People do judge a book by its cover, a movie by its trailer and a product by its packaging. When you sell online, the first look of the product is via photographs. But when you ship the product across and the customer has a first look, it is the packaging that matters. A neatly packaged product delivered without any flaws speaks volumes about product credibility than a wonderful product that turns up at the customer’s doorstep, haphazardly packed.
Packaging plays a very important role in securing customer loyalty, especially in online shopping sites. Aesthetic appeal is just as important as safe and secure packaging.
Packaging basics for budding online entrepreneurs.
So, as an ecommerce seller, it makes sense to focus on packaging and make sure you deliver happiness.
Safety first
Whether you sell glassware or charcoal, the primary objective of packaging is to get the entire product shipped safely and securely to the customer. There should be no breakage, loss during transit, chipping or untoward spoilage. A customer who receives a broken product is not going to be a loyal customer for life. You might offer to replace the product and do so but his customer experience is ruined by bad packaging. That’s waste of some serious marketing cost, customer acquisition cost and much more. Customers today understand the power of public shaming. After all the effort you invest in building a great product, you can ruin it by sending it in bad packaging. And what’s worse, the customer can take to Twitter or Facebook to defame you.
Also refer Smart packaging = less shipping cost
Aesthetics
If you sell fine silk, you cannot send it to the customer, wrapped in plastic. You need horses for courses. A random tee shirt with a cheesy one liner can be sold a thousand times, wrapped in plastic. Not finer merchandise. So, think through the entire process of sales and after sales before you go ahead with the shipping. A customer who spends a lot on a product will expect decent packaging. Letting him down will cost you your customer acquisition expenses. And shipping fine merchandise in questionable packaging is not going to win credibility even if you argue that your product speaks for itself.
Personalisation
New age online retailers have upped their game with personalised packaging. Wouldn’t it be nice to send a custom note to a loyal customer who loves to buy from you? Little things like this can help you. And it costs next to nothing. Brown packaging from the packaging store shelves is passé. If your budget permits, you can go for packaging material that is designed for your purpose. Remember that great packaging is often reused or kept as mementos by discerning customers. That serves another purpose: brand recall.
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