There are a huge number of apps and tools on the market that make the claim to be better than the humble business card. But the simple fact is, none of them have made a dent in the number and frequency of business cards being handed out. So if you’re thinking about ditching your real estate business cards for an app or an e-card, think again. Technology can do a lot to improve your ability to make connections and market to prospects, but the business card itself is here to stay.

If you want to make your Coldwell Banker business cards more tech-friendly, without sacrificing their simplicity and ease of use, here are three great strategies to start with:

Supplement, don’t replace

Business cards makes excellent starting points to build a connection: they’re easy to carry, easy to read, and easy to exchange. But they are limited in terms of how much information they can contain, and limited in interactivity. Instead of trying to replace your current business card with an app that no one else has – or worse, maintaining a huge slew of apps so that you can connect with as many systems as possible – supplement the basic information on your card with connections on social media.

Use QR codes

QR codes are two-dimensional barcodes that can be read by just about any smartphone. They act as a real world web link, making your business card instantly interactive. You can design your custom QR code to go to any web address you choose, in order to give the recipient more information about your business. Adding a QR code to your real estate business card is a simple, user-friendly way to harness the benefits of a traditional business card, as well as the expanded connectivity of the web.

Make it scanner-friendly

As convenient as business cards are for portability and easy distribution, once you’ve got a stack of them they can be challenging to organize and to locate specific information from. That’s why many people turn to business card scanning to get valuable contact information off of the card and into their contact management system. Whatever strategies you choose to follow to boost digital interaction, make sure that your Coldwell Banker business card can be easily read by a scanner. Aim for a simple font, uncluttered design, and ample white space to make sure the letters don’t all blur together.