Getting Started
Introduction
estickies.com
is Earth Medicine, Inc.’s web software application service
for sending personalized electronic greeting cards. With estickies
you can:
- Differentiate yourself from the competition
by sending electronic greeting cards that show thoughtfulness
and caring.
- Build increased customer loyalty and repeat
business through on-going customer nurturance programs that express
ideas that are directed to the well-being, motivation and enhancement
of the receiver, rather than "in your face" advertisements
for products and services.
- Support employee training and development
programs and other organizational initiatives such as team-building,
leadership development, and customer service.
- Provide more personal ways of saying thank
you and showing appreciation.
- Offer unique ways of telling the recipient
that you care about them as an individual.
Create a New Account (Sign up for)
To signup and create a new estickies
account, simply click on any one of the home page links that say
“Sign up page” or “Start Here” or “Get
Started Now”. Enter your account information on the sign up
page. Be sure to include:
- E-mail address
- Company
- First Name
- Last Name
- Address
- City, State, Zip Code
- Country
- Phone Number
* All required fields must be completed.
In the Password field, create a password that is at least 4 characters
long with no spaces. Retype the password again in the Confirm Password
field.
Next, select your plan. You have three options to choose from.
They are:
Description of Plans
Tier 1
Tier 1 accounts are charged a small fee and receive additional
features and benefits. In addition to unlimited sending of cards,
you may store up to 250 recipients in your address
book. Plus you have the capability to create groups
of recipients, or mailing lists, and to create reminders on your
calendar. And you can brand your cards with your own logo.
If you select this plan you will be prompted next for your payment
information. Please follow the steps to enter your credit card and
order information. Once your transaction has been approved (usually
within seconds), you will be able to use your new account.
Tier 2
Tier 2 accounts are negotiated individually and receive all the
features and benefits of Tier 1, plus an even greater capacity and
the following customization, branding and personalization capabilities:
- A custom line of cards, images and greetings just for your organization
- Full sized logo and “postage stamp” on your cards
- Optional tagline on your cards
- Customized login page and branding of each application page
- Ability to personalize all e-mails and landing pages
If you select this plan, you will open a temporary Tier 1 (free)
account. Within 24 hours or the next business day, you will be contacted
by an account representative who will discuss your needs and requirements
in more detail, and outline a proposal to get you started using
your completely branded estickies web site for your own organization.
Tier 3
• We work directly with your organization to customize estickies for your specific requirements and needs. This plan allows your divisions, departments and employees to have individual accounts programmed into your site. You can define default corporate standards or allow each user to customize according to their needs.
• This option provides as much database capacity as you need and the highest level of branding and personalization available. We can even develop custom-designed artwork, postcards and categories just for your organization, following your marketing, branding and communication strategies.
• Your initial set-up fee of $2,500+ (for the first year one set-up only) includes your customized postmark; customized homepage incorporating the look and feel of your corporate image; programming to set up the number of divisions, departments, sites you need; setup of initial users and passwords; creation of standard report formats; selection of up to forty (40) estickies from our "ready-to-go" collection. And changes to these cards or creation of new cards available at an additional fee.
• $1,500 + a year for hosting fees, includes licensing of estickies art work and up to 10 users - additional fees for a larger number of users.
• Your estickies program will also be programmed so that your estickies recipient can click back to your corporate URL directly from their e-greeting to reinforce your corporate presence and branding.
• Each corporate plan is negotiated individually to meet your exact needs. After selecting your interest in this plan, you will be contacted by an Account Representative to discuss your ideas and requirements, provide an estimate of cost and to finalize and customize your account.
Additional features include: • Ability for designated administrator to gather email addresses from each user account and to create a master email list for corporate use and for-bulk mailing of estickies messages to specified groups as well as to the entire database. Administrator can review usage by individual, department, or division as well as to determine which cards or categories are most popular and may require additional cards. Corporate reports can be customized for your needs at an additional fee.
At any time you many choose to
upgrade
your account from Tier 1 to Tier 2 or Tier 3.
