How can you leverage your packaging experience to create more sales?
It’s no secret that consumers love online shopping; just ask Jeff Bezos; we’re sure he’ll support the theory.
In 2021 alone, online spending in the UK came in at around 250 billion pounds, up approximately three per cent on the previous year. There are plenty of reasons why we’ve chosen to vacate the haunts of the 90s like Debenhams and Topshop (sorry, guys) and move our spending to digital businesses that are bigger than we dare to imagine. But that’s for another day and another blog.
As spending continues to move to the online world, we want to examine how you may be missing one of the most important sales opportunities. In fact, lots of businesses do, and it’s primarily due to oversight.
You’re probably thinking at this point, ‘just tell us already and be done with it!’ But that wouldn’t be any fun now, would it?
In this blog, we want to talk about customer experience and how your product packaging can make all the difference in repeat sales.
So, let’s get into the good bit.
How important is packaging?
As we assess the importance of packaging, we must remember that consumer behaviour has changed. With a reduced number of physical touchpoints between your brand and the end user, it’s essential we make the most of every one.
Long gone are the days of being able to make a lasting impression with high-quality face-to-face service. It’s all about speed, quality, and price point in the modern market, and they are boxes you really must tick. However, beyond that, we still want to feel special.
If you can’t give your customer a tangible in-store experience of interacting with your brand, you must do your best to create that in their living rooms. This is where your packaging experience comes into play.
So, now that you no longer have the fancy chandeliers or your five-star service, you have a box. In most cases, a nondescript cardboard one is as uninspiring as the British summer. Before you have to ask again how important your packaging experience is, very is the answer!
Where can I find the best examples of perfect packaging?
Let’s take a look at who does it best.
Take a bite out of Apple. What the California-based tech giants don’t know about branding probably isn’t worth knowing. With the release of the iconic iPhone came a beautiful-looking device which was far more aesthetically pleasing than any of its competitors. However, it’s essential not to overlook it also comes in an admirably aesthetic package.
In many ways, when you get the packaging experience right, just like Apple, it becomes part of the product itself. Down to the tiniest of details, Apple didn’t miss; in fact, they never miss! Think about how the device instructions were held together by the pin used to retrieve your sim card. Or those Apple stickers that people used to use to customise other products.
Another example of a stand-out packaging experience can be found by looking into the luxury clothing sector. For as long as most of the biggest brands have existed, they have shipped handmade luxury garments out of Italy and France in luxurious packaging. Whether it’s a simple reinforcement of the brand or used to create FOMO in others – packaging means a lot in the world of luxury brands.
Why is that important to you?
Well, if you’re looking to create an experience, you want your end user to feel like they have bought the best product in the market. Whether your products are dog toys or bottled water, you want your customers to feel like they have made a perfect choice. You can ensure that by taking a leaf out of the luxury sector playbook and perking up your packaging experience in several ways.
Packaging at Create8
At Create8, we have a team of packaging design experts waiting to help create something unforgettable for your brand. When it comes to packaging design, we work alongside your business to fully leverage the importance of your brand and products with packaging design that is going to resonate with your customers.
We create eye-catching design work and pair it with our practical knowledge and know-how to build packaging that will keep your customers coming back for more. If any of our work inspires you, send us a message, we can’t wait to hear from you.
An unforgettable unboxing experience
It’s time to put some of what we know into practice and suggest the changes you can make to your packaging to take it to the next level.
Size
How many times have you heard someone say, ‘less is more’? Well, where packaging is involved, this couldn’t be more correct. Before you start to think about any of the other features involved in your packaging, you should make sure the size is just right.
Package designs that are either too big or too small can lead to the product being damaged in transit, which is about as bad as it gets. Not only will your customer have a bad experience unboxing the product, but they will likely write off shopping with your brand again.
Gigantic boxes lead to countless issues. Have you ever been happy when you receive a massive box with one tiny product inside? We know we haven’t!
It’s one of those annoying things that businesses can easily avoid, so don’t make that mistake.
Bigger boxes mean more charges from the courier and, dependent on the size of your business; this could be incredibly harmful to profit margins. Finally, as all companies are becoming more environmentally friendly, using unnecessary packaging could start to come with a fine. In terms of size, less is definitely more.
Brand opportunity
Blank boxes are an unutilised marketing space. With your packaging, you are presented a branding opportunity like no other. You have lots of free space and no competitors in sight, so don’t forget to plaster your branding all over them.
The beauty of packaging is that there are tons of different ways you can customise it. Think about using varied materials that align with your business and products. Or fill the inside of your boxes with splashes of colour, hidden branding or more information about the company itself.
Create8 Top Tip – Manipulating the inside of your packaging to make your product stand out. Product presentation is instantly eye-catching and will create extra interest in your brand and business.
Personal touches
Building relationships with someone you may never meet face-to-face can be complicated; however, that doesn’t mean it’s impossible! In the world of online sales, creating opportunities to have a lasting influence on your clients is pivotal. Luckily for you, your packaging is one of the easiest ways to achieve it.
By adding a personal touch to your packaging, you have the opportunity to upscale the experience you provide. One of the most popular methods of doing this is by adding a handwritten thank you note to the packaging to highlight your appreciation. Consumers like to feel valued by the companies they choose to shop with; this is essentially modern-day customer service, so why wouldn’t you?
However, you can also include items likely to drive repeat custom, for example, small samples of other products that you believe may interest the customer. From a marketing perspective, we also think you should include information on how your client can share their product experience on social media and help create much-needed user-generated content for the business.
As online spending continues to rise, the unboxing experience is undoubtedly here to stay. Just because your clients want to purchase your products from the comfort of their homes doesn’t mean they want to feel any less special when they do!
As an eCommerce business, you should ensure that your valued consumers keep loving your products and delivery experience as your brand continues to grow. To achieve this, it’s essential to ensure you are thinking both inside and outside of the box when it comes to packaging design.
At Create8, we specialise in creating unforgettable unboxing experiences through attention-grabbing graphic design and an innovative packaging design process. Our team has tons of experience across several sectors and understands exactly what it takes to stand out against competitors and build a brand that everyone talks about.
If you want to learn more about what we do at Create8 HQ, or if you want to ask how we could work together to boost your packaging project, get in touch. We can’t wait to hear about your business.
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