An Ecommerce Packaging Guide

Developing the right packaging techniques that your online store will use requires attention to detail. Even the smallest decisions you make can add up to make or break your product packaging. When done properly, you can have a comprehensive packaging strategy that can benefit everyone involved including your customers and your entire team. While it certainly takes a lot of decisiveness and work, it doesn’t need to be rocket science. If you have a good grasp of your business, your product, and your audience – you should be able to come up with the optimal packaging in little time. Here are some of the best tips that you should integrate into your packaging strategy.

  1. Knowing Your Product

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One thing you should get started with is your product itself. You need to look closely at your product. Figure out what your product needs in terms of packaging. While you certainly need to know the weight and dimensions of it, you also need to know its durability. Is your product fragile? Does it have a weakness at a certain angle? These are the things you need to figure out to tell what kind of packaging would be best suited to providing ample support. Ensure you shore up any areas where your product could get damaged in transit. You can use bubble wrap, package pillows, or anything else to do this. You also want to figure out whether or not your product can get damaged due to exposure to extreme temperatures. If so, you may need to invest in insulating materials to ensure that the product gets delivered safely. Think of the worst-case scenario to ensure you are accounting for everything that can happen.

  1. Choose The Right Shipping Carton

Not every shipment requires a cardboard box. Some shipments can do perfectly well with an envelope. These packing materials have become much more popular as they are lower cost and they take up less space. They can be very useful when you are shipping items that don’t take up a lot of space and that aren’t fragile. For instance, clothing or anything that cannot get damaged from being thrown around can be a good fit for bubble or package mailers. However, for any product that does require a box, you’ll want to ship in new boxes. New boxes will have the requisite support and they won’t have the wear and tear that reused boxes might have. This can ensure that the box remains fully intact throughout transit. Best of all, a new box will be presentable for your customer. This can help to contribute to a more pleasant buying experience.

  1. It Doesn’t Need To Be Fancy

While you can certainly spend a lot of money on your product packaging and be rewarded for it, your packaging doesn’t have to be overly expensive. If you are just getting started and you are trying to scale on a budget, you’re not going to want to invest in branded packaging just yet. Take a look at the Gaylord Box Exchange. Simply opting for a traditional kraft box with a sticker logo can be a good way to reduce cost and still get your brand out there. It can also be a very clean-looking package for your customer. It’s also a good idea to create some stickers or a “thank you” card that you can package with any customer’s order. This can do wonders for improving your customer loyalty. You could also opt for custom packaging for any larger or more expensive products that you know you’ll want to present as well as possible.

  1. Ensure It Looks Good

While you certainly don’t need to spend a fortune on custom packaging or anything like that, you still want to ensure it looks good. You want to get boxes that are clean not only because they will be more durable, but also because it’s a good way to create a positive first impression. You want to utilize clean boxes in your packaging and you may want to use water-activated tape as it will enhance the overall strength of the box. If you’re simply looking to save money on your packaging, it doesn’t mean you should be reusing dirty and old boxes. By opting for simple, clean, and new boxes – you can save money while presenting your brand properly.

  1. Don’t Ship Air

One of the keys to e-commerce shipping is shipping in a box that is properly sized for your product. If you ship in boxes that haven’t been properly fitted, it’s not only going to cost you money, but also time and hassle. You want to purchase boxes that are close enough to the size of your product. This can keep you from having to fill your box with too many packing materials. Another good tip is to get a lot of multi-depth boxes. These boxes have little groves that allow you to fold the box down to different sizes to accommodate various-sized products conveniently. This can save you money on corrugated boxes and it can minimize the supplies you need to get. It can also be a better way to impress your customers with proper fitting boxes. By shipping out boxes that are too large, you will only show your customers that you don’t care about how the product gets to them. The larger the box, the more likely it gets damaged during shipping.

  1. Send Appreciation

This is a good way for you to stand out within the marketplace. Every customer wants to be appreciated. They want to feel like they matter. Even the smallest things can go a long way when it comes to showcasing your appreciation. While it may seem simple and inconsequential, sending a “thank you” card that’s been handwritten and signed can bring a smile to your customer’s face. Even more, it can help to secure them as a customer in the future. It costs more to acquire a new customer than it does to sell more to an existing customer. Consider adding something small or even offer future discounts to get them to come back for more. This can help them feel appreciated and increase the chances of turning them into a repeat customer at the same time.

  1. Seal The Package Properly

When you are looking to send out a product, you need to be certain that you are doing it properly. A lot of e-commerce stores end up getting this wrong. It may seem simple, but you need to do this with attention to detail. By sealing the box up properly, it will not only ensure that the box doesn’t get tampered with, but it ensures that the product gets to the customer safely. You don’t want to cheapen out when buying tape. Discounted tape isn’t going to save you money when your product is arriving damaged and you’re left with having to replace it. You want to invest in a quality tape that has good reviews. You also want to choose the right tape. Consider whether or not the package needs security and privacy. If so, you may want to opt for water-activated tape or even tamper-evident tape for the best protection.

  1. Look At The Address

When you are shipping items out, you need to ensure that you are looking over the address. You will find some customers make errors when typing their address. Verify that the customer’s address is right to ensure that there are no shipping delays or problems. It can inconvenience the customer and cost you money.

  1. Ship Promptly

When you are shipping out products to customers, you need to be prompt. This is especially true if you are shipping out perishable items. Ideally, you want to stick to shipping packages out anytime from Monday to Wednesday. This is especially true if you are shipping with Next Day Delivery. This can ensure that your products arrive as quickly as possible. If the item is expensive or if the customer is a valuable one for your business, it may even be worth the extra cost to ship it out with expedited shipping.

  1. Always Follow Up

One of the biggest mistakes a lot of e-commerce stores end up making is not communicating with their customers after the order is placed or after the customer receives their order. There are several things you should be doing after the transaction is complete. For one, you want to ask for feedback. This can help to provide social proofing on your site and it can help you identify issues that need addressing. Also, it can assure the customer that you care about their experience which can improve the chances they do repeat business with your company. Showing you care can go a long way towards garnering customer loyalty.