Select your plan and click the Continue button. Your account will
be opened (Tier 1 and 3) or you will be moved to the next
step (Tier 2).
Login
When you open your account for the first time, you may be logged
in automatically, or you may need to log yourself in after the process
is complete.
Simply enter your e-mail address and password in the designated
fields on the home page, and click Login. You will then be able
to navigate your account and send cards.
If you forget your password, type your e-mail address and click
on the link that reads “Send me my password”. Your password
will be e-mailed to you (assuming you have a valid account).
Send a Card
Once you are logged into your account, you can select a card to
send. You can enter your recipient while creating your card. Alternatively,
if you prefer to setup your address book in advance, including groups
and mailing lists, you can go immediately to your My
Account page and select Address
Book. Once you have completed the setup, click on one
of the Send a Card links to go back to the card selection page.
From the home page, click on the link for Selections or the link
for any one of the categories under the Selections heading.
To View and Select a Card
Cards are grouped by categories. Categories are usually defined
by the nature or purpose of the cards in the category. Examples
of categories might include:
- Birthday
- Congratulations
- Friendship
- Just Because
- Motivation
- Staying In Touch
- Thank You
To search by category, click on one of the listed card categories
in the Selection list or menu and then click the Show button.
Sometimes, your purpose might not fit within a particular category.
Or, you might not know what category the card you are seeking is
in. Perhaps some aspect of a card, such as the greeting text or
image, is important, and the category is not. To help you find cards
with common elements and themes across multiple categories, use
keywords.
The keywords feature is designed to help you find cards that match
the keyword you enter, within a particular category, or regardless
of category. Enter a keyword of your choice and click Go. If you
wish to find cards across different categories, be sure to select
the category All.
Using keywords will save you time and make it easier for you to
find the just the right card.
To search by keyword, click on any category in the Selections menu
or All. Type a keyword in the Search Keyword field and click Show.
For example, to find all cards in any category that have the keyword
“night” associated with them, type night in the keyword
field and click Show.
Note: If you select the category All,
you must enter a keyword to narrow your search.
To view an enlarged version of a card, click on the card itself
and the enlarged image will appear in a new window. Note the keywords
for this card are also listed on the enlarged image window.
To select the card, click the Select button under your chosen card.
This will take you to the Create, Preview and Send Card page.
Create, Preview, and Send
Cards are created by first selecting your greeting, then entering
your message, formatting your text, specifying your recipient(s),
and finally specifying when the card should be sent.
Specifying the timing of the card to be sent is optional. You can
send your card the same day it is created (usually immediately),
or at a future date that you select.
Select a Recipient or
Group
A recipient is the person or institution that you are e-mailing
your card to.
A group
is a mailing list compiled from selected recipients in your address
book. It provides a way to categorize your recipients
and easily send a card to a whole group at once. For example,
you may wish to create a group of all your customers, and one
of all your prospects.
Note: Groups are available to Tier
2 and 3 accounts only.
Your address
book manages your lists of recipients and groups.
To select an existing recipient from your address book, select
the recipient from the list box or menu.
To enter a recipient who is not already in your address book,
click on the New Recipient button. Complete the form on the New
Recipient page. Be sure to include the complete e-mail address
and first name of the recipient (required fields). Other recipient
information is optional. When complete, click the Save button.
To view existing recipients and groups, to add or edit more than
one recipient at a time, and to manage your groups or mailing
lists, click the Address
Book button.
Enter and Format your
Message
A message is the text or greeting written to the person or institution
that you are sending the card to. Type your message directly into
the Message box.
Choose from several font types, style, size and color options
given to enhance and personalize your greeting.
To customize the text font of the message to be sent, select
from the fonts listed in the Font Type list box.
To select the size of your font, select a point size from the
Font Size list box. The smaller the number, the smaller the size
of font. Font size “2” is the typical size for most
fonts (but they do vary).
To select the Font Style, check any, all, or none of the Font
Style checkboxes. You can choose to bold, italicize, and/or underline
your message.
To select the Font Color, select a color from the Font Color
list box.
