If you sell any type of product online, it is essential that you know how to package your orders effectively. This is true whether you are a large supplier of products or just running a home business selling items that you make. Attention to quality packaging is a must.
When a customer makes a purchase from an online store, his shopping experience does not end there because he has not yet received his purchase. If he had walked in a brick and mortar store, bought an item, and took the item with him, that is quite different. In an online purchase, the safe and speedy delivery of the order is vital to providing the customer with a positive shopping experience.
Here are five tips from Plastech Group on how to package your products that will impress your customers.
1) Packaging Must Be Secure
It is most important to protect your product during shipment. If the customer receives a product that was broken or crushed because the item was not packed the correct way, the customer will not be very happy. This could have been easily avoided.
To minimize the chance of the item getting damaged during shipment, use a sufficient amount of padding material to protect the item. Packing tissue and bubble wrap are common choices. Packing foam peanuts are also very helpful in securing and immobilizing your item inside the box. The foam pieces can be placed into the small spaces around your item to cushion them from impact. A benefit to using packaging foam is that it is very light and will not add significant weight to the package that will affect the shipping cost.
2) Select The Right Kind of Packing Carton
Not only does the interior of the package needs to be secured, but the outside of the package also needs to be protected. Boxes made from corrugated cardboard are sturdy, light-weight, and recyclable. They are the boxes of choice among most e-commerce businesses. Plastic presentation boxes can be used for certain products.
Measure the size of your product and select a box of the appropriate size that can accommodate the item and packing protective materials. For instance, packing your product in a box that is too small will force you to overpack the interior too tightly. The pressure increases the risk of the sealing tape coming apart at the seams or the box tearing or puncturing.
On the other hand, packing your product in a box that is too big will allow your item to move around too much. When the item slides around inside the box, it has a higher chance of breaking, and it can also damage the packing box from the inside.
A guideline to follow is this: if you find you need extra sealing tape to secure the box opening because the content is pushing against it, the box is probably too small. However, if you tilt the box and you sense the item moving around inside a lot in the box, then the carton is too big or requires more packing material to protect the content from moving around.
3) Customize Your Packaging To Make It Unique
It is true that most e-commerce merchants use the simple brown cardboard box when shipping to customers. That's okay at the minimum, but you can take it a step further by adding personal touches to the box especially if your product is unique and valuable.
Do not forget that your box will create a first impression, and as such display printing matters. This is especially important for first-time customers who have never purchased from you before. A good first impression creates an impact on how the customer perceives your company, your brand, and your quality. When you put extra thought into the packaging, you are showing your customers that you are proud of what you sell and that you value their patronage.
Customizing the box can be as simple as using attractive sealing tape that is customized with your brand or design. This goes a long way in personalizing the box for your customer, and it really shows your customer that you are a thoughtful seller.
Not only that, but when you go the extra mile in packaging your product beautifully, it can catch the attention of product reviewers or influencers who post their unboxing experiences in social media. This is like free advertising for you, so you want to get the most out of it.
4) Select A Shipping Solution That Is Reliable
A lot can happen to merchandise that are in transit. Unfortunately, even if a mishap during delivery is no fault of yours, your business still gets blamed for it.
When a buyer has a bad experience with the shipping service, it is human nature to connect that experience with your business. So, rather than enjoying your product and telling people in their social circle about your great products and brand, they are likely to vent about the bad service from the shipping service. When they post reviews on social media or on your company website, they complain about the delivery and say nothing about the quality of your merchandise. This can hurt your reputation.
To minimize the chance of this happening, you need to do some research on the best courier services to use. If you choose a local service, find reviews on their reliability in your local area. Look at what people complain most about, like packages arriving damaged, boxes left in an insecure spot at the home, inaccurate tracking information, etc.
5) Request Feedback From Your Customers
A thoughtful merchant always cares about getting feedback from customers. This is the only way to find out how truly satisfied the customers are. However, a lot of times, sellers only solicit feedback about the product and not about packaging.
So, after the product is delivered, when you ask your customer for a product review or to answer a survey about their shopping experience, don't forget to ask for their opinions about the packaging. If they expressed problems with the packaging, you can remedy that so your next customer will have a better experience.
If you'd rather get everything right before you launch your product, you can do some market research in advance and implement constructive feedback. Taking these extra steps will give your product a better chance of a successful launch and higher customer satisfaction.
