For an online business (which is popularly being called “ecommerce” these day), the package is the face of the company.  It is the only part of the company that someone is going to be able to see in 3D, touch with their hands, and experience physically.

So it should go without saying that the receiving and unboxing experience should be complete, which is going to lay largely with the shipping supplies and how they have been designed and are being used.

Delivering a Brand

By now, people want an “experience” when it comes to making a purchase.  If they go to the store and get to use all of their senses in picking out their product, they are getting that experience.  Now that ecommerce has developed into a booming enterprise, those online businesses need to develop a specific brand to keep them the forerunners of their competition.  You might have the same-priced product as a different company, but if they are offering a unique and tasteful unwrapping experience, that’s probably a big reason why consumers are choosing them over you.

Developing a Brand

The most important part about developing your brand is making sure that it’s sustainable.  That the customers keep coming back.  Research shows that half of customers return to an online company when they have been delivered premium packaging supplies.  That’s a lot of business!  On top of that, people love sharing their experiences.  I don’t know how many times I’ve seen people post their unboxing experiences on social media.  That could be your business (aka free marketing) if you take the time to develop a sustainable brand.

Designing a Brand

Once a gain, the key element to designing a brand and producing a unique unpacking experience centers around your packaging supplies.  It is highly recommended that you work with a team of marketing and design specialists to ensure you are getting the most bang for your buck.  Right out of the gates is the shipping box: it’s the first thing your customer is going to see.  Custom prints and designs are crucial here, with your brand printed clearly.  Also, don’t underestimate the value of tissue paper.  Studies show that it has NOT become outdated.  As a matter of fact, it adds an element of mystery and suspense that people just can’t get enough of.

Try to develop a filler that is fun and unique (not just your standard packing peanuts).  Use stickers to seal the sides of cartons and to keep tissue paper folded together.  Go beyond including a business card by including a custom note.  I would even suggest including a free gift.

Smart e-commerce companies know what types of shipping supplies to choose for their product and how to manage those efficiently. We want to share those decisions they make with you when you’re starting up your company. You don’t have to overspend to give your customers a great experience; instead, it just takes a bit of planning.

Select supplies that meet your needs.
Shipping goes far beyond brown cardboard boxes. There are three main points to keep in mind when choosing the right supplies for your product:

Price. The price of supplies is typically the first factor you want to consider when ordering supplies. Even though the overall cost of supplies is important, don’t short change your packaging. Your store’s brand and even product could suffer.

Weight. Be sure to remember that shipping carriers charge based on the package’s weight, size, and destination. Save yourself some money by using lighter and smaller packaging versus large boxes. Don’t use large cardboard boxes if a smaller box or bubble mailer will do the trick.

Spice up your packaging.
Now is the time that you should select the right supplies for the branding of your package. There are a few common shipping options for packaging:

Boxes. Boxes can be heavy duty, which are ideal for heavier items, or even smaller mailers for things like books, albums, or other smaller, flatter items. Just be sure to give your product some room on each side when you’re choosing the right box. You want to be able to pack cushioning material within the box for your product’s safety.

Aesthetics. Packaging is closely related to your brand experience. Make sure it differs from your competitors and makes your customers intrigued and pleased with the unboxing experience. Whether you’re branding the boxes themselves, wrapping your packages in specialized paper, or including twine on the package, make it unique to your business.

Cushioning. Cushioning is very cheap and will help ensure your product arrives intact and in good condition. You can go with bubble wrap, peanuts, air pillows, or even packing paper when stuffing your boxes. Again, be creative with the presentation of these things to show you put in the extra effort for your customers.

Choosing the right shipping supplies is important if you want to maintain a good brand for your product. The product that your customer receives isn’t the only thing that will stick in their mind—it’s the experience of opening that product that will really tie your customers to your brand.

