The internet is full or both brilliant and bad choices for users, and it’s the same for ecards – namely free ecards.

If you Googled “ecards”, you’ll probably find a huge amount of ads and free ecards to choose from. However, you should always proceed with caution. Security, hidden charges, poor quality and third party advertising are just some of the risks.

So, eCo2 Greetings is here to help explain why you should avoid free ecards as well as the risks involved. We’ll guide you through the safety checks you should make when receiving an ecard along with the benefits of high-quality ecards.

Read on to learn more about why your company should stay clear of free electronic holiday ecards for businesses…

Why send an ecard?

Ecards are becoming more and more popular as we become a digital society but there’s more to it than that.

Personalisation is the biggest advantage of ecards over paper alternatives. Personalising the ecard to fit each recipient will allow you to take your relationships to another level. You have a great opportunity to connect with an ecard.

Read more: What to Write in a Business Christmas Card

When you factor in the ecological cost of making and printing the card as well as the petrol used in having it delivered, then there is no real competition. Holiday ecards for businesses are far more eco-friendly than hard copy paper cards. Green businesses have an edge over non-green businesses as being environmentally responsible is essential for brand image.

People are more likely to use their PC and smartphone to buy or send a card. In fact, people are more likely now to create a personalised ecard to send to their friends and family than go to a shop and buy a card. Christmas ecards are the modern solution to sending out those all-important season’s greetings for businesses.

Learn more about our Christmas eCards for the upcoming season

Ecards allow for quicker and cost-effective communication compared to cards. It’s one simple online process that takes no time at all. Ecards for business can be designed well in advance. They can also be changed right up until the date of sending and cost less. They’re a richer experience and ensure you’re keeping up with modern communication.

Why you should avoid free ecard websites

Some of the reasons to avoid free ecards include everything from poor quality to safety concerns online – they’re rarely made with you in mind.

Learn more about our incredible eCards – Premium and for Christmas

Free ecards are often created on a shoestring budget. This means that they lack the investment in top-quality features that the corporate sector deserves and expect from an ecard product. This is because are largely the same websites and organizations that offer them to the residential sector.

The residential ecard industry is dominated by free offerings or ones that charge subscriptions. These customers demand low-level functionality for low expenditure. Therefore, you will inherit these budget products. Furthermore, the residential sector expects more humorous ecard themes, so the free holiday ecards have a lack of professionalism.

Think to yourself for a moment, would you want a dancing Santa representing your business? Would you want to send out a cheap-looking ecard? We can only imagine the answer is “no” – you want your ecards to be made to as high a standard as luxury cards.

Read more: Best Ways for Businesses to Communicate with Customers

Another issue with websites that produce free electronic holiday cards for businesses is that most generate their revenues by hosting commercial adverts. So, if you send your free ecards to thousands of your customers, they may be inundated with adverts. Surely, your ecards should only be about your company, branding, products and relationship with the recipient.

Ecard Security Tips

Not to criticise free ecards providers, but security can be a risk when you hand over details. So, here are some security tips for ecards.

Improve your corporate communication with our eco-friendly eCards

Most ecards you receive from friends are safe and easy to use. However, since there nearly always scams going around on the internet. This is especially important since ecards are hugely popular during the holiday season.

Here are some things to watch out for if you receive an ecard:

• Spelling mistakes in words or in your name.
• Errors in the message, for example, it says you sent a card, not received one.
• Senders who are not known to you. Why would anybody you don’t know send you an ecard?
• Delete ecards from unknown sources.
• Always check the email, even if the ecard looks like it’s come from a reliable source.
• Never open or download an attachment from an unknown source. Likewise, never click on a link in an ecard from an unknown source
• Do not make purchases or charity donations in response to eCards.
• Always read the terms and conditions from for ecard companies.

These tips are very much the same as those to protect you from scam emails.

If a real ecard came to you from a real company, it will have been edited by quite a few people before it finds its way to you. The chance of a professional ecard supplier, via a business, sending you an email with spelling errors is very small. Scams are about sending an email and stealing your private information as quickly as possible.

Read more: Getting Your Corporate Message Spot On

Even though ecards may be tempting to open, if it is from someone you don’t know, don’t open it. Would you send an ecard to someone you don’t know? It doesn’t make any sense. Likewise, if there is no sender name, don’t open it. Yes, mistakes happen and you forget a name, but it’s much better to be safe than sorry.

Eco 2 Greetings is here to help your business with our selection of high-quality eco-friendly corporate eCards – you can quickly design your own with a choice of templates available, choose from our range of Premium eCards which will include animation, or get something extra special with our completely bespoke eCard service!