The Ultimate Guide to Understanding eCards

From the chime of an email alert to the closing of the mailbox cover, there’s no greater sensation than receiving correspondence (unless it’s an invoice). There’s an intimate bond that accompanies a card—whether virtual or tangible. However, there have been some current (well, relatively current) greeting card innovations, and if you’re inexperienced in the digital realm, you might find yourself wondering, “what is an eCard?”

In essence, eCards are digital iterations of greeting cards that you’d send out for various occasions (birthdays, holidays, anniversaries, congratulations, condolences), but they’re more than that. An e-card is an online greeting card sent via the web, typically directly to someone’s email inbox. 

eCards are causing traditional paper cards to become as extinct as dinosaurs. They are adaptable, eco-friendly, everlasting, enjoyable to create, swift, and economical (which can be a lifesaver if you need to dispatch a card at the last moment).

Yet, we’re jumping the gun on eCards. To align you with the 21st century, our greeting card specialists have assembled this comprehensive guide to electronic cards. So, let’s transition from stationary to in-eCard-motion. 

What Defines an E-card?

E-cards are online greeting cards crafted through a website (like Inkspired Gifts). Although commonly shared via email, e-cards can also be printed, viewed as a slideshow, posted on social media, or sent through direct links.

In other scenarios, an eCard could signify a virtual credit card or a substitute for your physical library card (but if you’re searching for that here—you’re astray, friend). These can operate like company cash or aid you in checking out eBooks from a central library database. 

As a greeting card, an e-card can be personalized with distinctive backgrounds, employ various forms of media (photos, videos, gifs, text), and more. These attributes make it effortless to tailor the eCard for the person it’s being sent to.

Furthermore, you can purchase eCards entirely online and dispatch them to the person instantly. That means no more time squandered sifting through traditional greeting card choices at the store to find the perfect one. And reconsider queuing up, as online payment options are straightforward.

If you’re seeking more information about eCard vendors, have a look at Our 19 Picks for the Best eCards.

How Can I Create An E-Card?

Fashioning the ideal eCard is so effortless, even a caveman could manage it (wait, who said that?). Start by locating a website that provides e-cards that align with your requirements (there are numerous, from Paperless Post to Inkspired Gifts). Some offer online invitations, basic birthday cards, or group cards (that’s us!).

If you’re using Inkspired Gifts, visit the website and press “create a Inkspired Gifts.” Input the recipient’s name, select an occasion, and decide if you want to collect contributions for a gift card. 

Next, select your eCard type based on how many participants you have. There’s a lite option for small groups, a premium eCard to unite many people, and a milestone board for unlimited contributors. there’s also a free eCard demo to help you get accustomed to the platform.

Now for the exciting part, crafting your digital greeting card. Personalize the background, add a heartfelt note, and invite others. Anyone with the link can post their personal message to the board using any type of media they prefer. To share with contributors, click “add contributors” at the top of the card. Share the board via email, social networks, direct link, or QR code. Finally, press “schedule delivery.”

What are Some E-Card Ideas for Occasions?

An E-card is a remarkable substitute to a paper printed card for numerous occasions. An electronic card is both personal and workplace fitting, simplifying the process of celebrating the recipient and any special occasion.

e-Cards are commonly the go-to option for the workplace, as they make gathering everyone around a special event and maintaining budgets easy. In a virtual environment, it’s straightforward to monitor the eCard count to ensure every employee is celebrated, acknowledged, and valued. 

From small firms to large corporations, businesses of all sizes employ eCards to commemorate, often within their employee recognition systems. This way, they can correctly reward employees for their diligence, acknowledge work anniversaries, and more. These platforms employ premium eCards to forge connections and establish a culture.

If you’re an individual, it’s crucial to consider the recipient’s email accessibility when dispatching an eCard. Grandma can’t read your customized message or view her bespoke eCard if she struggles accessing her email. Even worse, if she thinks “what is an ecard?” and moves it to her junk folder, you might need to bring her up to speed before sending a board signed by family members.

However, if your recipient is prepared, send forth and celebrate with a digital eCards. Here are some typical types you’ll discover online: 

Fathers Day E-card

Why did we choose this one first? So you don’t forget it! Your father’s Father’s Day card is simplified with virtual greeting cards. A Father’s Day eCard is a splendid way to honor the men in your life, whether it be your grandfather, father, brother, uncle, husband, son, or anyone else. Father’s Day eCards are a fantastic way to express “thanks” to the men who have made a difference in our lives (as well as provide proof that you care for them). 

