Last Updated on May 31, 2023 by Packoi Team
This article will discuss the importance of well-designed packaging and how you can create it in a way that’ll help you increase your online revenue.
How Can E-Commerce Packaging Increase Your Sales?
There are 2 ways that e-commerce packaging can increase the sales of your online products. First, it encourages customers to make repeat purchases. Second, it can serve as a powerful way to market e-commerce businesses.
Let’s elaborate further by discussing how online stores’ product packaging differs from brick-and-mortar establishments’ physical retail packaging.
E-Commerce Packaging VS Physical Store Packaging
E-commerce businesses operate differently from those with physical stores. The very nature of the selling process can’t compare.
While customers can physically inspect products on the store shelf, online stores don’t have that liberty.
That means the packaging of these brick-and-mortar stores can influence the decision of a customer to buy. The same can’t be said for e-commerce. Customers won’t see the product packaging until they have it with them.
What does that mean?
The initial sale will be up to the website created to showcase the products. But once the customers receive that initial purchase, the real work begins.
After all, the stability of a business doesn’t depend on how many new customers they get each month. It grows through the recurring purchases and loyal customers that they accumulate over the years.
That’s something that online product packaging can help with. This is why you must pay close attention to how you design your packaging.
What Does E-Commerce Packaging Design Mean?
E-commerce packaging design is not just about visual appeal. It’s also about the packaging materials you use and the overall message the design conveys to your customers.
Every material, color, text, and illustration on your product packaging should help you reach your goal. It should help you protect your product and increase your sales simultaneously.
How can that happen? It’s simple.
It’s All About The Unboxing Experience
When your target audience looks at your product online, they only see a photo. They can zoom in and out and browse the available colors and variants. They can do their research to know more about the product.
But all this happens online. You can make a connection online – but it won’t be the same as when customers physically interact with your brand.
So, your chance to make a positive first impression happens when the customer is physically holding your product packaging.
That means you need to give them a memorable unboxing experience. From the moment they see the shipping box and the process of opening and revealing the product they bought from you – every second of that experience matters.
It can influence how they’ll interact with your brand in the future.
What Is The Key To A Successful E-Commerce Packaging Design?
The true sign that your packaging design is successful is when your customers don’t throw it away.
It’s not because they think it’s premium packaging. Your customers will keep your product packaging because they feel connected.
They want to keep it to remind them of your brand. They feel like it can be used around their house or office area.
If you can make that happen, you know you have chosen the right design for your packaging.
5 Reasons Why The E-Commerce Packaging Design Matters
Before you start working on the packaging design of your e-commerce products, you have to know their purpose. It’ll guide you in creating the right product packaging that your target market will enjoy.
To help you find that purpose, let’s look at the 5 reasons why creating a great design for your packaging matters.
It Protects Product Integrity
In e-commerce, the packaging protects the product from being destroyed during delivery.
That’s the primary purpose. Even if your product packaging has the most incredible design – your customers won’t be impressed with it if they see that the product they bought is destroyed.
This is why you must choose the right packaging materials to ensure your product will reach your customers in good condition.
It Interacts With The Customer
In e-commerce, your product packaging design plays a pivotal role in shaping your customer’s first impression.
After all, it’s their first physical interaction with your brand. You want it to be a positive experience so they can learn to love your brand.
Choose a design that can interact with your customer the right way. If you do this right, it could lead to another purchase, which in turn could strengthen customer loyalty.
It Creates A Memorable Brand Experience
In connection with the previous point, your product’s packaging creates a brand experience for your customer.
You have to ensure that as they go through the unboxing experience, they get a taste of your brand identity.
It doesn’t have to be a blatant display of your brand name and logo. It’s more of giving customers small elements that stay true to what your brand represents.
That may be challenging, but it can effectively build the foundation for your customers to feel a sense of brand loyalty. So make sure that experience is purely about your brand and product.
It Markets And Advertises The Brand
Packaging is a powerful marketing tool. The packaging design plays a role in protecting and promoting your brand.
But at the same time, your product packaging design can also advertise your brand to others. This is especially true if you create reusable packaging. Every time your packaging is carried around, the design could catch the attention of potential customers.
It Provides Information
Finally, your custom packaging is also helpful in providing information. This isn’t just about the product but also your brand.
Many customers look at the packaging to know more about the product. Make sure you provide them with the information they seek.
You can also use it as promotional material for your other products. Use the surface of the packaging wisely and take advantage of every chance you get to advertise your brand.
How to Create The Right E-Commerce Packaging
Developing packaging for an e-commerce business involves specific steps. Online retailers should follow them strictly to incorporate the correct elements into the packaging.
When done right, the packaging design process can assist online businesses in selling products effectively. That means it’s not just about selling one product – but getting recurring revenue from customers.
Let’s take a look at the 5-step process of designing e-commerce packaging.
Step 1: Know Your Customer’s
One of the online businesses’ essential goals is meeting customers’ expectations. What they see while online shopping should be the same as what they’ll receive.
Making this happen requires a deep knowledge of who your ideal customer is.
What type of customer experience will impress them? This will help you create the right unboxing experience to blow them away.
What do you need to show, so they feel a sense of brand loyalty? Your product packaging design should make your customers want to stay loyal to you.
Step 2: Understand What The Product Needs
After knowing what your customers expect, it’s time to focus on the product. This is your product’s packaging, after all.
Everything about the custom packaging should support your product. The packaging materials you choose must represent and protect the product well.
