How To Create Your Own NFC Business Card
Finding the Right Digital Business Card
I created my own NFC digital business card in under 10 minutes, and I will show you exactly how I did it so you can too. First, I found an NFC business card, then I made a series of pages based on skill and effort level, and then I wrote it to an NFC card. I'll leave a summary at the end of the video and blog summarizing the costs of these different options. Now, a couple of considerations:
- I wanted to do this the easiest way possible so you could do it, too. This includes finding the cards, creating the landing pages, and changing the NFC tag.
- I wanted to keep the cost low because so many business card companies out there can charge as low as $7 with plans starting from free and going up between five and $10 a month. I wanted to be somewhere in that range or lower for more advanced features.
- I wanted to give options that let you go as advanced or as simple as you want.
- I will provide a shortcut option using Wave, and their prebuilt platform if you don't want to follow the steps in the video.
- The video and blog is focused on solopreneurs who want single profiles, but you can also create digital business cards for your team.
Finding a business card was the first step in this process. Many companies offer NFC cards, but most usually pitch their version of a digital business card with a pre-written NFC tag.
Purchasing Blank NFC Cards
So, I got blank cards from Amazon to start fresh and keep things simple. These came in a pack of 20 cards, costing $16. They also come in 10, 20, 40, 100, or 200 quantities. Obviously, better deals the more you buy. These are standard PVC cards. They're waterproof with a glossy finish and a laminated back. The chip inside is a NAG two 15 chip with 504 memory bites.
The chip inside is rewriteable, so you can change the link as frequently as you want. The NFC sensor seems to work reliably where you can tap in the center or any other point in the card, including the edges, and it still seems to be able to read through, which is great to see and sometimes a problem on other cards.
Waves NFC cards, which you can buy from Amazon, also let you add your profile to Apple Wallet or Google Wallet with their built-in integration so that you can ditch the card altogether and connect using your phone and scanning the QR code.
Considering Customization Options
It's worth noting before moving on, these are blank NFC cards. They have no markings on them. If you do want a custom card with a logo printed, you will need a print vendor, but in my experience, just so you're aware, the more icons, QR codes, and instructions you give on the card, the more confusing it is at first glance for the recipient. If they don't see any markings, they'll first listen for instructions from you to tap their phone on the card. So now it's time to decide where you want people to go when they tap on the card.
These digital business cards , or landing pages, give you the ability to share your contact info and business profile. They can also connect to a CRM, include a lead form, or can be used to simply share your contact details. These are all features we'll consider when creating our landing page.
Creating a Contact Card with an NFC App
There are a couple of ways to create a landing page with an NFC app, but first, we'll look into building a simple contact card that can be shared and downloaded.
First, create your Vcard using a Vcard maker. Once your profile is filled out, click “Create Card”. Copy the link you receive and then go to a NFC writer app, click write, click add record, and then choose URL.
Add the URL and click okay. Make sure you only have one record here and delete any others you might see. Next, click write and hold your card to the phone. Now, your card is coded to that page.
Many smart business cards on the market give you this option for a nice landing page hosting your info. So, I created a few ways to replicate that experience in the next section.
It's good to note that you can skip these steps with a Wave profile, as you have the option to download an app on Android or Apple that allows you to make instant updates to your NFC card information. This means that you can keep your information current and up-to-date, without having to rewrite your card to update the information.
Create a Landing Page for your NFC Card
The first website I created a landing page on was Webflow. You could technically use any other website builder, but I chose Webflow because their websites are very smooth. Plus, they offered this interesting pre-built template optimized for desktop and mobile to speed up the process.
I customized my template to fill my info in and launch the site. The site I built includes a profile, photo description, social links, a link to my YouTube channel, info about the channel, my availability, and a contact form.
It's worth noting that in this option, there is no limit. You can add any integration or any custom design, but of course, it requires a lot more custom work and time, so it totally depends on your ability; but really, the sky is the limit here.
Alternative NFC Landing Page Options
The second option for a landing page was to use HubSpot's free version with their built-in landing page builder and meeting scheduler. Now, I chose this option because it's all free, easy to set up, and integrates directly with their CRM HubSpot, so you can easily follow up on a lead all in one place.
So, for this option, I chose a prebuilt meeting template, just like the last landing page. I went through and customized the landing page to fit all of my needs, adding in copy, including logos, all of the details, and then when it came to the meeting form, I went back into my HubSpot account and then under sales went to meetings and I created a new meeting.
You can sign in and integrate with any meeting services you use, and then you can add a description explaining what the meeting will be about and what they can expect. Under automation, you can send a confirmation email and a pre-meeting reminder just before the meeting starts, and once you're good with it, go back to your landing page and click on the meeting block and select the meeting link you created.
Note that this page will keep the HubSpot logo unless you pay for the CRM Suite starter package, but you're still getting a lot of value for free here if you're okay with that logo. Now when a lead taps on my card, they'll see a landing page where they can book a simple meeting, and doing so, we'll automatically send them a confirmation email with a booking link, and it'll input them directly into my HubSpot CRM all for free, no extra cost.
So you can see why this is a great option. You're not paying anything, but you're getting everything organized really nicely. This option is very much CRM-focused and about following up with the leads with less complexity in what you can do with the landing page versus the other options we've done. But if you don't have a CRM or you do, and you're already using HubSpot, this is a great option.
Wave Digital Business Card with NFC Option
Using a smart business card company, the third landing page option, is the easiest. So, many people don't realize that many of these companies don't require you to purchase their cards to use the features of their pages.
So, if you want to use a Wave card, I have all of them shown in the video above, including the Wave branded cards and some custom cards or NFC bracelets, all of which are high quality and include an NFC chip embedded inside them. These cards are also available for purchase on Amazon USA and Canada if you'd rather do that than buy directly from them.
Next, go to the Wave account portal and select “Sign Up”. The free version includes all the basic info you need, like sharing your contact info, cover background, profile photo, unlimited sharing, lead capture, contact exchange, and a lot more.
If you’d like to take it up a level, the paid version includes more advanced features like video or file uploads, embedded apps, teams directory, 6,000 plus integrations using Zapier, CRM integration, and individual profile analytics. I created my profile with a custom logo background, profile photo, social links, a bio, and a custom video perfect for the YouTube channel. I also embedded my Calendly link, which you'll be able to see in the video, other options include PDF files and Typeform integration.
Once my profile is added to my card, the lead can tap on my card and see this stunning landing page with links to my profiles and content. They can exchange contact info by providing their info, which will send me an email, add them to the built-in contact manager within Wave, and then sync to my CRM if integrated. It'll also allow them to download a contact card directly to their phone. They can also hit the calendar icon to schedule a Calendly booking for an easily automated meeting with me.
This option is the easiest, it’s the all-in-one option that collects and organizes your leads and then shares your info very cleanly. Again, the option you choose depends on the cost associated and the time it will take you to customize it.
Creating and linking a profile to an NFC card using Wave is the simplest option. First, scan the QR code on the card to get redirected to the login page. Once there, simply login to your account and connect it to the NFC card. This will enable you to write your profile onto the card.
Conclusion
In all other options except Wave, we used a basic white card in a pack of 20, which costs $16. The Wave branded card costs $19.99, but the custom card costs $49.99.
The contact card sharing using VCard and HubSpot landing page method has no subscription fees, making the cost a one-time cost of whatever card you purchase. The Webflow account allows for custom control and has some optional charges, like the URL cost if you want a custom one and an additional annual package depending on your desired features.
Wave had variable costs depending on which plan you choose from. The options include a free plan and a Pro plan at $6.99/month which includes advanced features that you can include on your page.
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