Following are the 5 Basics of an Ecard

Birth of the E-greeting card

Sending an E-greeting card

Forms and Types of E-greeting cards

Advantages of an E-greeting card

Drawbacks of an E-greeting card

Birth of the E-greeting card

The e-card was launched somewhere in 1996 and a major plus point of this innovative technology is its delivery mechanism. Earlier, the email received did not have the whole ecard, but a link to the publisher. Around that time almost all ecards were offered for free as they were sponsored by various advertising agencies.

Forms and Types of E-greeting cards

E-Greetings have basically taken two forms. In the first form, users have to select from the various images available, add a personal message and give the recipient email address. Thereafter, the card is mailed electronically to the given address. Recipients receive an email saying that a card addressed to them has been sent, and they would have to click on a link to view it. In the second form, the users create an image with the help of computer graphic software that has customized templates and images for every occasion. For instance, a user would just have to load an image and text into a template and then distribute it as a card to any contact as an attachment or an inserted graphic. This form requires greater customization, compared to that available on ecard websites.

You will find various types of e-greeting cards on various sites. These are apt for anniversaries, birthdays, thanks, congratulations, apology, condolence, sympathy, encouragement etc.

Sending an E-greeting card

Different sites have different methods of creating and sending an ecard. Following are the steps followed for sending an ecard:

Select ecard Background. Select an image from the website gallery or upload one of your own images. You can use animated images (.gif) for creating animated ecards.

Build the ecard. You can choose up to 6 images for making a background image for the Ecard. To create the card, you would have to drag and drop images onto the space.

Personalize the ecard. Personalize the ecard by filling in Send To email field on the page. After you are done, you can preview the ecard and immediately send it on the same day or at a later date.

Advantages of an E-greeting card

E-cards are a boon when it comes to expressing ones feelings and staying in touch. Users have a wide plethora of cards to choose from, irrespective of the occasion. Moreover they can add a personal touch to the e-cards. Users can send eCards to more than five recipients at a time.

E-greeting card Drawbacks and Dangers

E-greetings are stored for the duration of fifteen or thirty days or more in some cases. Some ecards cannot be viewed on some browsers as the browsers do not support the features of the given ecard or in case the user does not have a JAVA-enabled browser for viewing.

Many e-Greeting enthusiasts claim that ecards are cheaper than the traditional paper formats. Besides expressing feelings and getting in touch with loved ones, you can use an ecard as a marketing method.