In e-commerce and even traditional businesses with physical shops, product packaging makes the brand image of such businesses. Your product packaging is the first point of contact and interaction a customer gets to make with your product and a perfect chance to leave an unforgettable first impression on your customers.
Research conducted in the U.S shows that it takes only 7 seconds for customers to form a first impression within their first encounter with your product. The study further showed that first impressions created by customers concerning a product are usually ineffaceable.
Product packaging, visibility, excellent and clear communication, prompt product delivery, and offering high-quality products will give you an edge in the world of e-commerce business.
Choosing a suitable material for product packaging and the best fit design ensures your products are safe and protected and elevates goodwill for your business brand.
Knowledge of the various types and designs of e-commerce packaging, their pros and cons, and how they can boost your product and brand image is crucial in the e-commerce business.
In this article, you will learn how to choose e-commerce packaging for your business.
Factors for Consideration When Choosing an E-Commerce Packaging
1. Size of product or packaging size
The size of your product determines the size of the package for the product. Hence, as an e-commerce retailer, you should consider the size of your product before choosing a package for it.
Because products come in different shapes and sizes, other boxes of different dimensions can be designed for packaging. The size of your product also determines the appropriate packaging material and design to use.
A good E-commerce packaging design should integrate cost-effective measures in the sizes and dimensions of the package. Choosing a befitting E-commerce package for your product will help protect your product and save you from losing time and money.
2. Product design and branding
Meticulous product design and branding will ensure that your product is attractive, appealing, and satisfactory. Your product design is as important as your product and a direct reflection of the quality of your product. Therefore, make it a duty to put in much thought and effort.
The packaging material used determines the design to go for. Make sure your packaging material and design are complementary to each other.
Remember that your product design and branding should be attractive, long-lasting, and strong enough to protect your customers’ purchases. Again, it should communicate your brand’s message effectively to your customers.
3. Transportation
Ease of transportation is vital in choosing e-commerce packaging for your products. You want to ensure your product reaches your end-user successfully, so designing a packaging material to fulfill this purpose should be a priority.
It will hit your brand badly if your product is damaged during shipping. It means your chosen packaging material failed to secure and protect your product.
The functionality of your desired e-commerce packaging depends on the nature of your products. The integrity of fragile or bulky products can be protected by using a sturdy packaging material.
4. Budget
Budgeting is the first step to take in considering appropriate packaging for your e-commerce products. Budgeting for your e-commerce packaging is essential for determining the packaging material and design to use for your product.
Materials like glass, although naturally attractive, are not long-lasting. They are expensive, heavy, and can generate a lot of storage and transportation concerns. In contrast, materials like cardboard are light, cost-effective, durable, and readily available. Another budget-friendly option is plastic materials; they are lightweight and recyclable.
How to Choose Packaging for E-Commerce
Choosing the proper e-commerce packaging for your products is a significant investment and a good business strategy. Because e-commerce packaging can go wrong, intentionally deciding which packaging suits a particular product ensures you get good returns and favorable customer feedback on your products.
1. Ensure you choose the suitable material
Whatever material fits your product should be recyclable. Many customers view brands that use recyclable material for product packaging as showing commitment to keeping the environment from waste and preventing its impact on other aspects of life.
A study conducted in the U.K revealed that most residents are willing and ready to pay an extra 30 British Pounds to buy products with recyclable packages. 50 % of the respondents stated that they are willing to add extra pounds to purchase recyclable containers.
As an e-commerce retailer, using eco-friendly materials for packaging your products promotes your brand’s image.
2. Be creative
Creativity in e-commerce packaging is undoubtedly an option to go for. Being creative in your product packaging will make your product unique and stand out from other competitors in the market, and you don’t need to break the bank to be creative.
The above are some of our product designs with custom creative branding. Creativity can be introduced in design and packaging material and can include other packaging inserts.
3. Focus on a target market
Your e-commerce packaging should be directed to a target market. Ensure your product packaging communicates your brand message effectively to your customers. It is easier to build a product-customer connection when your packaging aligns with your customers’ tastes and preferences.
