There is probably only one thing more exciting than putting something in your cart and paying for it so it is yours. That would be receiving it in the post when it arrives. We tear the post bag open, and then take delicate care in peeling back the packaging to reveal our beautiful products.
If you have received anything from a brand or store recently, you will know that the expectations and drama of packaging and custom boxes are well and truly on par with the product itself.
If your current packaging is more fail than flair, find out how you can be wowing your customers.
Sealed for safety
It should be a given that your product arrives safe and sealed, and that your customers confidently know that it was packaged with quality and care. So if you are not using a shrink wrap machine, you may want to add that to your production line to ensure safe arrival. When you package your item, there are certain checkpoints and regulations that they have to make their way through. Keeping your goods vacuum sealed in materials designed to preserve will mean no disputes or complaints from your customers who open them and find a different story.
Mixture of textures
When you are brainstorming how you will blow your customers away with incredible packaging, think first about the textures you want to use. Maybe the goods come wrapped in hessian, packaged in tissue paper, and boxed in a cardboard package. This attention to detail will not be lost on your customers and will bring them back for more. It also gives you, if you choose to exploit your fine packaging, a great base of fantastic photography of all your orders packed and ready to go with such delicacy and precision.
A card of appreciation
Customers these days buy from brands and suppliers that resonate with them. They want to know the person and team behind the brand shares their values and appreciates their loyalty. When you send out your packaged goods, include a message on a branded card that thanks them for their purchase, signed by you. It’s even a clever and authentic way to include a return special or alerts them to sign up to your database or follow you on social media. The combination of a discount and personalised message will secure loyalty.
A cohesive experience
Put yourself in the mind of a customer. They find your beautiful social media account, it leads them to your stunning website, and the purchase process is seamless. And then? After a short time, they receive their order and the package is entirely underwhelming. You need to remain consistent with your brand ethos, all the way through to the end user. Use your brand colour palette in your packaging (paper, ribbon, stick set etc) so they immediately know this order is from you and keep with the tone of voice in all your messaging.
Unexpected treats
This may not be achievable for all brands and business operations, but if you can you should consider including a little treat with every order you send out. This is a cost to you, so understandably this treat should not be too expensive, but it will go a long way with your customer base. It could be some herbal tea, a small bag of sweets, or a small accessory – your treat will vary based on your product offering. Do not do this just for the sake of is, it should make sense for your brand, be done well, and be in line with your costing.
Don’t think of sprucing up your packaging as a chore – it can be a lot of fun! If you don’t know quite where to start, check out the socials of a brand you love who is doing well and see how they package up their goods. It’s also a project that you can stagger in stages, there is no need to go all out right away. Build up to your packaging concept gradually if that works best for your brand and business operation.