How to Delight Customers With Out of the Box Packaging
It ends up in the trash within 60 seconds, so how important can packaging really be? As an online seller, your primary focus is on what to sell and how to sell more, but did you ever think that packaging or the way you ship your products says something about you, your products and your business? For more information on how to plan, build and execute your entire marketplace seller strategy, download the Marketplace Sellers Guide.
Unlike in stores, online shoppers need to be wowed twice: once when browsing your products and again when the purchase arrives on their doorstep. Packaging and shipping services are some of the best opportunities you have to communicate with your customers and remind them why they should be shopping with you instead of somewhere else.
Let’s take a look first at why packaging is important:
- Win the Amazon buy box – Getting a high seller feedback score improves your chances of winning the Buy Box. Give your customers a great reason to provide strong feedback for your products.
- Encourage repeat business – Make the unveiling of your products a truly exciting event. According to the 2013 eCommerce Packaging Survey of U.S. consumers, 52% of consumers are likely to make repeat purchases from an online merchant that delivers premium packaging.
- Stand out among the crowd – Your item may be commoditized with multiple merchants selling the exact same item. If you want to convert one-off customers into repeat customers, make their experience memorable.
- Promote social sharing – The eCommerce Packaging Survey found that 4 in 10 consumers would share a photo of a unique delivery, 83% doing so on Facebook.
The merchandise MUST arrive in 1 piece (unless you’re shipping a jigsaw puzzle of course) so make sure it is wrapped and sealed well. Once you’re sure the product will ship in good condition, it’s time to consider packaging aesthetics.
Check out these simple ways to wow your customers:
- Think Green – Consumers want to feel good about their purchases. Using sustainable materials, such as organic, fair-trade or recyclable paper, will send an environmentally positive message about your brand.
- Re-purpose Your Packaging – Use packaging that can have a second life, that is to say, that can be later used for other purposes. Payoneer once gave away dri-fit running t-shirts. Rather than sending the shirts out in the standard plastic bag, we packaged them inside branded tins. Those same tins have been reused as a pen-pot, cup or even as a child’s drum!
- Jazz Up the Generic – Even if you have no choice other than a standard brown box, try to take whatever steps possible to personalize it.
- Seal the box with colorful branded tape
- Insert a cool thank you flyer expressing your gratitude and encouraging them to engage with you online like Everlane
- Place the items carefully so that it looks awesome when you open it like this delivery from Trunk Club
- Wrap the item in a pretty paper just to make it that tiny bit more special like this Bravissimo lingerie delivery
- Place a branded sticker on the wrapping paper even if it’s just standard brown paper to give it your own personal touch
- Try Handmade Touches – It’s fitting for businesses that sell handmade items to include handmade elements in their packaging. Packaging says a lot about the thought and care that goes into creating a product, and is a great way to make your business stand out from all the others.
There are sites specifically dedicated to showcasing gorgeous packaging on the web, like Lovely Package, the Nice Package Flickr group, and The Dieline.