Packaging Options for Your E-Commerce Startup

Do you love opening gift? Just the excitement of discovering the contents and the pleasure of removing each layer of the packaging is an aesthetic as well as emotional experience that is second to none. Imagine the same experience being provided to the customers of your ecommerce business. The packaging is the first thing that customers see when they receive their delivery. It is up to you to make their experience rather pleasurable. Apart from achieving great consumer experience, you would also be doing a great benefit to your business, as people would develop brand awareness and repeat purchase would be made possible. These conditions provide great leverage to any business in terms of income generating and maximizing opportunities.

Selecting the Base Material

Let’s consider Corrugated Boxes or carton boxes as they are popularly known. The first and foremost step is to decide on the substrate. Now substrate is merely a fancy way of referring to the base material which in this case is a cardboard. The reason for considering cardboard is that almost 99% packaging requirements are fulfilled with this material and only a handful of requirements need other materials. And why shouldn't this be used? It is easily available, durable, and cost effective and can be acquired in any size and shape. 

Determining Packaging Types

Now that you decided on the substrate, it’s time to define the type of packaging. Go through your entire inventory and make a list of the common packaging needs for all of them. Do they need top-opening boxes or side opening boxes? Once the requirements have been laid out, it would be easy for you to place your order accordingly in keeping with the specific size requirements. Remember – an ecommerce business cannot run the risk of storing uniformly created boxes. There are so many products, each with their own shapes and sizes, so it would be good to find a Packaging Solutions Provider who can fulfill your requirements on a regular basis.

The External Branding

It’s as simple as placing your brand / logo on the external part of the packaging. It doesn't cost much but it adds a whole lot of consumer value to the package. The external part was plain anyways, so why not make good use of the space and give your business a much needed leverage? A major benefit of this form of branding – your business gets high visibility even as it travels. This is in addition to the relevance that customers create upon receiving the package. It makes their investments seem worth the while, especially when the shipping costs have been borne by them. In case you do not have the budget to afford custom branding, then you can always opt for plain unbranded boxes and then brand them when you have the required funds. Another good option is to use stickers or branded accessories such as tapes which can add to the marketing quotient of the package.

The Inside Packaging

This is what differentiates successful businesses from mediocre businesses. Most people think that the external branding suffices the need for creating marketing value. But when people open the package and find the branding there – that is the point where a dedicated customer is created or the chances of creation are highly likely. Make sure the content is packed with the right amount of cushioning and aesthetic appeal so that the customer is left with a visual treat along with the excitement of unravelling the layers of packaging to reach the content stored inside. And while you are preparing the inside for a fabulous presentation, why not include content resources that people often look out for. For example, if a customer orders a barbeque grill, then it would be a great idea to include a short book on “how to grill the best burger” or similar titles. This would go a long way in achieving customer satisfaction and retention.