Your customers’ experiences with your brand matter at every possible touchpoint, including in-person experiences. One of those touchpoints includes the moment before they ever see the product they order, that’s the box the product comes in.
Packaging plays a much bigger role than most ecommerce merchants realize. Studies have proven that fact. Take DotCom Distribution as example who says 52 percent of consumers are likely to make repeat purchases from an online merchant that delivers premium packaging. You can check out their findings here.
Packaging is an important part of the order fulfillment process. While branded custom boxes do cost more money, they do leave a lasting impression on your customers and that is priceless.
(1) Custom Boxes Enhance The Unboxing Experience
If you’re ever browsing YouTube, take a moment and search for unboxing videos. Some of these videos have tens of millions of reviews. This clearly shows it matters. Most of you have likely bought products from Amazon, right?
Now, I want you to recall when you see the well known Amazon package, how did it make you feel? It probably made you excited, make you think, “it’s here!” Many of you probably opened it up as soon as you sit back in your car or on the way home. That’s the power of branded custom boxes versus plain boxes.
Now, would custom boxes help your ecommerce brand? You bet! It matters! Just look at Amazon. You want your customers to have that same experience with your brand.
(2) Choosing The Right Box Size
You don’t want to use custom boxes that are too big or too small. As it pertains to packaging orders, that’s rule number one. Boxes that are too big will lead to your business paying more money to your shipping carriers. Boxes that are too little can cause products to get damaged.
Online ecommerce merchants need to choose the right box sizes for their products.
To learn more about box sizes, check out this article. Dimensional Weight
(3) The Right Custom Boxes
While the right box size is important, so is the packaging you use. Yes, custom boxes are going to be more costly but if done right, it’s going to make your brand memorable. As studies have suggest, it could also lead to more of your customers buying again.
How can you leave a lasting impression with your customers? Your custom boxes should include your logo, branded colors, graphic designs and image that help you stand out from your competitors.
These build powerful relationships with your customers. For those of you that buy Nike shoes, how many times do you repurpose those boxes? I know people that won’t throw a Nike box away. To them, it’s too valuable to do that, they keep it and use it for something else.
Branded custom packaging is just one way to leave a lasting impression. What you put inside is obviously more important, but you can add more than just the product they ordered. What about a handwritten thank you note? If you sell books, why not add a bookmark? If you sell coffee, why not add a branded coffee mug?
All of these are things that can leave a lasting impression with customers and they’re easy, cost-effective ways to inch above your competitors.
(4) Keep Cost In Mind
In the end, you still have to keep your cost in mind when creating custom branded packaging or adding other things that leave a personal touch. Using custom packaging services is going to be more costly than standard packaging services, so you need to decide what’s worth including and what is not worth it.
The cost of custom shipping boxes is more, but it gives you the opportunity to create a memorable moment with your customers that can last a life-time. While custom printed boxes may be more expensive, there’s no question that it can leave a lasting impression if done right.
An Experience They Won’t Forget
The rise of social media has given the unboxing experience a whole new level of popularity. Customers want to align themselves with brands that represent them, brands they relate to.
If your branding is strong everywhere else, why are you delivering plain boxes?
Why are you using boxes that doesn’t represent your brand?
It’s time to get a custom box that matches your brand, you won’t regret it!
Essential Order Fulfillment Services
Thill Inc. provides a full-scale offering of order fulfillment services.
If you’re ready to upgrade your self-fulfillment, reach out and let’s talk! Our fulfillment experts are here to help.
You can reach us directly at 920-967-9201 or you can use this contact form.
We provide ecommerce fulfillment for a number of different ecommerce platforms, such as;
- Shopify Fulfillment
- Amazon Fulfillment
- Ebay Fulfillment
- Magento Fulfillment
- WooCommerce Fulfillment
- And many more platforms
Talk to you soon!