If they have ever assumed a paternal role for you or for someone close to you, it is perfectly fitting to celebrate by sending them a Father’s Day eCard. If you wish to make the eCard even more exceptional, you can display it as a slideshowon Father’s Day.

Mother’s Day E-Card

A Mother’s Day E-Card is a perfect method to convey “I cherish you” to the mothers and women who have positively impacted our lives. Children, grandchildren, and others can take part in the creation of the digital card by adding cherished photos, memories, and more. Mother’s Day eCards can also be enhanced with humorous GIFs and heartfelt notes for your mother or grandmother.

Additionally, Mother’s Day eCards are ideal for grandmothers who might reside at a distance from their children and grandchildren, allowing everyone to partake in making Grandma feel particularly cherished, regardless of their location. Curious to explore more? Have a look at our preferred Mother’s Day card example.

Graduation E-Card

Digital greetings provide a delightful and enjoyable approach to honoring the graduate. It marks such a significant milestone deserving of acclaim, be it high school, college, or even kindergarten graduation.

Through Inkspired Gifts, crafting graduation cards becomes an uncomplicated and enjoyable process. Friends, family, and others have the opportunity to contribute fun graduation messages, GIFs, memes, photos, unforgettable moments, and more. The eCards can be customized to reflect the school the graduate attended, align with the student’s field of study, or styled with other extracurricular interests.

Everyone appreciates gifts, and an option exists to gather funds for a gift card from contributors. Group graduation eCards provide enjoyment in creation and will elevate the recipient’s sense of importance. There have even been alumni Inkspired Gifts honoring faculty and peer graduates.

Engagement E-Card

An engagement is certainly a momentous occasion deserving of celebration (and no, we’re not merely stating the obvious). Couples embark upon an adventurous and hopefully enduring journey together with an engagement brimming with optimism.

Honor that special moment by celebrating the newly betrothed couple with an engaging eCard from a group (or yourself). Inkspired Gifts’ engagement cards can also include fund collections for a gift card for the joyous couple.

Need more information? Examine this engagement card example crafted by a group for their newly engaged friends.

Anniversary E-Card

Anniversary eCards offer a splendid option for your spouse, partner, boyfriend or girlfriend, parents, grandparents, or anyone else commemorating a significant anniversary. If their relationship has influenced you, either directly or by their example, both you and the recipient will find joy in jointly celebrating their anniversary via an eCard.

Farewell/Retirement E-Card

Goodbyes are never easy, and retirements often possess a bittersweet tinge. A digital farewell or retirement card serves as a thoughtful way to mark these occasions. It provides the perfect platform for colleagues to express parting wishes, career memories, share photos, and more.

Even if the farewell or retirement is abrupt, it is still practical and fitting to send a corresponding eCard. There is truly never an inappropriate time for receiving an eCard.

Online Funeral Memorial Board

The loss of a beloved one is always challenging. Many may struggle to find the right words or express their condolences. An eCard or memorial board offers a meaningful and caring method to convey sympathy.

Memorial sites enable families, friends, and loved ones to cooperate in sharing memories of the departed. They offer a considerate and practical way for geographically dispersed family and friends to express their reflections and feelings. They also endure endlessly and can be used to create a memorial slideshow as a celebration of the loved one’s life. Virtual funeral guest books via eCards are another option for loved ones to consider.

Thank You E-Card

Demonstrating gratitude through thank you cards is a tradition upheld for what feels like eons. While paper versions were the norm for centuries, they have waned in popularity.

Nowadays, thank you eCards represent the top choice for any appreciation occasion, personalized with ease and inclusive of virtual gift cards.

Craving a visualization? Instances where thank you cards could be utilized encompass: expressing gratitude to healthcare providers, teachers, mentors, leaders, supervisors, and beyond. Expressing appreciation incurs no cost, and adding a special touch by curating an extra special eCard conveys your gratitude.

Birthday E-Card

Birthdays are delightfully celebrated by everyone! A birthday eCard presents a thoughtful way for a group to celebrate someone you cherish. Enhance the occasion for the birthday individual with videos, delightful memories, GIFS, and memes for a more animated eCard experience.

Explore a birthday eCard sample showcasing contributions from family and friends.

Congratulations eCards

No matter the reason for congratulations, a congrats e-card is the optimal choice. Congratulating someone encompasses many occasions, such as a new job, the accomplishment of a personal milestone, wedding/engagement, graduation, career advancements, work anniversaries, and so on.

Holiday eCards

Many individuals send holiday cards to update how their family has evolved, inform their beloved ones about their past year’s happenings, and simply extend festive good wishes. A contemporary way to disperse your yearly updates is through a holiday eCard.

