It’s been around, but up to this day, when people think of Moo (at Moo.com), there’s a good chance they might associate it with domestic livestock. That’s why we here at Lakeshore Branding thought of outlining the top reasons why we love Moo, a great card creation service that doesn’t at all have anything to do with cows.
Founded in 2004, Moo is basically an online print business, specializing in the creation of high-quality business cards and related products. The service is catered to businesses and professionals, but it is equally great for designers, freelancers, bloggers, photographers, and anyone else who has to personally introduce himself or herself in some form and situation to another human being. In short, Moo is for everyone.
As a creative online communications agency, Lakeshore Branding is always on the lookout for great ideas and inspiration for the Web. But no matter how much we love the Internet, we still can’t put it in our pockets or stick it to the fridge. It is for this reason – and for the rest that are about to follow – that Moo stands out as one of the best online businesses out there with products that are delivered offline.
Moo is easy. Here’s how you make business cards with Moo: first, upload your own images or choose from Moo’s thousands of existing designs (all of them gorgeous); second, personalize the card with your details and contact information; third, choose your paper stock, then confirm your order. And voila! You’re done.
Everything’s done online. It’s easy to get started with Moo’s web-based card creation wizard. Because it’s all online, you can do it right at your home or office desk, and in a matter of a few clicks you can have your cards ready to be delivered. There’s an option for uploading your own images (from Etsy, Facebook, Flickr, Smugmug, or your own computer), another for browsing and personalizing ready-made packs of cards, and a third “Textomatic” option that allows you to make up to fifty different designs with your company name, contact info, URL, and promotional message (you still get to choose your own colors and fonts).
High quality printing and high quality paper. That’s how business cards should be made, right? You certainly don’t want to be handing out cards that make you look boring, unprofessional, or cheap. With Moo, you make your own choice of paper, from premium paper stocks sustainably sourced with a matte laminate, or a crisp, 100 percent recycled stock, manufactured using wind power. There’s also what they call “Printfinity”, which is the option to print a different image or design on every single one of your full-color cards. The end result is amazing: our cards feel more like thick cardboard or plastic than a thin piece of paper.
Moo even promises ‘satisfaction guaranteed’. Which means they’ll reprint your order if you don’t like the quality of the cards. Or maybe they’ll send a coupon for placing a new, free order. And if the problem cannot be fixed? Moo will send you your money back. Now that’s a risk-free proposition, which in turn helps define Moo’s excellent customer service.
Prices are reasonable. A pack of 50 business cards costs $21.99, while an order of 400 cards costs $139.98, which is equivalent to just a little over 30 cents a card. Even some business card printers in Chicago can’t match that price.
There’s an inspiration gallery. Out of ideas? No need to hire a graphic designer or advertising agency. Moo lets you choose from their own “Ready-Made” section, which features awesome works made by a group of talented design professionals. That way, it’s all a matter of click-and-order.
It’s not just business cards. Moo also lets you make mini-cards, postcards, greeting cards, Christmas cards, sticker books, and card-related accessories like holders. These can all serve as a great, creative, and memorable way of introducing yourself to new people, but of course you can also keep them as a kind of pocket portfolio or a kind of portable product catalog.
Even the packaging is awesome. Moo puts a lot of effort into how your cards are packed, and this reflects on the packaging, which can be described as cute, exciting, colorful, and fun. Moo designs its own packaging from scratch and produces this in the same high-quality specifications as the cards, but if you want a logo-free, White Label box, you can get that, too.
Fast delivery. Turnaround time is usually a matter of three or four working days, regardless of whether you’re ordering from the US stores or the ones in UK. Options are provided for either standard delivery or express shipping. For express shipping, you can check and track your order status by going to the ‘Order History’ section of the Your Account tab at the top of every page in Moo’s website. They also usually indicate the estimated time or date of delivery, and on or before that day – unless there’s a huge global calamity or something – your Moo cards will arrive right at your doorstep.