That way, the moment the customer sees the delivery, they can immediately feel a sense of anticipation because of how the packaging is designed.
Step 3: Consider The Logistics
Remember, e-commerce packaging is primarily for protection purposes. It’s not going to be put on a product stand. It won’t be placed on in-store display cases or shelves.
Your product packaging will be traveling long distances. It’ll have to go through a warehouse, then a logistics hub, before being given to someone else for delivery. It’ll be put in trucks or vehicles with other packages.
The longer the distance, the longer the ordeal will be for your packaging. Make sure it’s up for the journey and won’t fail to protect your product.
Step 4: Choose The Right Exterior Packaging
Knowing what your product packaging will go through will help you decide on the proper exterior packaging.
You might need shipping boxes to put your products in if it’s big enough. When choosing the size, consider the shipping costs. Remember, the bigger the box, the more expensive it’ll be to ship.
You can order custom-printed boxes with the proper labels to give handling instructions. You can probably order these in bulk so you can save money in the process. Get folding carton boxes so that storage won’t be a problem.
Step 5: Pick The Correct Interior Packaging
The interior packaging of your product packaging doesn’t have to be printed. But it’s still an essential component of the customer experience.
If you wrap the product in tissue paper secured by a sticker, it’ll make the customer feel how much you value the product. It feels more luxurious compared to just using bubble wrap. While there’s nothing wrong with the latter, the former has a more luxurious feel.
Putting pulp inserts as the packing filler instead of foam materials will make your packaging more eco-friendly.
Consider these as you decide what to put in the interior packaging.
3 Packaging Design Elements That’ll Influence Your Online Sales
E-commerce packaging is powerful enough to help increase your sales. Although it won’t significantly influence the first sale, your product packaging can help boost repeat purchases.
But before that happens, you need to 3 important elements. You won’t get great packaging unless you consider these three.
The Brand Identity
The packaging of your product is responsible for the customer’s first impression of your brand identity. This is why necessary to put the correct brand elements in your packaging.
That doesn’t just mean you’ll use your brand logo, colors, and font. The overall vibe of your packaging should reflect what your brand stands for.
It’ll give your packaging a competitive edge if you can clarify that. It’ll help leave a lasting impression on your customers.
The Function
The other element that you should think about is the function of your packaging. Remember, eCommerce packaging functions differently from what you see in retail stores.
Those displayed on a product stand will compete with the other brands. That means your design should be visually attractive, so it stands out.
For e-commerce products, the packaging considerations include the shipping process. The primary concern is to get the product to the customer’s doorstep in good condition.
The Experience
The moment your customer buys your online product, they’re excited about what’s in store for them when they get it. When they get it, your packaging has to delight customers.
You have to give them a memorable unboxing experience. How?
One way is to keep the customers engaged. Make them do something to the packaging that they can share online.
Or make the packaging a part of the customer experience. If you can make it memorable, it’ll make all the difference in building brand loyalty.
E-Commerce Packaging Design Tips
The packaging for online products may not influence the first buying decision of a customer, but it does have a role in getting more sales.
This is why you must find the appropriate packaging design to impress your customers. Here are some tips that you can use to come up with the right design.
Keep It Simple
Having visually appealing packaging doesn’t always mean complex design. Sometimes, you can give your customers a great unboxing experience even if you have a simple design.
So if you choose to focus on functionality, that’s okay. As long as simplicity represents your brand and product well, you can stick to that.
Include Brand Elements
Another design strategy that you can use is to focus on brand recognition. You don’t have to print your logo all over if that’s not how you want your product packaging to look.
But you can be subtle about it. Put your brand elements in the custom-printed tissue so you can design the outer packaging any way you want.
Encourage Engagement
Consumers tend to share memorable experiences with other people. Whether the customer’s experience is positive or negative, there’s a chance that they’ll share that online.
Encourage online sharing by making your packaging interactive. Request customers to share the unboxing of your product. Then make them use a hashtag so it’ll appear on your social media page.
This won’t just add to the overall experience with your brand. It will also help you get the attention of potential customers.
Add Value
A great packaging design can add value to your product. This can be your focus as you design custom boxes.
Choose high-quality materials for your packaging to impress the customers once they receive the product. They surely know what’s in store for them when they order. Make sure you blow them away with the basic package when it arrives.
Be Eco-Friendly
Many customers get attracted to brands that do their share in helping the environment. So if you’re one of them, make your customers see that.
Remember, your packaging is an extension of your brand. When you attract customers, you want them to see your advocacies, not just in the product quality but also in your packaging.
Small efforts like recycled or eco-friendly tissue paper won’t go unnoticed. Make an effort because it matters to them.
Make It Personal
If you want your packaging to entice consumers, make it more personal. Add a few extra stickers that you know your customers can relate to.
Put a note on the packaging with a message for the customer. Putting your handwriting there will make the customer feel more special because you took the time to send them a personal message.
That’ll be a great packaging idea to endear your brand to your customers.
Create The E-Commerce Packaging That’ll Increase Your Sales. Packoi Printing Can Help.
The effect of your product’s package design isn’t something that you should ignore. It can be a powerful tool. You can use it as part of your brand strategy.
If you design it well, your packaging can help improve sales.
Do you need help with the design of your packaging? Packoi Printing can help. We have the experience and expertise to provide the best options for your e-commerce packaging.
Get in touch with us with your ideas. We’ll give you a fair quote based on them.