Advanced users can embed HTML in the text of the message. For
example, you can use the <b> and </b> tags to bold
a particular word or phrase within your message. Or, use the <a>
and </a> tags to include a link to your own web page within
the message.
Specify the Timing
To specify the date your card will be sent, enter the date into
the “Date card will be sent” field. The default setting
is today’s date, but you may change this to send the card
at a later date.
To set a future date, simply type over the default date, or click
on the blue calendar icon. When the calendar opens, you can select
a day in any month to find the exact date you are looking for.
Click the date in the calendar and the window will close automatically
and your selected date will appear in the appropriate date field.
You will receive a confirmation e-mail on the day your card is
sent, and another e-mail on the day your card is opened by your
recipient.
To Preview and Send A
Card
To view your card before sending it, click on the Preview Your
Card button. You will see your card exactly the way your recipient
will see it.
To modify or edit your greeting card in any way, click the Go
Back button and make the desired changes before previewing again.
To send your card when you are ready and satisfied with the finished
look, click the Send Card button and the card will be sent on
the date you have specified.
You will receive a confirmation e-mail on the day your card is
sent, and another e-mail on the day your card is opened by your
recipient.
Note: Tier 3 accounts may customize
the text of these e-mail messages and add marketing copy, branding,
logos, taglines, product offerings, web links, etc. The e-mail
that contains the link to the card also contains text that will
be read by the recipient and can be customized using HTML by Tier
3 accounts.
My Account
Once you are logged into your account, click on the My Account
link to:
- Edit your account information
- Manage your address
book, recipients and
groups
- Manage your calendar
and set reminders
- Upload your logo (Tier 2)
- Customize your e-mail messages and web landing pages
Edit Information
To edit your account information, click on the Edit Information
button. Enter or your modify your account information. Be sure to
include:
- E-mail address
- Company
- First Name
- Last Name
- Address
- City, State, Zip Code
- Country
- Phone Number
* All required fields must be completed.
After you make any necessary changes, click Done.
Change Password
To change your password, click on the Change Password button. Your
password must be at least 4 characters with no spaces. Type in your
new password, retype to confirm, and then click Save.
Upgrade Account
You many choose to upgrade your account from Tier 1
to Tier 2 or Tier 3 at any time.
To upgrade your account, click the Upgrade Plan button. You will
see a description
of each plan.
Address Book
Your address book helps you manage your list of recipients
and groups.
It will include any recipients you create here and recipients you
create while sending cards. To enter your address book, click on
the Address Book button from your My Account page.
A recipient
is the individual that you are e-mailing your card to.
A group
is a mailing list compiled from selected recipients in your address
book. It provides a way to categorize your recipients and easily
send a card to a whole group at once. For example, you may wish
to create a group of all your customers, and one of all your prospects.
Note: Groups are available to Tier
2 and 3 accounts only.
To view your address book, click on the Address Book button from
your My Accounts page.
To see entire your entire list of recipients, click All.
To view recipients alphabetically, click on the first character
of the last name of the recipient, and all recipients beginning
with that character will be listed.
To change the number of recipients viewed in the address book at
one time, type the number you would like to view in the “Show
__ recipients per page” field and click the Go button.
Recipients
You can manage your recipients from within your address book.
To add a new recipient, click the New Recipient button. Complete
the recipient information form. Be sure to include the complete
e-mail address and first name of the recipient (required fields).
All other fields are optional.
When finished entering your recipient information, click the Save
button.
To edit an existing recipient, click on the linked recipient name.
On the Edit Recipient page, enter the information or make modifications
and click the Save button.
To remove a recipient from the address book, click on the Delete
Recipient button.
You can even send a direct e-mail to a recipient on your list.
Simply click the linked e-mail address of any recipient and your
e-mail program will be launched with a new message addressed to
your recipient.
Groups
Tier 2 and Tier 3 accounts have the option to create
groups, or mailing lists.
