Traditional business cards have stuck around forever and let’s be real, nobody likes them but there hasn’t been a serious alternative. Information on a business card does not stay updated. People don’t like storing them. Trees get killed and the cards get thrown away.

Enter the next generation business card, an online business card on your very own domain name. Yes there have been similar efforts before, but none were under your own domain name. Now that’s how you appear professional and easliy accessible.

I’m talking about the recent .tel domain name that lets anyone register their very own www.yourname.tel. As you’ve probably already guessed, your online business card is accessed the way a normal web site is accessed and that’s what makes it so cool. Your customers can just launch the browser and enter your .tel name and voila, your information is available. They can then proceed to choose the various ways to contact you or just check out your info and credentials.

Without further ado, here are 10 reasons why you must register your own 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 usually carry their cell phones at all times so you want to be easily accessible with your own yourname.tel.

2. All your contact info are clickable.

If people want to call you while visiting yourname.tel on their cell phone, they just click on your phone number. If they want to call your skype phone, they click your skype. If they have to email you, they can click on your email address. If they want to facebook you, they click on your facebook link. If they want to locate you, they click on the map coordinates. It’s that 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. No need for web hosting.

If you’re a web developer you might be wondering, “No way is it possible” That’s the amazingness of .tel technology at work. Data is stored in the DNS so paying for webhosting is unnecessary.

4. It’s easy, web designing is not needed. Just log in and fill out your information.

How can it be that easy? Again, data is entered into the DNS so there’s no need to pay for web designing.

5. It’s inexpensive.

You can own your very own .tel name for the amount of a dinner and have your online business card live almost instantly.

6. You can enter important 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. Just hand out your yourname.tel and people will stay updated to any changes in contact info.

It’s no longer necessary to contact everybody when your phone numbers and emails are changed. If they have your .tel, they’ll always be updated.

8. People don’t need to memorize your phone number.

They can call you simply by visiting your .tel, which is much easier to memorize than your phone number and they can be certain they’re calling you and not some old number. Dialing phone numbers should be extinct by now.

9. Public or Private.

You can have your business visible to the world if you want. Google can pick up and list your business if that’s what you’re aiming for. You can also make information private for certain people if you want.

10. No two .tel is the same.

This means if an individual or business has the same name as yours, you may lose your name to them. Grab it before it’s gone because no two name can be the same.

Heck, keep using traditional business cards if you really love them. You can print your .tel name on traditional business cards or write it on a piece of napkin. It’s all up to you. Printing your .tel on cards will make sure your cards don’t become outdated. Your .tel will keep them updated. Now you have to go and register .tel before your name is registered by someone else. You’ll be the envy of your colleagues.