Ecards are a great resource for quickly sending personalized greetings for any occasion. What's even better is that most ecard sites are either completely free or they give you the option to send basic ecards at no charge. However, with the huge selection of ecards available online it can make choosing the right one rather difficult at times.
In a way, choosing an ecard is very similar to walking into your neighborhood Hallmark store and being confronted by aisle after aisle of paper greeting cards. The major advantage that an ecard site has over a greeting card store is that you can browse the vast selection of ecards without getting up from your computer.
The first thing you need to decide when choosing an ecard is what mood do you want to create. Certain occasions naturally determine the particular mood of an ecard. Expressions of sympathy and more formal occasions such as graduations and weddings, call for more serious forms of expression.
Most other occasions, including holidays, can be celebrated with either humor or more serious ecard greetings. You will also need to consider the personality of the person who will receive your ecard as well as your own personality. Are you typically known for your sense of humor?
If you're basically a serious person, then you may want to pass on the funny ecards. Humorous ecards may also not be the right choice for someone who is serious most of the time. However, if a humorous ecard is the right choice, then you can have lots of fun with the wide selection of funny ecards available online.
An added dimension of ecards online is the ability to create funny animated ecards. This is something you certainly can't get from a Hallmark store! The really neat feature of animated ecards is the way they tell a story. This is a great way to engage the recipient in the greeting and it also brings the ecard to life.
A step beyond animated ecards is interactive ecards. These are ecards where the recipient is encouraged to click on objects in the animation in order to progress through the story. Some interactive ecards are actually games where the recipient must chose the correct answer to get to the next step in the animation. These types of ecards can be a lot of fun for people who enjoy a challenge, but they can be irritating for others, so be careful when choosing an interactive ecard.
Sound plays a big role in most ecards online. Everything from sound effects to every type of music imaginable can be added to most ecards these days. There's nothing more romantic than sending a romantic anniversary ecard to a loved one with your special song. Just be careful when adding music or other sounds to an ecard. You don't want to embarrass the recipient if they are at work or in public when they receive it.
Perhaps the nicest feature of online ecards is the wide latitude you have in customizing them. Many ecard sites let you customize their designs by changing the backgrounds, selecting music and even adding your own photos and videos. Sites such as SmileBox.com allow you to create scrapbooks, slideshows, and photo albums from your own photos, videos, and even your own music. And don't forget the actual words you write in the online ecard. Saying what you really feel is what makes any ecard or greeting card for that matter, memorable.
