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The digital era doesn’t necessarily mean the end for print. But going digital could mean the difference between providing a better customer experience and clinging to outdated and less efficient practices.

So with almost everything going digital, one thing, in particular, seems to be doing it at a much faster pace: business cards. According to research done by Market Research Future, the digital business card market may reach USD 242.3 million at an 11.2% CAGR by 2027. 

Digital business cards are in high demand. And in this article, you’re going to learn precisely why. We’ll also look at 10 of the best digital business card solutions you can use to help you make that digital jump.

What is a digital business card?

A digital business card is similar to a paper-based business card – less the paper. Think of them as digital versions of your traditional card. Once you store them in the cloud, any recipient can easily access them on a smartphone, tablet, or personal computer. 

As you know, print always has limitations regarding the information it can store. Perhaps the most significant advantage of digital business cards is that they allow you to provide as much detail as you want – quickly and conveniently. 

5 reasons why a digital business card is worth it

1. Provide convenience with easy sharing

Almost everyone owns a smartphone, which means almost everyone has quick access to any digital business card. When you go virtual, you don’t have to give away dozens and dozens of paper-based cards. Instead, recipients can save all details on their smartphones with a tap.

2. Offer a contactless solution

Clients, prospects, or partners – you’ll need to meet them in person to hand them your physical business card. You can cut out this process and opt for a contactless alternative. Share your digital business card anytime and anywhere via text, email, instant messaging, or other channels.

3. Stay up-to-date with your information

Ensuring accuracy with your business card information is always a great practice. Imagine if you’ve already bulk-printed your physical cards. If you’re using paper-based cards, even one slight detail change means starting from scratch with print. 

Steer clear of this issue by switching to electronic business cards that you can update whenever necessary. You get to ensure you provide everyone with the latest information.

4. Track your virtual business card performance

You’d never know who or how many people are engaging with your physical cards unless they take deliberate action, like giving your company a call. 

With digital business cards, you can monitor data points, like the number of views, locations, and clicks. And if you’re using a decent digital business card solution, you’ll have the means to set off retargeting for bounced viewers. 

5. Digital business cards are in high demand

As businesses go remote, they must actively seek new ways to share essential information regardless of where their clients or prospects are. Needless to say, digital business cards allow for that kind of sharing. And it’s one of the reasons why they’re currently in high demand.

Now that you know why digital business cards are worth the transition, the next step would be to look for a suitable digital business card maker. 

Before diving into our list of the best digital business card solutions, let’s go over 8 essential factors you’ll need to consider when choosing one.

8 things to consider when deciding on the best digital business card solution

With the advancement of technology, the number of offerings has increased immensely. Making a decision with too many options is not easy. You can create a digital business card with any platform that is available out there but to get the best value for your efforts, you need a solution that fulfills all your personal or business needs in-depth. So, here are ways that you can determine whether a particular digital business card solution is right for you or not. 

Let’s get right into it.

1. Usability 

Is the solution intuitive and easy to use? Does it boast a clean-looking interface? Does it force you to go through a steep and tiresome learning curve? These are some of the questions to ask when gauging usability. 

Usability doesn’t just account for the “looks” of a platform. It has more to do with its structure and flow. In addition, it directly impacts your experience as a user, so it’s always a good idea to first get a feel of a platform’s usability before putting out your wallet and seeing if your chosen platform offers a free trial.

2. Page design

A good digital business card platform might do well in terms of usability. But does it let you create stunning designs for your e-business cards? Can you get as comprehensive as you like when adding details? 

It makes little sense for a cloud-based vCard to limit you in design options and the details you can add. Digital business cards are supposed to be storehouses of personal and business information, so choose a platform that allows you to add more than just the basics. 

3. Tracking and analytics

Page design is there to help you appear authoritative and professional, in turn attracting the right audience. But can the solution monitor the engagement once you’ve drawn your target leads, clients, and customers?

The best digital solutions offer comprehensive tracking, letting you capture data on essential metrics like views, shares, and audience location. Some will even allow a Google Analytics integration for more actionable insights.

4. Security

Many businesses, regardless of size, value security the most when choosing a cloud-based service. Anything that happens online is prone to security threats. And since your electronic business card has your name and other relevant details, it’s best to ensure that you and your clients are protected by high-level security. 

If you can, choose one that’s SOC-2 Type 2 compliant. But so far, only one platform provides security at this level. Still, it would be best to go after the non-negotiables, like GDPR compliance, data encryption, and SSO authentication.

5. Value for money

No two digital business card solutions offer the exact same pricing. So is your platform of choice value for money? 

