Do you own an eCommerce business and are looking for ways to increase organic traffic to your online store, grow your clientele, and eventually drive sales & revenue? If yes, your top priority in 2023 should be revamping your packaging designs and aesthetics. Attention-grabbing packaging helps your products and brand to stand out in the constantly growing and evolving online marketplace. Here are 5 ways how good packaging can turn around your fortunes in the eCommerce space:
1. Creating an impression of good quality and care
First impressions are everything in any relationship, including brand-customer relationships. Good packaging:
- Makes it easy for customers to remove the product from the box.
- Gives users essential product information (e.g. user manuals and expiry information) that guides the customer through the product’s installation and/or usage.
- Keeps the customer safe by outlining a product’s ingredients and giving precautions where necessary.
- Builds anticipation, satisfies expectations, and makes the customer excited to see the actual product. That gives the customer an unforgettable unboxing experience.
- Keeps the products safe and secure during shipping, which minimizes damages, return rates, and bad reviews.
Bottom line: A well-conceived packaging design gives the customer the perception that your brand is meticulous, values quality, and cares for its customers.
2. Building a strong brand identity
Does your eCommerce business have a known brand identity? A brand identity encompasses everything that customers associate with your brand and products, including its name, images, labels, colors, font, logo, motto, etc. Your brand identity shapes a customer’s opinion of your product and helps your products stand out from your competitors. Good packaging displays every little detail that defines your brand identity, making it apparent to the buyer/user.
3. It’s a form of marketing
Your packaging serves as a small, targeted, low-cost billboard that you can use to relay promotional information to the world. It gives you a chance of converting some of the people who interact with the package, from the shippers to the family/friends of the end user. You can also share marketing messages via packaging inserts, e.g. thank you notes, samples, gifts, and discount coupons. Packaging inserts are a pleasant surprise that makes the customer feel seen, valued, and appreciated.
4. Creates an ideal opportunity for cross-selling
If you understand the pain points and challenges that your ideal clients struggle with, then you already know which other products (besides what you offer now) would interest them. You can create an extra revenue stream by offering them complementary products. Your packaging gives you a good platform to introduce and promote other complementary products to existing customers. You can also use the platform to promote stagnant or slow-moving inventory.
5. Proper packaging helps you leverage influencer marketing and UGC
Social media users trust user-generated content (UGC) more than any promotional content you can come up with. UGC gives your eCommerce business the social proof and authenticity upon which you can build your social media marketing strategy. Influencer marketing, on the other hand, is when your online brand collaborated with a more popular online brand (mostly celebrities) to promote your products. Good packaging helps you optimize influencer and UGC marketing by improving the visual appeal of their unboxing photos and videos.
Trending Packaging Ideas 2023
Before we highlight the key packaging trends and ideas for 2023, let’s first mention that working with professional packaging companies improves your odds of marketing success. For example, packaging solutions from OriginPac are offered by world-class engineers, designers, and brand managers who help online businesses thrive through proper packaging. The professionals will work with you from the point you conceive an idea, develop your product, and deliver it to the end user. That way, packaging becomes an integral part of your product development process as opposed to being an afterthought.
That being said, here are some eco-friendly packaging ideas that will enhance your packaging in 2023:
I. Personalized baskets: This trend takes advantage of customers’ appetite for gift baskets. Instead of packing individual products, this trend allows you to pack a complete gift basket that has a little of everything your ideal client needs. Think of a basket that has stuffed toys, mugs, and dry fruits, among other things.
II. Personalized thank-you cards: Include these cards as a way of expressing gratitude.
III. Cross-selling brochures and coupons: You inset brochures or coupons promoting other products in your catalog as a way of trying to induce a purchase.
- Sample packs: eCommerce sellers now include sample packs for slow-moving and new products in the packaging of fast-moving products, which creates awareness and increases interest in the new/stagnated product.
- Cartoons on packaging: Cartoons have a special charm that gives shoppers a cocktail of good feelings- fun, nostalgia, fantasy, etc. This charm can strengthen your brand’s personality.
- Bright and fun decorations: Instead of outlining the ingredients in a boring, traditional manner, illustrate them in playful, bright, fun, and attention-grabbing colors, images, and fonts.
VII. Consumer self-affirmation: Ensure that your packaging makes shoppers feel proud of their purchase. Give them a shot at self-affirmation by allowing them to reuse the packaging and grab the attention of people (in a good way) while at it.
VIII. Smart, sustainable packaging: Customers are now environmentally conscious. Ensure that your packaging is recyclable or reusable.
Final word
A thriving eCommerce business in 2023 needs the finest packaging solutions in terms of quality, design, and usability. You need to delight consumers through outstanding packaging for optimal customer satisfaction, customer retention, and business returns.