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Last Updated on April 20, 2023 by Packoi Team
You’ll gain a lot of benefits if you decide to create custom packaging. It’s not just about getting more sales. It’s also about building your brand and strengthening customer loyalty.
In this article, you’ll understand why having custom product packaging for your small business is important. Plus you’ll get tips on ideas to create the best packaging design to make your product stand out.
9 Small Business Benefits when You Create Custom Packaging
There are many reasons why mall business owners should invest in custom packaging solutions. Sure, its primary role is to protect your product. But when you put the right design on it, your product packaging can serve as an important marketing tool.
It can advertise your brand and increase customer loyalty. If you’re creative enough, you can even get your packaging to trend on social media.
You can’t do all these if you’re using generic packaging.
Here are 9 important reasons to convince you that you should invest in a unique packaging design.
It Can Be Designed Exclusively for Your Brand
Having custom packaging means you will choose the design. You won’t settle for what your packaging supplier has in their inventory.
You’re going to ask them to have your custom small business packaging designed specifically for your brand.
That means it should reflect your brand image. The design should incorporate important brand elements like your logo, name, and colors. If you have to print text on it, you can choose the same font that you typically use in business.
This will increase the visibility of your brand and it’ll allow you to attract more customers.
It Can Dictate the First Impression
By controlling the design of your custom packaging, you get to dictate the first impression that your customers will have of your brand.
After all, your retail packaging is usually your first interaction with customers. It’s the one that customers will see first when they see your product displayed on store shelves. Or when they receive a delivery from your online business.
Don’t miss the opportunity to get the right first impression. If your custom box is designed properly, the first interaction can lead to customer loyalty.
It Can be Memorable
How do you end up with recurring customers who’ll buy from your business several times? You need to give them a custom packaging style that they won’t forget.
Make it impressive enough that the next time they need a product similar to yours, it’ll be your brand that the customer will remember. They’ll think about the incredible experience of receiving your package and they’ll want to recreate it.
That’s one of the many ways well-designed packaging can grow your business.
It Can Compliment Your Advocacies
If you control the design of your product’s packaging, you can insert elements in it that’ll reveal your company’s advocacies.
For instance, if you want to be more sustainable, you can use recycled materials to create your custom packaging. You can print eco-friendly logos and seals on the custom box.
You can add information about advocacies that you support on the packaging. That way, people will learn more about it and hopefully, start to help the same causes that you support.
This is also a great way to gain their trust and respect.
It Can Promote Your Marketing Campaigns
The custom packaging design that you’ll create can also be tied to any current marketing campaigns that you may have.
You can create custom-printed packaging for special products that you want to include in the campaign.
Or you can add a little something to the existing packaging that you’re using. For instance, you’re holding an end-of-season sale. You can customize the packaging of all the products included in the campaign by adding a “Sale” sticker.
Or you can make your packaging more festive in time for the holiday season. Add some ribbons and a personalized tag that people can use. This can convert your packaging into a giftable item.
It Can Provide the Specific Needs of Your Product
Having custom packaging allows you to meet the specific needs of your product.
So if your product has multiple parts, you can create molded tray in the packaging. That way, the products won’t bump into each other or get jostled while being delivered.
Or you can use tissue paper and warp it around your product to increase its value. Add a sticker with your branding on it to complete the look.
Your custom product packaging will ensure that your customer will receive the item they ordered in good condition.
It Can Reflect Your Brand Value
If you’re trying to promote your brand to be a luxury one, you can’t do that by using generic packaging. You have to invest in custom-printed boxes to put your product in.
Or if you want to build a sustainable brand, you should customize your packaging to use only eco-friendly materials.
Whatever image you want your brand to have, having your packaging reflect that clearly indicates your value. It shows that you’re willing to spend and ensure all your custom packaging and marketing tools align with your brand narrative.
It Can Strengthen Customer Loyalty
One of the ways you can strengthen customer loyalty is through your business packaging.
You see, the packaging of your product is all part of the customer experience. You want to make it special for the customer so they’ll remember what it felt like to get your package and open it to reveal the product inside.
Every positive experience that your custom packaging orders provide, the more it encourages customers to stay loyal to your business. They’ll want to recreate the positive feeling.
It Can be Used to Create Social Media Noise
If you can create customized packaging that’s so unusual and visually appealing, that may be enough to create some noise online.
In the digital age, people tend to share both positive and negative experiences online – specifically in their social media accounts. Make sure you get the right noise from your customers.
Your custom packaging should give them a positive experience so they can share it with their online contacts. This will give your brand free advertisement and allow you to widen your market reach.
If you play this right, your packaging design could help you get more customers and sales.
5 Custom Boxes for Small Business Product Packaging
Before you can create custom boxes for your products, make sure you know what your options are. It’ll help you figure out the right custom packaging solutions that fit the needs of your product and best represent your brand.
Here are 5 options for your small business product.
Corrugated Cardboard Boxes
These are one of the most common boxes to be used as packaging. It’s versatile and strong enough to protect your product as it’s being transported.
Creating your custom corrugated packaging will make it look sustainable. If you don’t alter the natural form of the packaging, the brown color would make it look eco-friendly.
But if your brand requires it to be colorful, it’s very easy to customize this type of box.
Folding Paper Boxes
Another eco-friendly option is a folding paper box. Since it’s also made of paper material, this can help you create sustainable packaging as well.
It’s also as versatile as corrugated boxes. You can use it for custom retail packaging. Put designs on it to reflect your brand and market your product.
Folding boxes have many styles and are ideal because they can be folded. That means storage and logistics won’t be a problem for this box.
Rigid Boxes
Using rigid boxes as the custom packaging of small business products may seem too extravagant. But if you want to build a luxury brand, this is the right packaging for your product.
