Product packaging is oftentimes a crucial overlooked aspect of a customer’s experience. The package is another way a customer will view your business. A memorable opening experience can turn a one-time customer into one of your valued repeat customers by building your brand recognition and trust. Knowing this, it is important to get the packaging right and to help you, here are 4 tips to make it the best it can be.
Make it Durable
Before you decide on anything it is important to make sure the packaging is durable. The customer will not be happy if the product they bought got destroyed on the way to them, and we all know UPS, FedEx, and USPS are not always the most careful. Whether the packaging is a box, envelope or bag, they have to be able to make the trip. A good way to make sure your prodec is protected is by using Styrofoam or Air Pillows inside the package around the product.
The product is not the only important thing to think about, the packaging itself is important. Don’t design packaging that won’t look the same when the customer gets it. After you decide on the design, test it to see if it can survive a journey.
Make it Exciting
There are a lot of influencers that make videos about unpacking products, so it is important to make sure the experience is exciting and memorable even for those just watching. Here are a few ways to make your product packaging exciting:
- Put stickers on the package and inside the package for products for kids. The stickers could be placed where the package is opened to draw attention to it.
- Place bubble wrap inside the package too, it might not look appealing but people do like playing with bubble wrap and it will protect your product.
- You could also use decorative tape to make the package more unique.
- You can use tissue paper inside the package to make the experience similar to opening Christmas presents. The tissue paper could also be various colors to further enforce your branding.
Make it Yours
The customer needs to know that the package came from you and so it’s important to keep your branding in mind while making your packaging. You could use stickers inside your packaging with your logo and branding images on them. This will help give you some very inexpensive advertising when people use them.
You could include a free gift with every delivery that shows what you company is about. This will make the unboxing experience more personal. A great example of this is the company Sweetwater who sells music equipment. They include a small package of candy with all of their shipments, which enforces their brand name while also making a personal impression on their customers.
A great way to make your package recognizable is by having a custom box or envelope. The packaging could be made of unique materials that others are not made of, such as:
- Wool
- Wallpaper
- Custom Warping
- Metal (Special occasions)
You also have to consider what the product actually is. You really want your packaging to accent your product, so how you customize your packaging should be determined by what your product is.
Make it Personal
The final way to enhance the experience is to make the package unique to the customer. This takes extra time to do and might cost some more money but it can pay off in the long run with customer trust. The first way to do this is to create a custom note along with the product. This is easy and very important for small businesses. The note will show that you care for the person receiving your products. Make sure to also include their name on the note.
You could also give special surprise gifts to your loyal customers. The customers that have stayed with you for a long time deserve something special as a thanks. Combine this with the letter to really increase brand loyalty.