A group is a mailing list compiled from selected recipients in
your address
book. It provides a way
to categorize your recipients and easily send a card to a whole
group at once. For example, you may wish to create a group of all
your customers, and one of all your prospects.
To add a new group to your address book, click on the Groups button,
and then click New Group. Enter a name for the group, and type an
optional description. Then click the Save button.
To add recipients to the new group you have just created, click
on the group name. To select the recipients for the group, check
the Add checkbox. You can add any recipient to any number of groups.
All recipients with a checkmark next to their name are part of the
group. Click Save to save changes to your group list.
To remove a recipient from the group, check the Remove checkbox.
You can remove more than one recipient at a time. Click Save to
save changes to your group list.
To delete an entire group, click the Delete Group button.
To edit a group in the address book, click on the name of the group
and make changes on the Edit Group page (see instructions above
for adding and removing recipients to and from your group).
To save the changes to the new group you have created or edited,
click the Save button.
To send a card to a group, follow the instructions for sending
a card. Instead of selecting a recipient, click the radio
button next to the Group list box and select a group from the list.
You can create any number of groups in your address book. The same
recipient may be included in multiple groups.
Calendar and Reminders
The calendar is a useful feature that is included with Tier 2 and
3 accounts. The calendar allows you to set reminders for days in
the future.
A reminder is a message you send to yourself in the future, to
remind you of something important to you. You will receive an e-mail
on the date of the reminder to help you remember what you need to
do.
You might want to set reminders for someone’s birthdays or
anniversary dates, or for important company or client events or
meetings. You may wish to set a reminder to send thank you cards
to customers who attended a convention, or a follow-up to a direct
mail campaign.
To use the calendar, from your My Account page, click on the Calendar
button.
To set a reminder, click the Set Reminder button and then fill
out the form on the Set Reminder page. Be sure to include the date,
the subject and your message. The subject will become the subject
of your e-mail reminder, and the message will become the body text
of your message.
To specify the date for the reminder, enter the date into the Date
field. The default setting is today’s date, but you will want
to change this to a date in the future.
To set the date, simply type over the default date, or click on
the blue calendar icon. When the calendar opens, you can select
a day in any month to find the exact date you are looking for. Click
the date in the calendar and the window will close automatically
and your selected date will appear in the appropriate date field.
Then click the Save button.
To view your reminders a month at a time, select the month and
year you would like to view and click the Show button.
To edit a reminder, click on the linked reminder subject. Make
changes or modifications on the Set Reminder page, then click the
Save button.
To delete a reminder, click on the linked reminder subject, then
click the Delete button.
Logos and Taglines
Tier 2 accounts have the option of adding a corporate logo to the
top of all cards.
To add a logo to your card, you first must create the logo. You
can use any paint or graphic editing software, such as Adobe Photoshop,
and create the image. The image you create must be exactly 144 pixels
wide by 90 pixels high, and must be saved optimized for the web
in .jpg format. No other format is permitted.
Your logo image will be placed adjacent to the estickies branded
postage stamp image of the red wavy lines. Be sure to design your
image in such a way that it will blend in with the red wavy lines
of the postage stamp.
Once your image is created, from your My Account page, enter in
the path and file name from your local drive, or click on the Browse
button and find your file. Select the .jpg file from your local
drive.
Note: There can be no spaces
in the image file name.
Once selected, click the Upload Image button. Your logo will now
appear in the upper right hand corner of each card after you create
it.
Tier 3 accounts also will have the option to add custom logos to
every card. These logos will be co-developed with Earth Medicine,
Inc., and the upload process will be managed behind the scenes by
your account administrator.
Tier 3 accounts have the additional option of adding a tagline
to the bottom portion of every card. This tagline also will be co-developed
with Earth Medicine, Inc. For Tier 3 accounts, all specialized features
will be customized to fit your individual company’s preferences
and needs.
E-mails and Web Landing
Pages
Tier 3 accounts have the ability to customize the text and formatting
of the e-mails and web landing pages used throughout the sending
and receiving processes. (Tier 1 and 2 accounts will receive the
default versions of the e-mails and web page text.)