Managing packaging inventory is critical for processing orders in a good manner. But, poor management leads to outages, the orders being incorrect, and trying to call a vendor in hopes they get the items to you in time. This is stressful, and many times, the supplies that are in the warehouse could be used for other stuff and not take up space. 

But, you should also keep in mind that a warehouse is typically overstocked so you don’t run out of materials, but ordering more than that is going to cost you so much more than you necessarily need to pay. But, it’s a hard road to navigate, balancing out both of these, having enough supplies while also using the space in the warehouse efficiently. You probably have run out of space in the past, stalling growth by not having enough room to store the products. It’s a common problem, since inventory accounts for 30% of warehouse storage and manufacturing companies, and a majority of that is packaging supplies.

But, better inventory managing is possible. With VMI systems, you eliminate the costs that aren’t needed, and you have a better system and it’s so simple since it lets a vendor keep track of everything you need. 

Inventory management is one of the best things to get, and working with a vendor is incredibly simple. To use this, you essentially have a system that lets you update the stock levels with a scanner or barcode within a program that’s web based. From there, the vendor handles the rest. You can also get a manual one, which means that you typically will have someone come in to directly check the packaging levels that are there, and update the information that’s there, and from there, they’ll help you place orders too when you need more items. 

For most businesses, oftentimes this erases the pain points that warehouses have allowing for a more efficient use as well. 

You don’t have to manage as much information, nor do you have to keep track of the stock levels either. Most of the VMI systems with auto update, and from there, you can have the vendor send the information that’s there, and they can also send out the orders too so you don’t fall behind the count that’s there.

From there, you only pay for what you need. You don’t have to suffer from the nightmare of having too much and keeping all of it around. You never have to worry about a stopped production line.

You also get updates too automatically, so if there is a stock that runs lt at night, they can help with this too. 

For most people, this is a wonderful system, allowing for real-time updates on everything, and updating the numbers that you need. One scan will tell you the stock levels of everything, allowing for you to keep the stock that you need. I highly recommend a vendor system, especially if you hate monitoring this. 

Having a store choosing to sell your product is exciting yes, but is your package design as awe-inspiring and exciting as others? How will consumers react? 

Getting people to notice the product that you have is a challenge, and with the growth of eCommerce happening, you have to battle the products that are both online and offline. Most of these businesses face challenges with these packaging designs as well. With most traditional retail, the increased amount is a huge issue with sales that are gaining. There are more options for products now than ever before, so how do you stand out.

Many times, the eCommerce companies also have to take the extra step of drawing and exciting the customer to try the products. When people scroll through the website, the image of the packaging is what is going to make them learn more. The packaging should be as concise and clear as possible to encourage the attention and click on it. 

Well-designed packaging is important, and here, we’ll tell you how you can accomplish it.

First, consider being different. You should use a unique packaging to attract customers, whether it be a picture or whatever. Figure out what your audience is, and create packaging that interests them, from color to text. You can figure out all of this, and coordinate it all together, and it’s okay to be different in order to help further resonate with the audience at hand, that’s for sure. 

For example, f the product is landscaping, you might use green and earthy tones as the main colors. Making a product a color that is not as common however is a bolder change, but it can work.

You should also figure out trying to add a minimalist look to this too, creating the essentials if that works.

You may want to figure out especially for eCommerce products how to balance out the busyness of the picture with the message that’s there. You should figure out how t make it so that your product is eye-catching to others. However, don’t be super aggressive either, and don’ be too busy with the products, but instead figure out how this can be attractive and refreshing too.

You should also consider the product packaging supplies too. Figure out whether or not you have a product that’s easy to open, and if you need it to be made in a way that it can be easily open, then change that. Doing small changes will work. Corrugated packaging is also wonderful since it allows for functionality and design, and it also is easy to recycle.

However, you should remember that there is no right or wrong way to put together packaging. Instead, understand that there are many different reasons that work best for you, and ones that allow for you to craft and put together the best experience possible. You’d be surprised at the difference this makes and the way that this can impact the customers on each level as well.