The best aspect? Holiday eCards eliminate postage and printing costs. You can spread Christmas cheer via eCards to your entire network, including those who might not “make the cut” (shh, your secret is safe with us). Review our sample holiday group eCard from Inkspired Gifts.

New Baby E-Card

Celebrating a new baby is a cause for excitement (no shocker there). New baby eCards present an excellent means to announce a newborn or extend congratulations to new parents on their newest joy-filled addition.

Parents can also commemorate the occasion by crafting a new baby slideshow with Inkspired Gifts (because everyone delights in viewing baby photos). Printing the eCard as a baby book to give as a cherished gift is another option.

Get Well Soon E-Card

When someone is unwell, it feels considerate to convey that they are in your thoughts. A marvelous way to let someone know they’re thought of is via a get well soon eCard.

The clear advantage of digital greetings over traditional cards is the absence of transferring sickness (yuck!). Online cards ensure you remain safe within the digital realm.

How Do I Share and Send E-Cards?

Advancements in technology have eased the distribution and sending of digital cards. Although email is the conventional method, Inkspired Gifts provides four unique options for sharing an eCard: direct link, email, QR code, and social platforms. Additionally, Inkspired Giftss can be showcased as slideshows at gatherings, printed as a poster, or even compiled into a book.

For additional details on sending digital cards, consider these articles:

• The Process of Sending eCards via Text
• Sending an eCard through Email
• Incorporating a Gift Card with your eCard
• Sending a Digital Birthday Card

The Importance of E-Cards

eCards have been in existence for a significant period (reminiscent of 1994!), and their significance lies in making celebrations both entertaining and accessible. Ecards provide what physical cards cannot: individuality, uniqueness, and more.

Though the list can be extensive, here are our six preferred reasons why Ecards will remain in use. They are:

Eco-Friendly: Naturally, E-Cards are eco-friendly as they require no printing. Help conserve a tree by opting for an eCard.

Efficient with Time: While obtaining a paper card might seem straightforward, it involves time in selection (and finding one not too ordinary). eCards can be made swiftly and effortlessly, with opportunities for personalizing to avoid common messages found in paper cards. It also permits group contributions as all parties can join in simultaneously—wherever they may be.

Facilitates Collaboration: Crafting a group eCard is straightforward and uncomplicated while retaining all the advantages of a digital card. With an easy click of a button, you can share an eCard for friends, family, or colleagues to sign. Subsequently, distribute the Inkspired Gifts in four unique methods, QR code, social media, email, and direct link. This inclusivity allows multiple people to add sentiments, making the card more meaningful for the one receiving it.

Customizable: eCards excel due to their simplicity in editing, customizing, and personalizing. Users can create themed eCards for kin and acquaintances (everyone may include GIFs, videos, or pictures tailored to a theme). Various media can be incorporated, emphasizing the special touch of an eCard.

Durable: While traditional cards are long-lasting, eCards persist indefinitely (unless there is an internet disruption, let’s hope not). The recipient can revisit the eCard anytime or have it transformed into a slideshow or printed copy.

Are Digital Cards Available for Businesses?

Indeed! Organizations have numerous applications for eCards, providing a cost-effective method for acknowledging employees, commemorating retirements, offering compliments, welcoming new staff, and more. Businesses that prioritize workplace appreciation and acknowledge their employees’ contributions foster enhanced motivation and boost job satisfaction.

In many scenarios, organizations utilize employee recognition software offering limitless eCards, automations, and other potent features. This facilitates expansion of their employee engagement with genuine praise, ensuring no team member is overlooked.

Popular corporate eCard scenarios include:

Employee Recognition

Companies often use eCards for employee recognition by creating shout-out or satisfaction boards. Leaders and managers can utilize these for personal thank-you gestures to recognize dedicated staff.

Moreover, with shout-out boards, companies can honor any employee who surpasses expectations for their team. Additionally, they can enhance the experience with a digital gift card. Managers can leverage eCards to convey appreciation for surpassing goals, demonstrating the right work ethic, and more.

Retirement

Retirement is a bittersweet milestone for the employee and the organization (primarily for the latter). To celebrate this transition, a retirement eCard endorsed by colleagues and leaders who have collaborated with the retiring individual is a remarkable way to wish them well for their next journey.

Don’t take our word for it? Here’s a meaningful retirement eCard example signed by family and peers. Retirement eCards are a thoughtful approach to bidding farewell with heartfelt messages.

