5 Best Packaging Practices that Guarantee Success for your eCommerce Business

Packaging is usually one of the last things that eCommerce entrepreneurs pay attention to. However, seldom do they know that it is responsible for a significant part of customer satisfaction and business costs.

According to recent market research, customers form an impression of a brand within 7 seconds. Furthermore, nearly 10 per cent of customers consider packaging as important as the brand itself.

So, if you’re not paying attention to the packaging of your products, you’re probably losing out on a lot of customers. Here are the best packaging practices that help you retain your customers and guarantee eCommerce success.

1. Make sure your product fits just right: Are you guilty of packaging your product in an oversized box? Well! If that’s the case, you’re simply giving away the hard earned money that’s serving you no purpose. Packaging products in a box that is too big or small often have a negative impact on your eCommerce business. If it is too small, there are chances of damage to your product. On the other hand, if it is too big, your courier company might end up charging you more for packaging.

So, choose a box that packs your product just right as large boxes create a lot of inconvenience for your customers.

2. Provide the required amount of fillers: Fillers are an essential part of the packaging. Especially, when it comes to fragile products, one must know the right packaging that is required for their safekeeping. For a majority of the customers, the packaging material is vital in determining where they purchase the products. Moreover, sending a loosely packed product that has chances of breaking, will not just put it at risk, but also hamper your customer experience severely. So, unless you want your customers to never purchase again from your business, make sure you pay attention to how you pack your orders.

3. Use reusable packaging material: As the eCommerce orders around the world are increasing, so are the requirements for their packaging. This, in turn, is also creating a lot of waste that eventually harms the environment. Having said that, you must use smart packaging that can be reused. Not only it will cost less for your business, but your customers will be delighted as well. Ensuring that your customer can reuse packaging, also contributes as one of the factors towards boosting their loyalty.

4. Exceed expectations: Packaging is one of the best tools to exceed your customer expectations. When a customer places an order on your website, they know which product will they receive. However, seldom do they know how their order will be packed. As an eCommerce business, you can take this opportunity to surprise your customer with unique and distinguished packaging.

Statistics suggest that nearly 52% of the online shoppers who receive their orders in custom packaging are more likely to be return shoppers for a brand. Make sure you add little elements to your packaging that create a positive unboxing experience for your buyer.

5. Add value to your brand using packaging: Apart from protecting your product as it gets delivered to the customer’s doorstep, packaging also reflects your brand. Make sure that you have a packaging strategy for your business that is also aligned with your brand’s ideologies. This way you can distinguish your brand and maximize your customer’s positive experience. For example, add a ‘thank you’ card on your packaged product to express your gratitude towards your customer. Other ways can be creating season specific packaging if you’re delivering seasonal garments etc.

How packaging impacts your eCommerce success

Packaging is definitely one of the factors that impact the success of your eCommerce store. It can affect customer satisfaction, costs incurred in shipping along with your profit margins. With the changing trends in the eCommerce industry, more and more customers are looking for free shipping options. Now, if you do not have a packaging strategy for your products, you cannot compete in the market and offer attractive shipping options to your customer.

On the contrary, if you can offer free shipping to the customer by absorbing the costs of packaging and shipping, your buyers’ average order value will likely increase by 30%. One alternative is to use utility based packaging which is minimalistic and only focuses on safekeeping the product until delivery. Another great option is to choose a low-cost shipping platform such as Shiprocket to deliver your products and maximize your profits.

The growth of your eCommerce business depends mainly on your packaging and shipping strategy. The road to success might seem challenging but make sure you follow the best practices to provide a pleasant experience to your customers. Not only will it turn out fruitful for your business but also leave you with a loyal base of customers.