Business cards have a long tradition and are indispensable in the business world. Paper business cards have long been replaced by digitized versions. These so-called vCards can be created with just a few clicks and sent to important contacts in one’s business environment. Furthermore, it is now easily possible to share digital business cards via almost all common or popular instant messengers. Nevertheless, few people really understand how such a vCard works, how it can be created, and ultimately used. Yet, it is a simple matter that can be accomplished in just a few steps.

What is a digital business card?

A digital business card, or vCard, is, from a technical perspective, a file in the „vcf“ format. It contains, among other things, information about the person themselves as well as about the respective company. The data stored therein can be read and processed by various email programs, digital calendars, or organizers based on the format.

A digital business card can be conveniently sent via the internet at any time. Furthermore, it is always possible to scan the vCard using a QR code and/or embed it into an existing website. Additionally, there is the option to make the digital business card more unique with interactive content, as well as video and audio sequences, leaving a lasting impression on business partners.

How does a digital business card work?

The creation of a vCard is based on existing and widely used file formats. Digital business cards are stored as an ASCII character set and within a predefined syntax. The individual data fields are always fundamentally divided into properties and attributes and are separated by colons. Further parameters that should be stored in a vCard are separated by semicolons and displayed accordingly.

How a digital business card is structured

The structure of every vCard is clearly defined. Following the properties of each file are additional, absolutely necessary attributes, such as the telephone number, address, or further information about a company’s website. By using additional parameters, it is possible to differentiate between a private and a business vCard.

High compatibility through a common/standardized file format

The common and widely used „vcf“ file format is considered the essential foundation for creating a digital business card. The format can be recognized and read by almost all email programs, calendars, and mobile devices with iOS or Android operating systems without the installation of additional software. While some supporting tools offer an extended range of functions, they hardly provide added value for users.

Creating a digital business card yourself

For example, those who use Microsoft’s „Outlook“ email program can create a personal digital business card themselves with just a few clicks. Furthermore, numerous other email applications have long recognized developments in this area and have adopted the visualized representation of the „vcf“ format, making the necessary updates.

Given the large number of freely available products for creating digital business cards, it is important to define personal requirements for an individually designed vCard. The large creative freedom in this context is usually more of a curse than a blessing and leads to unnecessary gimmicks that are simply superfluous in the real business world or could even leave a bad impression on the reader. Modern digital business cards convey a clearly structured and serious business contact that contains all relevant information that is worth knowing and important to others.