For instance, some digital business card makers attract users with their low-cost plans. But that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re the best choice. Low subscription costs often come with significant drawbacks, like limited functionalities and inadequate security. So create your e-business card from a good digital business card solution in order to worry less in the future. 

6. Ease of sharing

Business cards are meant to be shared. Does your chosen platform allow you to spread your digital business card using multiple avenues? 

Every solution will allow you to grab an e-card link you can share across different channels – social media, email, text, etc. But some will even go as far as to let you generate QR Codes that you can embed in your physical business cards or NFCs for short-range sharing. Hence, choose the one that matches your expectations. 

7. Bulk creation

If you’re running a large organization with hundreds of client-facing members, you will benefit from a solution that lets you bulk-create unique virtual business cards. A bulk-creation feature allows for significant savings on time and effort.

8. Integrations

Are API access and integrations that automate essential functions part of what you’re paying for? This factor is vital since purchasing third-party tools to get automation isn’t always practical money-wise.

App integrations can be anything from Google Analytics (for engagement insights) to Zapier (for workflow automation) or Slack (for notifications) that helps in automating the process. 

Remember that not every platform will offer the same set of API access. So, if you need to use a particular integration, see if it’s available in the platform’s library.

10 best digital business card solutions for 2022

Now that we are aware of the factors to look out for while choosing a suitable business card platform, let’s review the top 10 digital business card solutions: 

1. Beaconstac

Beaconstac takes the top spot on this list as the best digital business card solution that lets you create business cards with QR codes. The platform offers everything you need to effortlessly create electronic business cards and tweak them to your liking. 

When it comes to security, you get the best a digital business card solution can offer with Beaconstac. You also get robust analytics, bulk-creation, and multi-app integrations accessed via an easy-to-use interface.

Notable features:

• Intuitive and easy-to-use interface.
• Zero learning curve – create your first digital business card in minutes.
• Exceptional page design capabilities. 
• Google Analytics integration.
• Top-notch security with SOC-2 Type 2 compliance. 
• Bulk digital business card creation.
• API access to over 4,000 app integrations, like Zapier, Workato, and Integromat. 

Drawbacks:

• Beaconstac only offers QR Code-based digital business cards.

Pricing:

• The price starts at 5 USD/month for the Starter plan. API integrations and dynamic QR Code API features unlock at Pro for 49 USD/month. 

2. HiHello 

HiHello is another widely used digital business card maker. Like Beaconstac, it’s recognized for its user-friendly interface and easy-to-use virtual business card creation dashboard. 

It also delivers excellent design capabilities and sharing functionalities. For example, you can create attractive and professional-looking cards and share them via email, URL link, text message, or QR Code.

Notable features

• Clean web and mobile app design. 
• Numerous attractive and professional templates. 
• Multiple channel sharing. 
• Phone number masking for increased privacy.

Drawbacks

• You only get basic insights if you don’t integrate with Google Analytics. 
• Data tracking only unlocks at higher plans. Some solutions provide analytics right off the bat. 
• Access to bulk creation is available only at the highest-tiered plan.

Pricing

• The platform starts you off with a Free plan (up to 4 unique business cards). The Basic plan (unlimited card creation) comes at 3 USD/month. 

3. Blinq

Easy contact sharing – that’s what Blinq is all about. And it remains to be one of the most highly-rated mobile business card solutions out there. The platform offers comprehensive sharing functionality – one that trumps most entries on this list. It also lets you add all the details you need to complete your contact information without the need to compromise on any critical data.

Notable features 

• Multi-channel sharing.
• NFC-based business card creation. 
• Includes all essential API integrations
• Comprehensive customizations.

Drawbacks

• Robust customizations and custom branding are paid features. 
• Security measures aren’t clear-cut.

Pricing

• The first tier is free, providing you with basic creation tools. Both Premium (for individuals) and Business (for teams) plans cost 2.99 USD/month. 

4. Know.ee

Know.ee offers a sleek interface, and it doesn’t take long to figure out that this platform was built with enterprise needs in mind. But that doesn’t mean it comes behind in terms of features targeted at the individual professional.

Notable features 

• Seamlessly combines platform intuitiveness with extensive design capabilities.

• Full-scale customization and branding tools. 

• Practical data analytics complete with timeframe filters. 

• An Enterprise plan well-suited for teams of all sizes.

Drawbacks

• Access to decent security only unlocks at higher-priced plans.
• Auto credential generation and bulk creation only come with the costly Enterprise plan. 

Pricing

• The Individual plan is free but only provides basic features. Paid plans are priced based on the number of digital business cards created, starting at 2 USD/month. 

