eCommerce Packaging: The Definitive Guide You Need

Shipping and fulfillment are the most direct points of contact and interaction with customers for eCommerce businesses. Additionally, it is one of the most underutilized marketing opportunities.

Did you know that a proper eCommerce packaging and unboxing experience are both a chance to deliver a functional product and a unique marketing strategy? But how to do it well? Let’s check out the definitive guide on eCommerce packing.

What Is eCommerce Packaging

eCommerce packaging simply refers to the packing you use to deliver your products. It is how you grab and protect your goods, build your brand, and manage shipping expenses. It can boost your profitability while also improving the experience of your customers. Packaging consists of the box, any filler you use, tape, inserts like gifts, coupons,...

eCommerce packaging is as popular as ever, but envisioning the package for your product can be anxiety-inducing, especially if you don't have design experience or are unsure of your possibilities. Don’t worry, this guide will help you!

Why Do You Need a Proper eCommerce Packaging Method

Your business can stand out with the right eCommerce packaging strategy. Making the wrong decision can result in a wide range of problems, including ruined products, reduced brand effectiveness, and decreased client retention. The following are some of the factors that have made eCommerce packaging one of the most crucial steps:

Protect Your Products

eCommerce packaging ensures the best possible preservation of the products by shielding them from impacts during transit or packing and against weather conditions, unintentional drops, fractures, and crushes or sources of contamination.

Packaging becomes a crucial component for lengthy routes or international shipments that involve many logistic operators since any minor mistake or inaccuracy in the packaging might result in returns.

Also, adequate eCommerce packing will lower the volume of customer support requests for damaged products during delivery.

Optimize Internal Logistics

To maximize packing effectiveness, several eCommerce businesses and online stores use more lucrative models. When there is a lot of inventory, the packaging can tell you without looking in the register what kind of products you are checking without looking in the record.

Additionally, operating space will be wasted if the packaging doesn't enable optimal inventory storage, which can lead to some effects on the provision frequency of the company.

Customize Customer Experience

Since the beginning of marketing, packaging has developed into another component of an eCommerce store's identity. The real benefit of employing packaging as a marketing tool is that it only engages consumers after they make a purchase. This implies that unlike newsletters, which may be opened or not, eCommerce packing affects every user.

Types of eCommerce Packaging

You must package your products for safe shipping before you may ship them. The following are a few distinct possibilities for utility eCommerce packaging:

Corrugated Boxes

These continue to be the most common product packaging options utilized by merchants. They are strong, won't make your packages heavier, and can be recycled. Additionally, double-walled corrugated boxes can be used to provide bigger products with extra durability and strength.

Padded Mailers

More minor, flat, or fragile products like jewelry, artisan products, books, or gadgets seem to be the most suitable products that can be shipped in these packages. Bubble wrap may be a less environmentally friendly choice for packing; however, recyclable paper can also be used to give further protection.

Envelopes and Bags

You may send your products using poly mailers, envelopes, or plastic mailing bags if you offer more lightweight, non-fragile products. They are robust, lightweight, compact, and self-sealing, making delivering small orders or boxes from a warehouse or home simpler.

Custom Packaging

Custom boxes are a fantastic way to provide clients with a unique unwrapping experience and demonstrate your business values. Everything from the tissue to the present wrap, printed typefaces, packing slips, and more may be printed and customized in various ways. Additionally, you may print all over your box to showcase your brand in fresh ways and provide clients with a pleasing experience.

How to Choose the Best eCommerce Packaging

The eCommerce packaging you choose affects your business's expenses and viability. Making the optimal choice, though, is not always easy. The products may be at risk if it is not strong enough. On the other hand, utilizing too protective packaging might significantly reduce your profit margins. Let’s check out how to choose proper eCommerce packing in this part!

Determine Your Needs

The packaging you select should match the characteristics of the products. Consider the products' size, nature (solid, liquid, or gas), shelf life, the necessity for refrigeration, fragility, hazard, and economic worth.

The parameters of your warehouse system, such as the frequency of rotation, pile height, duration of storage, treatment procedures, mobile machinery, etc., should also be taken into account.