4. Your packaging should minimize waste at all levels
You don’t want to use even costlier packaging than your products. That would be a bad investment. The high cost of packaging material does not necessarily equate to a great package. You can get the perfect packaging design for your product at a reduced price.
To minimize waste, ensure you use the needed items at each level of packaging.
5. Use relevant packaging
Simon Preece, director of effectiveness at Elmwood, a brand design consultancy, stated that a package is relevant if it elicits emotional engagement, is unique, simple, generates visual equities, and passes the five-year-old test.
According to him: “As a brand, you need to think about what a customer will do when they see it. What does it make them feel – and what do they want to do as a result? So what you have to do is four things. You need to stand out, stop people and get their attention – make them see your product. Engage; be interesting and intriguing so they want to go near it. Then you have to attract – the product has to have something interesting aesthetically, emotionally, or rationally. Finally, you have to reassure – what’s the rational or emotional reason for the customer to buy? Stop, engage, attract and reassure.”
Your product packaging should fulfill the function of being impressive and appealing to your customers.
6. Ensure your products are protected
Packaging materials that protect and keep your products safe should be a top priority. The packaging material should be durable enough to deliver your products to end-users without damage.
7. Go for custom packaging
Custom packaging is a type of packaging designed to suit individual products. Custom packaging can be less expensive and a good way of personalizing your products.
Options for E-Commerce Packaging
1. Cardboard and corrugated boxes
Cardboard boxes are distinct from corrugated boxes in their material type, although they are often used interchangeably. Many people consider the durable brown paper boxes commonly used in shipping e-commerce products as cardboard boxes, whereas they are corrugated boxes.
Corrugated board is high-definition cardboard; it is more rigid and studier than regular cardboard. It is a three-layered, thick type of brown cardboard made from kraft paperboard. It comprises two exterior layers of liner boards sandwiched between fluted pieces of cardboard.
While cardboard boxes offer considerable durability and protection for lightweight consumer products such as beauty and cereal products, corrugated boxes are known for their versatility and day-to-day use in shipping e-commerce products.
Standard cardboard and corrugated boxes
Standard cardboard and corrugated boxes are primarily for ensuring the safety and protection of shipping products and not necessarily promoting a brand’s identity. For corrugated boxes, the standard design has four flaps on the top and bottom of the box. When closed, the flaps on the long side of the box meet in the middle; the top and bottom of this box are sealed with an external closure, such as tape, to provide a secure shipping box that is simple to open for the consumer.
They come in various sizes; they are readily available and relatively cheap.
Custom boxes
Custom boxes are tailored to meet product specifications and promote brand recognition and identity. They are also designed to improve sales, customer retention, and satisfaction.
Custom boxes are varieties of standard boxes and are the creative asset of an e-commerce business intended to impress customers. The following are the different types of custom boxes:
- Full overlap: full overlap features an opening that is maximally secured by two parallel flaps that entirely cover the opening. This type of box does not require extra fasteners like tape. The doubly reinforced side provides additional strength for protecting heavy or fragile products.
- Die-cut carton: This box comes in many different shapes to suit your company’s preferences. It is a personalized way of cutting cardboard from a material.
- One-piece folder: one-piece folder is a flat and narrow box with a piece of cardboard secured to the side or front of the box. It protects and wraps your products tightly for safe transportation.
Flute Types in Corrugated Boxes and How They Fit Your Products
Flutes are the wave-like patterns found in corrugated cardboards that increase twice the strength of cardboard. The ability of cardboards to withstand stacking is made possible by the stability provided by flutes. Flutes also provide cardboard with insulation to protect and keep the contents of the package safe.
These are the types of flutes to consider for your e-commerce packaging:
- B flute: B flute is made of a thinner wall surface, which only accommodates less storage space. B flute is distinctly designed to contain small products such as can foods. They are not collapsible and cannot be easily punctured. Although they cannot give off the same printing quality as E flute, compared to flute C, they offer and maintain a better printing surface and quality.
