Traditional business cards have stuck around forever and let’s be real, nobody likes them but there hasn’t been a serious alternative. Contact information on business cards can be old. Recipients don’t like carrying them around. Trees get killed and the cards are tossed in the garbage.
Enter the next generation business card, an online business card on your very own domain name. Yes digital and online versions were attempted before, but none were under your own domain name. Now this is the way to be professional and easily accessible.
What I’m talking about is the wonderful .tel domain that lets you get your very own www.yourname.tel. You’ve probably guessed it, you access your online business card just like you would a normal website and that’s why it’s so cool. People can simply launch the browser and type in your .tel names and bam, there’s your info. They can then go on to select the many ways to contact you or just look at your information and qualifications.
Without further ado, here are 10 reasons why you need one now.
1. Yourname.tel loads really quickly on a mobile phone.
Sure people can visit your .tel on a computer, but if they have to call you or want to check out your info briefly from a cell phone they can. People always have their mobile phones with them and you want to be easily reached with a .tel online business card.
2. All your contact info can be clicked.
If a client wants to call you while visiting yourname.tel on their cell phone, they simply click on your phone number. If they want to skype you, they click on your skype. If they have to email you, they click on your email. If they want to talk via facebook, they click on your facebook. If they want to see where you are, they click on the map. Pretty easy. You can’t just click on a paper business card and have your phone place a call, but it’s possible with a tel online business card.
3. Forget web hosting.
If you’re in web development you might be thinking, “How the heck?” That’s .tel working it’s coolness for you. Information is placed in the DNS so you don’t have to worry about paying for webhosting.
4. It’s easy, web designing is not needed. Just log in and input your information.
How can that be possible? Once again, data is placed in the DNS so it’s no longer required to pay for web designing.
5. It’s dirt cheap.
For the price of a dinner, you get your .tel name and be up and ready almost instantly.
6. You can add info about yourself or your company.
Information like food and drink menu, store hours, rates and prices, or even your resume can be added easily.
7. Give yourname.tel to people and they’ll always remain updated to changes in contact info.
There’s no need to contact everyone about phone number or email changes. If they know your .tel, they’re always updated.
8. People no longer have to memorize your phone numbers.
They can contact you from your .tel name, which is much easier to remember than your phone number and they’ll know for sure they can reach you and not some old number. Dialing phone numbers should be phased out a long time ago.
9. Public or Private.
You can make your business info visible to the world if you like. Search engines like Google can pick up and list your business if that is your goal. You could also make some information private for VIPs or friends and family.
10. Every .tel is unique.
This means that if you and another business or person have the same name, you risk losing your name to them. Get it while it’s available because every .tel is unique.
Keep using paper business cards if you enjoy them so much. You can print your .tel name on traditional business cards or write it on a piece of napkin. You can decide. If you print your .tel name on paper business cards, you won’t have to worry that your cards are outdated. Your .tel will help people stay updated. You must now go and register .tel before your name is taken. You’ll be the envy of your colleagues.
