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A Guest Post By Lily Fox
It has become increasingly common for holiday greetings cards to be sent online, rather than through traditional posting. An online card has some notable advantages over traditional cards, from the speed and cost of sending, through to the opportunity for personalization.
At the same time, however, the benefits of sending and receiving holiday e-cards can be set against the disadvantages of losing a tangible card, and be problems with templates. Some of these advantages and disadvantages are listed below:
PROS
1 – Fast and Easy
Sending and receiving cards online is typically free, or at least at a very low cost compared to sending a card through the post. In the same way, senders save money on buying stamps, and are more likely to send a large amount of e-cards as a result. Sending e-cards has the similar advantage of reducing a backlog of post during the holiday period.
2 – Easier to Personalize
Online cards can be easier to personalize than a more generic card, where you may only have the space to write a message. Holiday cards sent online can include photos and videos, as well as more space to add in detailed messages as part of an email or social networking attachment.
3 – Cuts Down on Space
Sending seasonal cards online mean that there is less likelihood of cards being thrown away after the holidays. Sending cards online also means that people do not end up with drawerfuls of cards every year, which can eventually mount up to be thrown away.
4 – Allows People to Send Out More Cards
The ability to send out more e-cards does create the advantage of being more social, and to make sure that more people receive cards than they would normally. Sending e-cards via social networks also means that it is possible to connect to people that you wouldn’t typically have a physical address for to send a card.
5 – Online Service Reminders
An online e-card service can often be enhanced through reminders and receipts for sending cards. These reminders are also useful in the sense that they offer a longer window in which to email out cards, rather than having to deal with post.
CONS
1 – Can’t Be Put On Display in the Same Way
As advanced as e-cards have become, they still lack some of the tangible quality of a traditional card. While e-cards can be printed and displayed by the receiver, this adds extra hassle compared to displaying or hanging up cards sent through the post. In this way, an e-card can be less memorable at holiday times, and might lead someone to forget that they have received a card from a person. A tangible, card in the post is also more likely to be appreciated by older relatives, who may be unused to sending and receiving e-cards.
2 – Still Limited By Templates
As strong as the options are for designing an e-card, the final results can vary in terms of quality. You may also find that the templates used by sites can be generic, and that you prefer the look and feel of more traditional cards.
Lily Fox is a greeting card designer for Scribbler. She enjoys creative pursuits, writing punch lines, building personal relationships, and making alternative rude funny cards.
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