Many years ago when I had my own full e-commerce website I put my discreet studio stamp on the back of my cards with my website URL. However, I stopped doing that after receiving an irate message from a customer saying she didn’t expect my luxury cards to be “ruined” by my website address being stamped on the back (even though it was very small) and she was so angry about it she wouldn’t buy from me again.
I’m now revisiting doing this to see if it generates sales so I’m interested in what others think of it. I don’t have my website anymore so it would be my Folksy shop URL.
For my fellow cardmakers - do any of you put your studio details on the back of your cards and if you do, have you had any complaints? Has it helped generate sales or turned off existing customers?
And for everyone - would you be annoyed if you purchased a luxury card with studio details and/or a Folksy shop URL on the back?
I’m genuinely interested in hearing how others feel about it, both for and against, before I make my decision.
No, I wouldn’t be annoyed to receive any card with the maker’s details on the back. Perhaps your previous buyer was hoping to pass the card off as her own work!
I like having the details on the back of a card I’m given, so I can look them up and buy from them (or not haha). I have my web address and a bit of copy on the back of my cards. Nothing too ostentatious, but the company that prints them has their name, so why shouldn’t I have mine?
I think that lady was one of those customers from hell that we really don’t need.
I am not a card maker but I have no objections whatsoever finding any handmade item being stamped, tagged, branded with whatever the maker sees fit to mark their make as their own. As Caroline @Caroleecrafts has mentioned this is a form of copywriting and absolutely acceptable, in fact expected in many instances! Our makes are not suitable for stamping/branding but if you can, you should.
There are even makers that ‘stamp’ their images they use on social media platforms and this is fine-no one questions it, in fact I have often wondered if we should all be doing this, there are horror stories of people using maker images as their own there too.
Hope this helps you gauge how a non card maker feels!
I would expect a makers details to be on the back of a card, in fact I would be disappointed if it wasn’t there. If I bought a card from a supermarket it would have the manufacturers details on the back. I think your customer was a bit unreasonable to think it wouldn’t have the makers mark
As a buyer/ card recipient I would expect there to be makers details on the back of the card. A quick look at the back of some cards that I refuse to part with indicates that they all have at least the makers logo on the back, some also have the design name and web site details. Just make it small and in keeping with the card, also check that it doesn’t bleed through/ leave a dent to the inside where I’m supposed to be writing - that would annoy me.
I agree that most customers would expect it and welcome it. Recently I had a customer ask me to supply extra business cards with a 2nd order so she could put them in with each gift she bought on the first one (I’d only put in one with a thank you written on the back) as she wanted the recipients to know where they came from. Made me think more about branding and that customers probably want to show they didn’t just buy mass produced.
I think the person who complained was in the wrong, if you’re worried, maybe a quick mention in the description or a photo showing the back view. Why would someone buy handmade and then get cross at you essentially signing your beautiful work?! Some people are just weird. I suspect she was having a bad day and wasn’t actually cross with you.
Bex
X
I’ve got my name, description of the card and url on the back of my greetings cards and no-one has ever complained about it. I have noticed, when I’ve made face to face sales at markets, that customers always turn the cards over to read what’s on the back. I think it’s a good idea so your customers can make repeat orders if they want to.
I don’t put my Folksy shop details on the back of my cards, but do stamp them ‘Handmade by Kath’ - this is noted in my listings. I also put a business card with all orders.
I like to receive signed or stamped crafts and am disappointed if I receive a beautiful handmade card or gift with no maker’s details as I like to find out more about the person who made my card or gift.
I always stick one of my business cards to the back of my packages because if they get lost, the post office have my contact details. This has happened and they used the card to contact me. I’ve sent out thousands of parcels and have never had anyone objecting, except one person, who got very cross and said I was advertising my shop.
As other people have said here, I’d expect the maker’s details on the back - you’d have them if you bought a card from a supermarket or stationery shop, even if it was a “Luxury” one!
What an absurd customer! I also use a discreet stamp on the back of my cards as I think people often like to know where the cards they receive come from and in the case of hand made, who made it. And let’s face it, you would never find a commercially produced card without manufacturers details on the back.
Yes I can only think that she either wanted to give it personally and pretend it was her own work or was on-selling it and then couldn’t because of my details!
