GCU Forum - Photo Card Feedback ...

Peggy_137160

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artist

Posts: 760

Photo Card Feedback ...
Nov 15^th, 2009, 6:10am

Hi Fellow artists -

Just checking in for other points of view. I finally created some "your photo here!" Holiday cards - some with Happy Holidays, some with Season's Greetings, etc. Of course their primary category is Holidays: Christmas: Photo Cards. But for the secondary category I was choosing final sub cat of Happy Holidays or Season's Greetings, based on the text on the front. The reviewer thought that Scrapbooking was a more appropriate category. I VERY MUCH appreciate what the reviewers do, and rarely do I not go "oh yeah! of course!". But this time I am questioning the automatic second cat of scrapbooking for photo greeting cards. To me, scrapbooking has a very specific collage-type look, but then again, it's not something I'm very familiar with.

What do my fellow artists think? This is my attempt to learn and expand my thinking instead of staying within my little closed box way of thought ... Wink

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Eva_135867 Full Member artist Posts: 191	Re: Photo Card Feedback ... Reply #1 - Nov 15^th, 2009, 7:09am Hi, I choose for my Christmas Photo Cards as second category "Collections" / "Photo Cards / Scrapbook Designs" / "Christmas". Eva
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Tom_133317

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Posts: 2169

Re: Photo Card Feedback ...
Reply #2 - Nov 15^th, 2009, 7:43am

Quote from Eva_135867 on Nov 15^th, 2009, 7:09am:

Hi, I choose for my Christmas Photo Cards as second category "Collections" / "Photo Cards / Scrapbook Designs" / "Christmas". Eva

That's what Mindy said to do, and until they say it is OK to place these cards in non-photo card categories I think we should try the current ones out first. Likely they will get more exposure in the recommended categories anyway.

It's a good question though! I'm sure GCU will thnk this one over. Sometimes putting an "oddball" card in well shopped category can give the shopper an idea that hadn't considered.

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Ernestine_131365

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Posts: 853

Re: Photo Card Feedback ...
Reply #3 - Nov 15^th, 2009, 7:57am

Quote from Peggy_137160 on Nov 15^th, 2009, 6:10am:

. . . The reviewer thought that Scrapbooking was a more appropriate category. . . But this time I am questioning the automatic second cat of scrapbooking for photo greeting cards. To me, scrapbooking has a very specific collage-type look, but then again, it's not something I'm very familiar with. What do my fellow artists think? This is my attempt to learn and expand my thinking instead of staying within my little closed box way of thought ... Wink

Another example, I feel, of the reviewers trying to put square pegs into round holes. Scrapbooking does not always entail a collage style nor is a collage style necessarily always fit into scrapbooking . . whether they entail using a customers photo/words or not. To some, slapping a card into the scrapbooking venue is misleading.

'e'

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Eva_135867 Full Member artist Posts: 191	Re: Photo Card Feedback ... Reply #4 - Nov 15^th, 2009, 8:26am Hi, we could ask Mindy for subcategory Photo Cards for every Christmas category. And for some other Holidays Card Categories, for Birthday, for Wedding and ... What do you other think about this? Eva
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Petra_Katrine_137769 Junior Member artist Posts: 68	Re: Photo Card Feedback ... Reply #5 - Nov 15^th, 2009, 10:30am I don't understand why we need a separate category for photo insert cards in the first place. To me, a greeting card is a greeting card. There are a lot of categories already, some of them confusing to me, so adding more just makes it harder to submit new ideas.
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Linda_132742

Gold Member
artist

Posts: 1796

Re: Photo Card Feedback ...
Reply #6 - Nov 15^th, 2009, 10:50am

Petra,
I feel your pain.....I remember when I started here I was overwhelmed, and that was 2 years ago when there weren't as many categories and overall choices. The learning curve for me was pretty steep. However, I stuck with it and one day it all just started to make sense and the forum helped me a great deal. Hang in there, I think it is definitely worth it, has been for me both monetaraily and learning wise. I have garnished more practical technical knowledge than I got from getting a Graphic Design degree.
Feel free to email me if you need specific help. I use Photoshop on a Mac.
Linda

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Mindy

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Community Manager

Posts: 6567
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Re: Photo Card Feedback ...
Reply #7 - Nov 17^th, 2009, 2:36pm

The "Scrapbook" in the category name Photo Cards / Scrapbook Designs is not intended for Scrapbooking the hobby but "scrapbook" designs where the layout of the design is as the page in a scrapbook would be. This was created some time ago and I think we've outgrown it so we have changed it to Photo Cards / Your Picture Here.

