App2Card.com business cards for your App. Now supports Google Play | Hacker News Reader

App2Card.com business cards for your App. Now supports Google Play

app2card.com

14 pointskaybe88816 comments

Seems expensive to me (I'm not an app developer or marketer, though!) and it's not very clear where the link on the back of the card goes. I didn't spend a lot of time trying to figure that out, on the other hand.

The prices work out as:

    1000 for $180 = $0.18 per card
     500 for $100 = $0.20 per card
     250 for $55  = $0.22 per card
     100 for $30  = $0.30 per card

Paying $0.30 (or even $0.18) for 1.5625 square inches of laser-printed paper, albeit glossy, seems like a lot. Area-wise, that's the equivalent of 1/60th of a sheet of standard "letter" format paper, by the way.

Also, I'm not sure why the 1000-pack is labelled "saves 120$" [sic], I mean ... Compared to what? $180 + $120 = $300, which means it saves as compared to buying ten 100-packs, I guess. But since the fact that you get volume discounts is very clear from the other packs, I don't think that particular claim is very accurate.

The QR code leads directly to the app store for iOS and Google Play app. The fact that we use bitly url give you the possibility to measure the traffic driven by your cards by appending a + sign at the end of the URL.

As for the prices they aren't really expensive if you look at the competition, specially for the quality we offer.

Thanks for the feedback

I don't know what competition you have, but you've priced at several times higher per card than I would expect to pay - and regularly do pay - for (nice quality) business cards..

edit: And in terms of use case, I don't quite get the whole "business card for your app" idea. Business cards are about sharing contact details, sure the aim is often to make a sale, but it's not to directly drive a sale. I just can't personally (I'm not an apps guy, but I am in marketing) think of a time when these would be more useful than a business card, or on the other side more useful than a small flyer/leaflet.

I can see the value in having a pointer to get people to your app, I can see that a URL distribution method like a QR code is an appropriate method, but doing it in a card shaped like an app icon is a gimmick, and will create small annoying pieces of paper for people.

If they are handed out surely you can use something more effective, like a QR code on your device snapped by their's and if they are to be left somewhere they will be too small to be an effective call to action.

As ever I find myself thinking that promoting apps with pieces of paper seems like a compromise solution ...

A great way to be original and distinctive when networking. App2Card is made by a small shop from Quebec city. So my props for being creative and independent!

I don't know what "12pts paper" feels like, but from the image it looks almost like cardstock. Are these printed on fairly heavy paper?

Always kinda hard to describe the thickness of the cards but with the glossy finish they feel like thin rigid plastic tokens. On the website we say 0.025" thick. Send us an email at info@app2card.com if you have any questions or concerns about the product itself.

Does anyone believe that QR codes work?

As a quick, cheap, handy way of sharing URLs and other information to mobile devices? Completely.

I can't agree -- among a younger demographic in coastal regions (speaking in terms of the US here), sure, maybe. You need to know what a QR code is, you need to know what app can read them, you have to download that app, and if you're not the type of person that these things come naturally too, you have to learn how to use that app.

That process just isn't biddable for wider demographics. Outside of my tech-savvy group of friends and co-workers, I'm not sure I know anyone with either the understanding or the patience to use them. Until it's far more common for this to be a built-in and automatic feature in mobile devices, I'd be blown away if it ever caught on.

http://picturesofpeoplescanningqrcodes.tumblr.com/

I'm tech savvy and I still don't want to download an app, open it up, steady my camera, take a picture, wait for it to think about it, and take me to the website. Just give me a damn URL.

Google's Search App will scan QR codes, the thinking is near-instant (camera focusing will take longer), and it pops up directly to the App store. I think the burden is pretty low. Typing in a URL is certainly more effort.

You know that tumblr is empty right?

Best critique of QR codes I've heard is that they solve a marketer's problem, not a consumer's.

Nicest sounding critique, not sure it actually means anything though.

All cards also display the shorten url that leads to the same url as the QR code. The idea behind the QR code and shorten url is to make sure user don't have to search for your app in the store. We take them directly to the right place.

In custom mode you can always decide to put any text you want it you would rather see the name of the app for example.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com