For ecommerce businesses, there are two key times when you get to make an impression on your customer: when your product is delivered, and when the customer assesses the quality of your product.
While you may be thinking simply shipping the package to the right address is good enough, that’s where you’re wrong my friend. Packaging happens to be one of the most underutilized marketing opportunities for business owners.
Online vendors need to make an extra effort to create a branded experience for their customers compared to their physical retail competitors, and one way to make a memorable experience is personalized packaging.
Check out the Best Packaging Ideas for Your Product
A study from SealedAir found that 66% of Americans think that the packaging of their shipment shows how much the retailer cares about them and their order. That is a whole two-thirds of your customer base who don’t want to see a standard brown box or golden envelope, and want something more personal that shows you appreciate their business.
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By putting more effort into your packaging with personalized packaging, you’ll be building a long-term, sustainable brand by having customers return for more of your unique packaging.
A survey from Dotcom Distribution found that 52 percent of consumers are likely to make repeat purchases from an online merchant that delivers premium packaging. That same study found that nearly 4 in 10 consumers would share an image of a delivery via social media if it came in a unique package.
To build quality relationships with customers and get free social media exposure, follow these tips.
A personalized packaging design is more than simply printing your logo on the box and taping a shipping address. There are account materials, inners, colors, designs and sustainability to consider too. We’re going to break down each aspect piece by piece.
The Box
The box is the first thing your customer is going to see. As a result, this is the biggest element to consider when thinking about personalized packaging design.
When we typically think of packaging, we think of the white and brown packaging options that rule the shipping world because they are cost-efficient, durable and do what they’re made to do. But, when it comes to personalized packaging, cost efficiency isn’t always going to be the case. The box is the biggest opportunity to begin the “wow” experience for your customer, so you may have to invest a little in the design, but the return and increased customer retention rate will be worth it.
Tissue Paper
When products are wrapped in tissue paper, not only is there a sense of mystery and excitement for the unboxing experience, but there’s a thin layer of luxury too. Think about it, most physical stores of high-end brands wrap their products in tissue paper once sold. This creates the idea of maintaining the product’s mint-condition while valuing the customer in taking special care of it.
When including tissue paper, use colored tissue paper or take it a step further and have custom printed tissue paper featuring your brand logo.
Filler
Typical cushion fillers for products are items like styrofoam packing peanuts, foam inserts, air pillows or bubble wrap. Between all these products, bubble wrap is the favorite – everyone, myself included, loves popping bubble wrap for a cheap stress-reliever. However, do bubble wrap or air pillows represent your brand? Unfortunately no.
To resolve this, consider using colored crinkle paper or excelsior – just like our client Pinterest has done below.
Stickers
Stickers are a great versatile tool when it comes to personalized packaging. For instance, if your packaging has tissue paper, you can use a sticker to seal the paper together. Or, instead of custom printing on your box, slap a brand sticker on there. This is a great cost-efficient option if you’re tight on cash flow.
Promotional Material/Business Cards
Business cards are an inexpensive way of adding small branded promo pieces to your package. However, it doesn’t have to simply display your company information. Think of more creative, custom options – such as offering the customer a discount on their next order, or a referral code for a friend. Alternatively, the space on the card can be used for a personal note or instructions. Either way, it’s inexpensive, small, and definitely adds a more personal touch.
Custom Note
On a similar note of including promotional materials or business cards, a custom note definitely gives a personalized feeling, especially if it’s handwritten. It reminds people that there are actual people behind the brand, and sometimes aesthetically pleasing handwriting or special calligraphy might be enough to get the customer to return for more just to get more exclusive handwritten notes.
Consider Culture Amp’s Welcome Kit below.
The products are neatly placed inside, the tissue paper is branded, the logos of the products are facing outwards, and the overall unboxing experience is a pleasant one.
We are the fulfillment provider for Culture Amp, and you can bet they have a great customer retention rate with our fulfillment services.
Want more advice on how to make unique personalized packaging? Utilize our expertise and connect with us. We’re always here to help.