Right now for Photo Cards the 2 categories should be for example:
Collections >> Photo Cards / Scrapbook Designs >> Christmas
Holidays >> Christmas >> Photo Cards

HOWEVER we are open to the idea of allowing these cards in their "functional" category as well. Hmm, Let us think it over. It would not be out of place to have a Happy Holidays photo card in the Happy Holidays subcategory and as Tom said it may give shoppers an idea they never considered until seeing it. In order to do this the artist will need to sacrifice one of the Photo Card subcategories above - Collections would probably be the smarter casualty. Thoughts? Roll Eyes

A few important things to remember when creating Photo Cards:
1) Artist's Notes
Indicate in your Artist's Notes something along the lines of "I will put your own digital photo in this card for you. Please contact me."

2) Card Image text
In the photo area of your card design consider adding some instructional text like "Your Photo Here" or "Contact me to put your Photo Here" or include a sample photo with watermarking text over it.

3) Card Title & Keywords
Be sure to include "photo card" and/or "your photo goes here" in your title and keywords to provide valuable details for search engines

As discussed here on the forum:
http://www.greetingcarduniverse.com/forum/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1255481380

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Tom_133317

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Posts: 2169

Re: Photo Card Feedback ...
Reply #8 - Nov 17^th, 2009, 3:11pm

I can think of hundreds of categories where these could apply, such as awards in all sorts of sports and hobbies, graduations, announcements, invitations ... so perhaps having them within the category would be OK since savvy shoppers know to do an in-category search for "photocard" already, and adding hundreds of new subcategories (or 1000s!) for photo cards-only types seems unnecessary.

On that search subject, I'd recommend an Advance Search feature be added "up top," similar in fuctionality to the one here in the forum. You already know what happens if you type in "photo card" today "up top" - a whole lot of everything; rather useless. A search that could allow ALL WORDS, EXACT PHRASE, etc, would really be helpful to shoppers, including when looking for photo cards addressing certain needs. I should be able to type "Christmas photo cards" in an advance search and get exactly what I want, no matter where they are. Today I don't even dare try.

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Doreen_137017

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artist

Posts: 5274

Re: Photo Card Feedback ...
Reply #9 - Nov 17^th, 2009, 3:24pm

Quote from Mindy on Nov 17^th, 2009, 2:36pm:

The "Scrapbook" in the category name Photo Cards / Scrapbook Designs is not intended for Scrapbooking the hobby but "scrapbook" designs where the layout of the design is as the page in a scrapbook would be. This was created some time ago and I think we've outgrown it so we have changed it to Photo Cards / Your Picture Here.

Right now for Photo Cards the 2 categories should be for example:
Collections >> Photo Cards / Scrapbook Designs >> Christmas
Holidays >> Christmas >> Photo Cards

HOWEVER we are open to the idea of allowing these cards in their "functional" category as well. Hmm, Let us think it over. It would not be out of place to have a Happy Holidays photo card in the Happy Holidays subcategory and as Tom said it may give shoppers an idea they never considered until seeing it. In order to do this the artist will need to sacrifice one of the Photo Card subcategories above - Collections would probably be the smarter casualty. Thoughts? Roll Eyes

A few important things to remember when creating Photo Cards:
1) Artist's Notes
Indicate in your Artist's Notes something along the lines of "I will put your own digital photo in this card for you. Please contact me."

2) Card Image text
In the photo area of your card design consider adding some instructional text like "Your Photo Here" or "Contact me to put your Photo Here" or include a sample photo with watermarking text over it.

3) Card Title & Keywords
Be sure to include "photo card" and/or "your photo goes here" in your title and keywords to provide valuable details for search engines

As discussed here on the forum:
http://www.greetingcarduniverse.com/forum/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1255481380

I think you are right Mindy and Tom, some of our 'regular customers' might not pick up on the idea that we are offering these photo cards until they are browsing a holiday category and the light bulb goes Grin

I say YES PLEASE and if you wish to change my Scrapbook Category to:

#525813 Holidays>>Christmas>>Animals/Pets>>Dogs
#525796 Holidays>>Christmas>>Animals/Pets>>Cats

I think they would do well in that Pet Lovers Category!