E-mail
to sender confirming card has been sent
The first e-mail that gets sent is the e-mail to the sender confirming
the card has been sent. This e-mail contains text that will be
read by the sender, and can be customized as follows:
Subject – The subject appears in the subject line
of the e-mail that is sent. The default is: Your
Postcard confirmation from Estickies! The subject text
can be customized.
Prefix – The prefix is the text before the sender’s
name. The default is: Hello.
Note: The name of the sender is
automatically inserted here.
Suffix – The suffix is the text after the sender’s
name, and is typically punctuation (although it can be anything).
The default is: , (comma).
Text Above Recipient List – The text above the recipient
list, by default is:
Thank you for sending your e-greeting
with Estickies.com. (When your Spirit Speaks Send Great Cards!)
Your e-greeting was sent to the following people:
Note: The
name(s) of the recipient(s) are automatically inserted here.
Text Below Recipient List – The text below the recipient
list, by default is:
Thank you
This text can be customized.
E-mail
to recipient containing link to card
The second e-mail that gets sent is the e-mail to each recipient
containing the link for viewing the card. This e-mail contains
text that will be read by the recipient, and can be customized
as follows:
Subject – The subject appears in the subject line
of the e-mail that is sent. The default is: You
Have a Postcard from Estickies! The subject text can
be customized.
Prefix – The prefix is the text before the recipient’s
name. The default is: Hello.
Note: The name of the recipient
is automatically inserted here.
Suffix – The suffix is the text after the recipient’s
name, and is typically punctuation (although it can be anything).
The default is , (comma).
Text Above Link to Card – The text above the link
to the card, by default is:
Note: The name of the sender is
automatically inserted here.
stopped by the Estickies.com site, (When
your Spirit Speaks Send Great Cards!) and created a Postcard just
for you! To pick up your card, simply click on the link listed
below or cut and paste the web address into your browser.
The text can be customized.
Text Below Link to Card – The text below the link
to the card, by default is:
Thank you
The text can be customized.
E-mail
to sender when card is viewed by recipient
The third and final e-mail that gets sent is the e-mail to the
sender confirming when the recipient opens and views the card.
This e-mail contains text that will be read by the sender, and
can be customized as follows:
Subject – The subject appears in the subject line
of the e-mail that is sent. The default is: Your
Postcard from Estickies has been viewed! The subject
text can be customized.
Prefix – The prefix is the text before the sender’s
name. The default is: Hello.
Note: The name of the
sender is automatically inserted here.
Suffix – The suffix is the text after the sender’s
name, and is typically punctuation (although it can be anything).
The default is: , (comma).
Text – The main body of the message, by default is:
Note: The name of the recipient
is automatically inserted here.
stopped by the Estickies.com site (When
your Spirit Speaks Send Great Cards!), and viewed the Postcard
you sent!
The text can be customized.
Web Thank You Page
Tier 3 accounts have the option of deciding how to navigate
the web landing page once a card has been sent by a sender. This
page contains text, images and links that will be viewed by the
sender, and can be customized as follows:
Prefix – The prefix is the text before the sender’s
name. The default is: Thank You.
Note: The name of the sender is
automatically inserted here.
Suffix – The suffix is the text after the sender’s
name, and is typically punctuation (although it can be anything).
The default is: ! (exclamation point).
Text - The text is blank by default and can be customized
by you.
Web View Card Page
Tier 3 accounts have the option of deciding how to navigate
the web page when a card has been received and viewed. The page
contains text, images and links that will be viewed by the recipient
underneath the actual postcard. The actual postcard is viewed
when the recipient clicks on the link in their e-mail and opens
the web page containing the card. It can be customized as follows:
Prefix - The prefix is the text before the recipient’s
name. The default is: Congratulations.
The prefix can be customized to any format.
Suffix – The suffix is the text after the recipient’s
name, and is typically punctuation (although it can be anything).
The default is: ! (exclamation point).
Text - The text is blank by default and can be customized
by you.
Logout
To log out, click on the Logout link found at the bottom of each
page.
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