The e-card is an "email greetings card" that can be Flash animated or as simple as a static image, and sent to friends or relatives over the internet. Hitwise, an online competitive intelligence website, claims that the e-card is down from 16-29%. However, where e-greetings traffic has been declining, traffic to social networking sites has been increasing during seasonal occasions. But what are the pros and cons to sending an e-card? Pros - There are fancy and happy animations with music to brighten someone's day or make them laugh.
- With certain e-card websites, you can set your account to remind you of all important dates and events.
- Anyone with an email account can receive your e-card
Cons - Some people tend not to open the email as they are often mistaken for spam. There are also lots of e-cards out there that contain a virus that can infect your computer.
Based upon the pros and cons listed above, it seems clear that the e-card is here to stay. However, if social networking sites were to adopt new features, for instance to incorporate events and extensive reminder systems, then the e-card could fall short. It is fair to say that social networks are not going to kill the e-card overnight, but there is great potential if social networks play their (e)cards right. |