Welcome Cards

What better way to show teamwork than by greeting a new team member with a welcome eCard? Welcoming newcomers is essential during the onboarding process, ensuring they feel integrated and enhancing their experience.

Birthdays/Work Anniversaries

Organizations also use eCards to honor employee birthdays and work anniversaries. Utilizing eCards for these occasions is an innovative and budget-friendly way to ensure everyone feels appreciated, enabling multiple colleagues to sign the card digitally without circulating a physical card. 

Expense

Costs may vary among brands, based on whether they provide simple free eCards or more comprehensive group cards. For instance, Inkspired Gifts begins with a business plan for a limited user count at just $299. Companies benefit from unlimited board posts, numerous board creators, Slack and Teams integrations, and more.

How are eCards Utilized by Remote Teams?

Remote teams can equally capitalizeof digital cards to facilitate connections among employees separated by distance. Remote and hybrid teams frequently utilize digital cards for:

Birthdays

Everyone loves to be acknowledged on their birthday, and remote companies can engage with their employees by sending digital birthday cards signed by colleagues.

Shout Outs

Everyone needs to feel valued for their dedication, and it feels rewarding to receive recognition. When employees are consistently operating from home, it might seem like the company overlooks their efforts, unlike when they are working on-site. In the absence of a physical high five, a virtual kudos board is an excellent method to communicate a “job well done.” Have a look at this entertaining shout out digital card example.

Work Anniversaries

Acknowledge your employees by expressing how much they are valued. Remote workers especially need to hear this as they aren’t frequently in the office. Here’s an example of a work anniversary digital card.

Welcome and Farewell Cards

Greeting new team members, especially those working remotely, is a crucial part of the onboarding experience. A welcome digital card helps new team members feel integrated into the team. Here are more creative ways for remote companies to incorporate digital cards into their operations.

Digital Card FAQ (For Remaining Queries)

How do I invite others to contribute to a digital card?

The eCard creator typically sends invites through email. Using Inkspired Gifts, board creators can distribute the board in four different ways: QR code, direct link, email, and social media. Anyone can contribute to the board without needing to register with Inkspired Gifts.

How can I make a digital card feel invaluable?

Creating a digital card that feels invaluable is straightforward. While paper cards are customary, digital cards can be tailored to the interests of the recipient. Here are a few suggestions to make a digital card feel invaluable:

• Include meaningful/humorous quotes: With digital cards, you can incorporate any text you desire. These might include amusing, heartfelt, and significant quotes that remind you of the recipient.
• Ensure timely delivery: Plan the eCard’s delivery so it reaches the recipient punctually. To make sure the recipient receives the eCard on the correct date, inform all contributors of their deadline for additions.
• Customize the background/personalize the font: To make a digital card truly distinct and special, customize the background and font to reflect the recipient. Use colors that the recipient appreciates to make them feel cherished.
• Convey gratitude: Expressing gratitude isn’t just for thank you cards; it can be used on any occasion. To make a digital card feel invaluable, express appreciation for everything the recipient has achieved.
• Share memories: Sharing memories of the recipient is an excellent method to make the digital card feel invaluable. These memories can be humorous or heartfelt.
• Include personal media: Making a digital card feel extra special can be achieved by adding personal media such as videos, photos, and text.
• Opt for a premium option: Selecting a purchased digital card over a complimentary eCard ensures that the card won’t track personal information or display pertinent advertisements. It will also carry a privacy notice for security.

What additional uses do digital cards offer?

Besides digital sharing through email, direct link, social media, or QR code, digital cards can be shared differently. For personal and corporate purposes, Inkspired Gifts cards can be presented as slideshows for viewing at events or gatherings.

Digital cards can also be printed as posters or a book, making them ideal gifts for various occasions like retirements, birthdays, anniversaries, and more.

What is the cost of digital cards?

Prices vary depending on the platform, with digital cards ranging from free to $19.99 for group cards for personal purposes. Also, there are eCard bundles available at a discount.

What distinguishes a digital card from a paper card?

It may seem surprising, but a digital card isn’t made of paper like a physical card. Instead, they are electronic cards that replace traditional greeting cards. Digital cards are suitable for any occasion and easy to send to recipients. They can be signed virtually and readily shared with contributors for group cards.

Why do digital cards have such popularity?

Digital cards continue to gain popularity because they are affordable, especially in comparison to paper card alternatives. They can also be personalized, making each one distinctive and perfect for any occasion, with the ability for multiple signatures. They add enjoyment to celebrations and acknowledgments as various media can be integrated into the card, rendering each one special for the recipients.