Sometimes it feels like ecommerce has been around forever! Consumers all around the world have come to depend on ecommerce to do their shopping and buy their favorite products. In reality though it’s still extremely young.
Ecommerce is still changing and evolving every day; From the platforms that we use to how products are delivered. While many things about ecommerce are constantly changing there’s at least one thing that’s bound to stay the same: physical interaction with an ecommerce brand is very low.
The only physical touch point between you and your customer is the packing and product. It’s up to you to take advantage of this.
The Role of Packaging in Ecommerce
We all know how competitive the world of ecommerce can be. There’s a lot of factors that go into a consumers decision of where to spend their money. No matter what though, people want to feel their getting the most bang for their buck.
Your packaging can help create a stellar experience that will draw in customers. Yes you could just mail your products in regular, plain old packaging but branded packaging can create a memorable experience.
The other benefit of having cool packaging is that it can create organic marketing buzz from your own customers. Beautiful packaging begs to be instagrammed and youtubed and shared all over social media.
Unboxing videos have become wildly popular all over social media racking up millions of views. So even though creating a premium unboxing experience might be more expensive than standard packaging it’s doing double duty. Packaging isn’t just to help get your product from point A to point B anymore and brands that are meeting the challenge are winning.
You don’t need to be a subscription box or a luxury brand in order to create an experience that your customers will love. Here are a few top tips
Keep It On Brand
While both Channel and FabFitFun both have great unboxing experiences they’re very different from each other. One is fresh, cute and trendy the other is luxurious and timeless. It wouldn’t make sense for either one to adopt the others style because it just doesn’t match their brand.
As you think about your packaging and unboxing experience make sure that you consider your brand first. Make sure that your experience matches the look and feel of your overall brand. If your brand is fun and quirky make, be fun and quirky.
Be sure to consider your customers and target demographic so that you create an experience that they’ll actually enjoy and have fun with. A mis-match with your packaging/unboxing experience versus what your customer was expecting can create a poor overall experience.
Fashionable and Functional
No matter what your packaging looks like, make sure that you pick something that is both fashionable and functional. This kind of functionality can have a few different meanings.
- Does it actually work and hold up while shipping?
- Is it easy for your customers to use?
- Does it make sense for your business?
Does It Actually Hold Up While Shipping?
There are some boxes that might look cute but absolutely fall apart while shipping. I know, I’ve been on the receiving end of some of those orders. While boxes and packaging might not be only to get products from point A to point B anymore that is definitely the minimum requirement.
Nobody is going to care about your cute box if it fell apart in transit and now there’s product missing from their order. That is a bad experience that you definitely want to avoid.
Is It Easy to Use?
Cute packaging is all fun and games until it gets frustrating. A fun unboxing experience is a bonus. It’s like the cherry on top that can help to win hearts and wallets for the long term. Be careful that you don’t forget about the rest of the sundae – their actual order.
Does It Make Sense for Your Business?
When we say unboxing it doesn’t have to literally mean there is a box. Not all products work best with a box. Poly bags are a great affordable way to ship certain items. Be sure to pick a type of packaging that works for you.
We said that branded packaging isn’t the cheapest but it shouldn’t put you out of business. Pick something that works for you financially. If your fancy packaging puts you in the red then it just doesn’t make sense. There are plenty of ways to brand your packaging without spending an arm and a leg.
The Takeaway
Your packaging is an extension of your brand. It’s one of the only physical interactions your customers are ever going to have with your company, so it’s important to make it memorable for all the right reasons.
Branded packaging can help create a special experience that can also attract attention on social media. It’s about getting from point A to point B and beyond!
At Ship Central Fulfillment we handle all of your order fulfillment needs. We don’t produce packaging but we can help you through the process of picking packaging that works for your business and your brand!