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Kathy_131728

Gold Member
artist

Posts: 610

Re: Photo Card Feedback ...
Reply #10 - Nov 17^th, 2009, 3:55pm

Hi Mindy,
In some ways I think it makes sense to have the photo cards in a separate category like they are today. I think people are just not used to seeing them here, so it may take awhile for them to take off. If they are grouped with the other cards, that may end up confusing shoppers in another way. Shoppers who really don't want photo cards may think why are all these photo cards mixed in with other cards? I just want to see cards without photos.
I think part of what may confuse shoppers is that many of the artists do not specifically say I will place this photo on the card for you. The very first Christmas photo card says something about placing your own 4 x 6 photo here, so as a shopper in this case I would think I have to order the card and put my own photo there. Anyway, I think we artists can do a lot to help this category by being very specific about what we can do for the customers so there is no doubt we will put their photo on the card for them. I think this is the main issue, customers don't realize we will put the photo on these cards.
Just my opinion.
Kathy

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Kathy_131728

Gold Member
artist

Posts: 610

Re: Photo Card Feedback ...
Reply #11 - Nov 17^th, 2009, 4:13pm

Me again...just another thought. I don't know if there is anywhere on the site where you could put the part about the artist will put the photo on the card, so this is never a question in the mind of the customer. That way you are not relying on each indiviudal artist, but there is a common message about all cards that are in the photo card category.
Kathy

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Ernestine_131365

Gold Member
artist

Posts: 853

Re: Photo Card Feedback ...
Reply #12 - Nov 19^th, 2009, 9:10pm

I believe to some customers the wording: ". . . put photo ON card" or even "your photo goes here" can be misconstrued to mean "attach your own photo here" Perhaps something like "the artist will incorporate your photo/image into the design printed on the card/cards. . . all you have to do is . . . " But I agree with Kathy, there should be some kind of basic explanation that is standard.

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Mindy

GCU Administrator
Community Manager

Posts: 6567
Gender: female

Re: Photo Card Feedback ...
Reply #13 - Nov 20^th, 2009, 2:37pm

Quote from Doreen_137017 on Nov 17^th, 2009, 3:24pm:

Quote from Mindy on Nov 17^th, 2009, 2:36pm:

The "Scrapbook" in the category name Photo Cards / Scrapbook Designs is not intended for Scrapbooking the hobby but "scrapbook" designs where the layout of the design is as the page in a scrapbook would be. This was created some time ago and I think we've outgrown it so we have changed it to Photo Cards / Your Picture Here.

Right now for Photo Cards the 2 categories should be for example:
Collections >> Photo Cards / Scrapbook Designs >> Christmas
Holidays >> Christmas >> Photo Cards

HOWEVER we are open to the idea of allowing these cards in their "functional" category as well. Hmm, Let us think it over. It would not be out of place to have a Happy Holidays photo card in the Happy Holidays subcategory and as Tom said it may give shoppers an idea they never considered until seeing it. In order to do this the artist will need to sacrifice one of the Photo Card subcategories above - Collections would probably be the smarter casualty. Thoughts? Roll Eyes

A few important things to remember when creating Photo Cards:
1) Artist's Notes
Indicate in your Artist's Notes something along the lines of "I will put your own digital photo in this card for you. Please contact me."

2) Card Image text
In the photo area of your card design consider adding some instructional text like "Your Photo Here" or "Contact me to put your Photo Here" or include a sample photo with watermarking text over it.

3) Card Title & Keywords
Be sure to include "photo card" and/or "your photo goes here" in your title and keywords to provide valuable details for search engines

As discussed here on the forum:
http://www.greetingcarduniverse.com/forum/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1255481380

I think you are right Mindy and Tom, some of our 'regular customers' might not pick up on the idea that we are offering these photo cards until they are browsing a holiday category and the light bulb goes Grin

I say YES PLEASE and if you wish to change my Scrapbook Category to:

#525813 Holidays>>Christmas>>Animals/Pets>>Dogs
#525796 Holidays>>Christmas>>Animals/Pets>>Cats

I think they would do well in that Pet Lovers Category!

Done!

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Mindy

GCU Administrator
Community Manager

Posts: 6567
Gender: female

Re: Photo Card Feedback ...
Reply #14 - Nov 20^th, 2009, 2:43pm

Quote from Tom_133317 on Nov 17^th, 2009, 3:11pm:

I can think of hundreds of categories where these could apply, such as awards in all sorts of sports and hobbies, graduations, announcements, invitations ... so perhaps having them within the category would be OK since savvy shoppers know to do an in-category search for "photocard" already, and adding hundreds of new subcategories (or 1000s!) for photo cards-only types seems unnecessary.

On that search subject, I'd recommend an Advance Search feature be added "up top," similar in fuctionality to the one here in the forum. You already know what happens if you type in "photo card" today "up top" - a whole lot of everything; rather useless. A search that could allow ALL WORDS, EXACT PHRASE, etc, would really be helpful to shoppers, including when looking for photo cards addressing certain needs. I should be able to type "Christmas photo cards" in an advance search and get exactly what I want, no matter where they are. Today I don't even dare try.

Will pass on your advance search suggestions on to the tech tech team, thanks.

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