Your business card should be one of your most-distributed and personal marketing tools, which is why it's so important that it embodies everything your company needs to say in a 2.5-inch by 3-inch rectangle.

The following is a list of the top 5 business card blunders you should avoid when designing your next business card:

1. Careless coloring - The color and color combinations are the very first things your contacts will notice when they see your card and are what they'll remember the most when they think of it later. If you have a logo, your business card colors should match the colors in it. If you don't have a logo, get one and then match the business card colors to it. Your company image must be consistent for effective branding. Avoid colors that are too bright or too dull, and use a color wheel to help you choose color combinations. Remember that business card designs can be simultaneously simple and elegant, and using just a few colors is often enough.
   
2. Poor paper and printing - When business cards are concerned, going it alone is never a good idea, especially when it comes to printing. Your desktop printer simply can not come close to matching the quality of professional printer ink, so your cards will fade and will never achieve the vibrancy of a professionally printed business card. Print-at-home paper is also thin with perforated edges that make them - and your company - seem weak and tacky. Your business cards should always use a professional-grade 13- or 14-point paper with a matte or gloss finish so your company looks its best. If not, you'll lose business to your competitors who are printing with a professional - guaranteed.
   
3. Oversized/undersized fonts - Nothing screams "amateur" like gaudy, oversized business card fonts or teeny, too-small-to-read undersized fonts. In most cases, you should keep your fonts sized between 10 and 14 points for a readable and noticeable business card.
   
4. No tagline - Without an effective tagline or slogan, your business card is just a contact card. Make sure you include a motivating tagline that will stick in the back of your prospects' minds and, hopefully, resurface when they need your products or services.
   
5. No proofreading - Always proofread your business cards before they are printed to ensure that you've included all the pertinent information, and that the information is correct. Imagine the repercussions that forgetting to put your website URL or phone number on your business card, or even mixing up street numbers in your address, would have. Misspellings can also be extremely detrimental to a businesses' overall image, so make sure every letter, number, word and phrase is checked and double-checked.