are increasingly relying on virtual business cards. Virtual business cards are not only resource-saving but also cost-effective and efficient. This article explains why it's time for companies to introduce digital business cards.
WHAT ARE VIRTUAL BUSINESS CARDS AND HOW DO THEY WORK?
A virtual business card is an Internet-located, uniquely assigned URL that stores data. If someone is given this URL, the person can view the digital business card. The simplest, and therefore the most frequently chosen way, is to integrate the URL into a QR code. This QR code can easily be scanned with a smartphone and then the business card can be viewed easily.
WHAT INFORMATION IS STORED ON A VIRTUAL BUSINESS CARD?
Standard information includes:
- First and Last Name.
- Job title.
- Address of the company.
- Contact information, such as email address or telephone number.
- Social media channels such as LinkedIn, Facebook, or Instagram.
- Link to the company’s website.
That’s not all. Depending on the manufacturer, there are other categories that further improve the user experience.
BENEFITS OF VIRTUAL BUSINESS CARDS FOR BUSINESSES
The advantages of virtual business cards are numerous. Compared to traditional paper business cards, they perform better in the areas of flexibility, sustainability and cost.
Flexibility: Changing phone numbers or job titles are a problem of the past. Details on virtual business cards can be changed within minutes and without any hassle. Former employees can be removed with a mouse click and new employees can be easily added.
Sustainability: Bye-bye waste of paper. Did you know that approximately 88% of all paper business cards are thrown away within a week of being issued? Not exactly sustainable when you consider the number of resources! With a total volume of about 10 trillion printed copies per year, that's about 8,800,000,000,000 business cards thrown away after one week. The virtual business card, on the other hand, is permanent. Whether a robust, physical NFC business card or a completely digital business card - the service life is many times longer.
Costs: Of course, the high rate of discarding also has an impact on the budget. The most common order pattern is 2 orders per year with 200 business cards per employee. Depending on the number of employees, this can take up a large part of the budget. Here, too, is a small calculation example: if you were to buy 200 business cards for one person twice a year for $10 each, the annual costs would be $20 per employee.
A virtual business card, on the other hand, created through the Connectana app will cost you only $36 per year and you will able to create digital cards for all employees.
ADDITIONAL BENEFITS OF A VIRTUAL BUSINESS CARD FOR AN HR DEPARTMENT
In addition to flexibility, sustainability, and price, the Connectana’s virtual business card has special features that are tailored to the digital age and could be particularly interesting from a personnel perspective. Here are the key benefits of our corporate digital business cards:
Rights roles and central administration
As mentioned before, our digital business card allows users to conveniently change data online. For companies, in particular, the question of authorizations for employees arises. Different departments or positions may need access to different parts of the digital business card. Is there certain information in the profile, such as the company’s own social media channels, that the employee should not change? At the same time, employees should be able to customize their profile pictures. With individual rights roles, this is no problem! With partial access to certain fields, employees can only edit the fields that are approved for them.
Another absolute must is an infrastructure that allows for clear management and easy setup. With the central administration function, admins can create and edit digital profiles for employees at any time. In addition, employee data can be transferred quickly and easily via CSV import. This saves costs, time, and nerves. Thanks to rights, roles, and central administration, nothing stands in the way of a professional public image.
Flexible use
1 virtual business card – 1000 possibilities! A virtual business card redefines the boundaries. Once the virtual business card has been set up through the Connectana app, the QR code can be attached in various ways. Here are four ideas on how to present a digital business card in the best possible way:
Mobile phone lock screen: Simply place the QR code on your lock screen and you can start networking – without a card!
Virtual background: In online meetings, the QR code can be placed on a virtual background. So there is no need to do without virtual networks.
Paper business card: Can’t get around a paper business card? No problem! The QR code can be the perfect complement when business cards are handed out to partners/customers.
NFC business card: Ready for the next level business card? Creating smart networks with QR and NFC technology is no longer a problem with the Connectana app.
Corporate identity
Individual color design matching the company’s CI is also possible with the digital business card created through the Connectana app. Admins can create different Cis, which can then be selected by employees. Primary, secondary, and background colors can be set by color code. In addition, the uploaded logo can be displayed in different sizes. This ensures that the company is represented to the outside world consistently and professionally.
CONCLUSION – VIRTUAL BUSINESS CARD FOR COMPANIES
Virtual business cards are suitable for companies from many points of view and offer a flexible, sustainable, and cost-effective alternative to paper business cards. Additional features such as rights roles and central administration, data protection, flexible usage options, interactive contact exchange, and the creation of corporate identities adapt the business card to the digital age. The time for virtual business cards in companies has arrived! Create virtual business cards for your business today through the Connectana app.