- C flute: C flute is mainly used for packaging products such as glass and furniture. It has been estimated that more than 80 % of corrugated cardboards contain a C flute. C flute is a regular option for stacking a product.
- B.C. flute: B.C. flute is a type of flute with mixed composition. It is a combination of B and C flutes. B.C. flute is specifically designed for shipping heavy products and for industrial purposes. B.C. flute has a strength of about 9mm in thickness.
- E flute: E flute boxes are the typical takeaway containers for packaging foods. They produce small, flexible boxes and are made of flat surfaces that offer a high printing quality.
2. Mailers
Mailers are a perfect fit for small to medium-sized products. They are easy to set up, cost-effective, and do not occupy much space. They ensure uncompromising protection for lightweight products such as cosmetics, jewelry, etc.
3. Poly bags
Poly bags are the ideal packaging material to be used when packaging is price-sensitive, and shipping items are not necessarily fragile. Poly bags are lightweight, budget-friendly, and flexible. They are obtained from a type of plastic known as polyethene.
Poly bags come in various types, from single-layered poly bags to those reinforced with a gusset. They are used for packaging food products, magazines, chemicals, etc.
4. Shippers
Shippers, although costlier than mailers, are more solid. They are available in different sizes and can be used in packaging a large number of products.
They are mainly used for packaging medium to semi-large products. They are also used for subscription boxes.
Printing Options for E-Commerce Packaging
1. Flexo printing
Flexo printing, also known as flexographic printing, is a technique for imprinting a non-photographic design onto the material using rubber, liquid ink, or dyes. This type of printing is commonly used on fabrics and waterproof materials, smooth and rough surfaces, and it is a great printing option for cardboard and corrugated boxes. The equipment used is environmentally friendly and requires low operational costs.
2. Digital printing
Digital printing is the process of using a digital printer to print choice designs on your boxes. Digital printing provides arrays of graphics and texts to choose from. With digital printing, you can print various colors, gradients, and photo quality.
It is cost-effective and relatively easy to set up. The process is eco-friendly because it does not produce much waste. Digital printing is ideal for prints of photographic quality, printing jobs in small quantities, colors that pop, and rapid turnaround.
3. Litho printing
Lithographic printing, or litho for short, is a type of printing where your preferred content, whether a design or image, is placed on a plate, covered by ink, and then used for printing. The material to be printed is placed over the plate, and the inks are absorbed as needed.
This printing option can be used on paper, cardboards, corrugated boards, and many other materials. It gives room for creating audacious visuals and colors. It takes a great deal of skill to properly and correctly mix the inks and set them in order, and while it is less easy to set up than digital printing, it is faster to print high quantities with litho printing.
4. Direct digital printing
Direct digital printing is a common method for chipboards or paperboards printed directly on the receiving material. It offers sharp images with photo quality.
This printing option is mostly not cost-effective for large runs since each box is printed separately, but it is generally inexpensive and easy to set up. The printing option is ideal for picture quality requirements, rapid turnover, and limited quantities.
Summary: Choosing an E-Commerce Packaging for Your Business
Packaging is the first thing that customers see before they purchase or open a product. It can make or break the sale in your business. Therefore, it is essential for e-commerce sellers to choose product packaging that will attract customers and entice them to buy.
The following are some additional tips for choosing e-commerce packaging for your business:
- Choose an E-commerce package design that complements your product and brand image.
- Choose a package design that aligns with your target market demographics.
- Make sure to consider costs when deciding on which type of E-commerce packaging to use.
- It is important to take into account the size of the products you are shipping.
In all, the most important thing you need to consider is what you are shipping. When shipping electronics, it is important to have durable and protective packaging that ensures that nothing happens to the product while it is in transit.
Delicate electronic components can easily be damaged by rough handling. However, when dealing with clothing, there is less need for durability in protection.
About Atlas Packaging
Atlas Packaging strives to find the perfect solution for your packaging needs. With over 40 years of experience, we know just what to do to make your packaging and branding perfect for your business needs. We have a wide range of product packaging samples that we manufacture, including custom display boards, gift boxes & more!
Contact us for custom packaging for your E-commerce business