5. Haystack 

“Make a great first impression” – is what greets you upon visiting the Haystack website. Sign-up for a free trial, and you’ll soon realize this solution has a laser focus on helping you market your business. 

Haystack wants you to be known, which becomes apparent with the analytics, design capabilities, and integrations.

Notable features 

• Unique branding elements 

• Valuable engagement insights, including the number of referrals. 

• Integrate with hundreds of apps, including Zapier and HubSpot.

• Showcase essential links to drive traffic to key online destinations.

Drawbacks

• Pricing is somewhat on the higher side.

• You’ll also have to pay an additional 3 USD/month for each extra user.

Pricing 

• You can grab the For Individuals plan free for the basic tools. Data tracking and integrations start at 7.95 USD/month for the Business plan. 

6. QR Code Generator Pro

You might recognize QR Code Generator as a QR Code platform, but it also offers a QR Code-based digital business card solution. It enables you to create a virtual version of your physical card, which you can link with QR Codes. 

Notable features

• Intuitive and easy-to-use dashboard. 

• Create QR Codes for your physical business cards. 

• Track engagement for insightful data.

• Integration with Google Analytics.

Drawbacks

• Minimal security features. 

• The vCard service is entirely QR-based – no NFCs.

Pricing

• The Starter plan is 6.99 USD/month. Bulk creation and API requests unlock at the Advanced plan for 15.99 USD/month. All plans are billed annually. 

7. SwitchIt 

SwitchIt lets you craft beautiful and professionally-designed business cards you can use to connect, keep track of, and convert clients. The dashboard feels simple, yet it has all the essential tools you need to create and share your virtual business cards quickly.

Notable features

• Comprehensive page design and branding elements.

• Efficiently distribute your business card on various channels.

• SMART Contact Manager for a comprehensive contact library.

• App-initiated phone calls and text messaging.

• Business card scanner.

Drawbacks

• Analytics and major integrations only become accessible at the highest tiered plan.

Pricing

• You can use a “free forever” plan for basic elements. Premium plan comes at 6.99 USD/month. 

8. Kado Network

Kado’s platform was built primarily as a networking and relationship management platform. So it comes as no surprise that you can use it to create practical and comprehensive digital business cards. 

The dashboard provides more than just the basics. You can even record and share notes, events, and critical information for better team collaboration and productivity.

Notable features 

• Robust team collaboration tools.

• Customization allows multimedia elements like images and video content.

• Easily import contacts from Excel files.

• Integrate directly with Outlook and Gmail for real-time contact updates.

• GDPR and AWS compliant. 

Drawbacks

• Some admins find Kado’s process of adding users via email unintuitive. 

• Gmail, Outlook, and Google Calendar integrations are only available at the highest-tiered plan. 

Pricing

• You can get the Free plan for limited features. Advanced features start at 4.95 USD/month.

9. Dibiz 

Dibiz provides a dashboard packed with the tools you need to create practical digital business cards. From the dashboard, you can customize appearance and content to suit your needs and monitor digital business card performance through Dibiz Statistics.

Notable features 

• Add diverse media, like custom URLs, image galleries, and videos. 

• Share business cards on multiple channels.

• Create tailored contact forms when you opt with Dibiz+.

• In-depth data tracking and analytics.

Drawbacks

• Access to fundamental insights unlocks at a premium. 

• Dashboard intuitiveness falls short.

• Lacks essential API integrations. 

• Ambiguous security measures. 

Pricing

• You can avail of the free forever plan for basic functionalities. Dibiz+ is 60 USD/year for unlimited multimedia uploads and contact forms. 

10. QRd.by

The last entry on our list of the best business card solution is QRd.by. Like any decent virtual business card maker, it lets you easily create e-business cards that you can share via multiple channels. 

What differentiates it from most card generators is that it gives you a dedicated landing page where you create your updatable digital business card. 

Notable features

• Create updatable mobile-friendly business cards. 

• Add as many business card details as you need.

• Use analytics right from the Free plan. 

• Full CCPA & GDPR compliance.

Drawback

• A landing page has to be created to generate a vCard, making the process complex. 

Pricing 

• QRd.by provides a free plan but limits you to 1 landing page. The Starter plan (for 5 landing pages) costs 5 USD/month. 

Conclusion

Companies embracing digital cards are rapidly increasing in number. And the recent pandemic only fueled this adoption.

Even though physical business cards are still essential, especially during offline meetings and events, going digital can make a massive difference in reach and engagement. 

When choosing a service, you must consider your needs and that of your target audience. Great digital business card platforms don’t just provide the tools required to digitize contact information. They’re also there to help you easily share them with the people that matter. Hope this comprehensive list of the best digital business cards available out there helps you stand out in this digital era.

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