A rigid box looks more expensive and valuable. It also provides more protection for your products. You can trust that it can keep your product safe.
But best of all, rigid boxes are reusable. That means the customer can choose to use it even after they take your product from it.
If the custom-printed box has enough of your branding, that’s free advertisement for your business.
Mailer Boxes
A mailer box is another packaging that your small business can use – especially if you only sell your products online. Instead of having separate product packaging and shipping box, you only need mailer boxes to send out customer orders.
These boxes are sturdy enough to protect your product. You can also print designs on it and add fillers inside to make the unboxing experience more exciting.
Shipping Boxes
The last of the custom packaging that are shipping boxes. These boxes come with 4 flaps at the top and bottom. These flaps can be interchanged to secure the product inside.
Usually, these shipping boxes hold more than one product. This is ideal for delivering items and giving protection to products.
Since these are often bigger than the product, there’s a need for fillers like packing peanuts, shredded paper, or bubble wrap.
3 Things You Can Customize in Your Small Business Packaging
Once you have considered the type of box that you’ll use for your product, it’s time to think about how to design custom packaging that’ll blow away your customers.
There are 3 ways to create customized packaging.
Design of Outer Packaging
This refers to the visible side of the packaging. It’s the first thing that potential customers will see. This is why you have to be careful with how you’ll design the outer packaging.
You can create custom-printed boxes that either showcase the product or your brand. Or you can make it do both. Your custom packaging can be a single color or a mix of different shades.
Let your imagination run wild here. You can use textured designs or a simple graphic to make the product stand out. Your design can also convey a message.
Think about what would benefit your small business the most as you consider the design here.
Inner Packaging Options
Some business owners disregard the need for well-design inner packaging. But this is a mistake.
The unboxing experience of the customer doesn’t end with the outer packaging. It continues with the inner packaging. So if you have to put tissue paper inside your mailer box, make sure it’s aligned with the outer design of your custom packaging.
If you want to use a molded tray or shredded paper inside, it should match your product and brand image.
Decorative Add-Ons
No matter what custom-packaging style you’ll choose, you can always add more to the design.
Use your creativity and see what elements you can add to improve the customer experience when they open the box. Should you put custom stickers? Decorative tags?
Remember, you can add functional elements, too. Maybe add a label that provides instructions to help the customers use the product better. Or you can put inserts with samples or small gifts.
These things can improve the value of your packaging.
6 Budget-Friendly Tips when Designing Custom Packaging
Be ready to invest money to create custom packaging. The uniqueness of your design means the packaging supplier can’t take from their stock inventory without making a few alterations to it. Sometimes, they might have to order new materials just to give you the requested customized packaging.
While creating custom boxes may be more costly, it doesn’t have to be expensive. With the right tips, you can have custom packaging that won’t put a dent in your small business finances.
Here are 6 tips that can help you accomplish this.
Stock Cardboard Boxes with Simple Print
If you want custom packaging, you can’t use the stock boxes of your supplier without altering it in some way. But that doesn’t mean the alteration has to be expensive.
You can choose the same box style and size the packaging supplier has in their inventory. But you should add your design and have it printed on the box.
You don’t need custom-printed boxes with designs all over the surface. You can have one print of the brand logo on shipping boxes to set it apart from other boxes. You can also see design ideas in the article “Unique Cardboard Box Packaging Ideas to Make Your Product Stand Out“.
That should be enough to distinguish your packaging from other brands.
Branded Sticker Labels
Plain mailers, product packaging, and shipping boxes can also come in plain form but with one thing serving as its design – stickers.
You can have branded sticker labels printed with your design. Stick it on the packaging to make it more visually appealing.
This label can be visually appealing and informative. It’s also cheaper to have custom stickers printed compared to boxes.
You can order your box in bulk and print different stickers for various products you sell.
Customized Ribbons and Tape
Ribbons and tape can also be customized. With the same generic box packaging, you can add customized packaging tape with a unique pattern or branding that’s exclusive to your business. It could be a repeat pattern of your logo.
Or you can use a ribbon with your design printed on it. If you’re packaging during the holidays, you can order a special holiday ribbon for your packaging.
This will make your custom packaging look visually appealing without spending too much on the boxes.
Personalized Tags and Stamps
The customization of your packaging can also come in the form of personalized tags and stamps.
The tags are cheaper to print and attach to your generic box packaging. Depending on the product you want to put in the box, you can have different kinds.
You can also have customized rubber stamps for your brand name, logo, or any design that you frequently use. That way, you can generously put these stamps as an added design on the packaging.
Handwritten Notes
Adding handwritten notes is one of the best ways to build customer relationships through custom packaging.
It feels personal and will make your customers feel special since you took the time from your busy schedule to write them a note. Even if it’s a generic message or an inspirational quote, it’ll show customers that you pay attention to every single order that you receive.
That’s a great reputation for a small business – plus it’ll make your packaging unique.
Unique Inner Packaging
If you want to make your custom packaging memorable, leave a surprise inside.
For instance, if you’re using tissue paper to wrap your product in, give it a design that’ll pleasantly surprise your customers. Add custom stickers with a message of inspiration.
Or you can add a small gift. Maybe it could be a sample of another product. This won’t just make you look generous. It can also encourage customers to buy more from you.
Are You Looking for Custom Designs for Your Small Business Packaging?
Packoi Printing has several design options for you.
Custom packaging is a powerful marketing tool that can help grow your small business. It won’t just lead to more sales and higher profit potential. It can also help you build a brand reputation to strengthen your market position.
If you need help designing your packaging, get in touch with Packoi Printing. We have design services that can turn your ideas into a reality.
Give us a call so we can discuss your ideas. We’ll send you a quote in no time.