Review Your Transportation Options

You will need to decide what shipping settings you will employ to convey your products. A ship's stability is very different from an airplane's or a van's. Knowing the size and duration of the cargo is particularly crucial since the longer the journey, the higher the risk of damage.

Define the Packaging Type and Material

The kind of packing (primary, secondary, or tertiary) and the material used will depend on the products themselves, the mode of transportation, the point of sale, or the number of shipments you handle (plastic, paper, or wood).

Set up a Provisioning Schedule with Your Supplier

If the items you sell have comparable dimensions, you may get more uniform packaging in bigger numbers and save some money. However, you'll need several forms of packaging if your products vary in size or variety, which might result in more extraordinary expenses.

9 Effective eCommerce Packaging Methods

The ideal eCommerce packaging solutions must address a variety of problems. The goal of optimum packaging procedures is to maximize efficiency. Here are 9 of the most effective strategies for handling packaging requirements for eCommerce.

1. Use Packaging that Fits the Products

The utility packaging and interior brand packaging should both be as well sealed as feasible to minimize weight without sacrificing the quality of the final product. For instance, unlike retail shop packaging, internet shipments don't require a hanging tab; doing so would only take up extra room and contribute nothing to the item. Reducing the size also reduces the need for materials and the cost of dimensional delivery.

2. Use Flexible Package Instead of Rigid Packaging

A box or solid plastic container may not always be the best option. Instead of using cumbersome plastic bottles, pack drinks in pouches. The enormous weight and height increases of the bottles necessitate the need for a larger box with more vacant space.

Although a cardboard box for larger items seems to be more convenient, try to cram smaller items into a mailer or courier bag. Customers may request businesses to reduce packaging to reduce the amount of trash to deal with.

You might reduce size, weight, and waste while lowering transportation costs by moving to flexible packaging.

3. Use Eco-friendly Void Filler

Even though they are beneficial, styrofoam peanuts cause environmental harm when they are discarded. Customers want ecologically friendly substitutes.

The package goes into the trash stream when it has served its purpose. Many big businesses are using quickly growing materials (bamboo, mushroom roots, wheat straw,...) as void fillers to lessen their environmental impact.

The environment and the reputation of every business benefit from "green" packaging.

4. Create an Impressive Unboxing Experience

Every time a consumer opens a box, it should be with the same sense of anticipation as receiving a precious present. Unboxing provides the potential to boost loyalty by surpassing customers' expectations.

Ensuring the products will fit in a typical mailbox and that it will be simple to open are additional methods to enhance the client experience. The entire experience should be part of a holistic marketing plan, make your consumer feel unique, and encourage them to purchase more.

5. Use the Company Tape

In addition to holding the box together, the tape should serve as excellent advertising. The addition of the brand's colors and emblem completes the trinity of sealing, reiterating, and branding. Instead of utilizing external strapping, think about employing branded strapping tape.

6. Add Your Brand to Your Package

No rule mandates bland, monotonous, and brown utility packaging. Add branded stickers or imprint the box with the company's colors in addition to the branded tape indicated above. In either case, the brand needs to be easily recognizable to anyone at a distance.

The branded packaging should have the same visual design as the in-store package even though it should be more compact. The product should be instantly recognizable when the client opens the packaging.

7. Put a Custom Note to the Package

Even though scaling handwritten notes may be challenging, new businesses are vying for every client. Handwritten letters demonstrate to consumers that you care and that there are actual people behind your company. Connecting with customers with a personal, sincere note or card may make a world of difference.

8. Use Educational Materials

Include instructions within your box if you offer products that require a brief "how-to." Starting off is simple since you want to be sure that your consumers are aware of exactly how to utilize the product for their own demands. You can easily add the user instructions pages that provide for each item.

9. Add Sample or Gift

You may even consider providing a free sample of a different product, depending on the customer's recent or past purchases. Ideally, you should select a topic your customer will likely find interesting. For instance, include a tiny sample of complimentary conditioner if they bought shampoo. Introducing a consumer to new items, this strategy can aid in cross-selling.

Final Words

Giving customers a memorable shopping experience may provide your company the edge it needs to bring in new clients and encourage repeat business. One of the best methods for constructing this experience is through eCommerce packaging. To discover more about eCommerce tips and guides, check out on DSers Blog.