Packaging in small businesses is a tool for capturing customers’ attention. It goes beyond capturing their attention to retaining their interest in your product.
Making a memorable first impression is the goal of many small businesses to stand out from competitors. Packaging creates the first impression on customers. Your packaging impacts positively on customers when it is appealing.
Packaging, more than a box or container, is an indispensable aspect of your brand identity. Custom packaging can help businesses realize the goal of distinguishing their brand and making a lasting impression.
Custom packaging can be a powerful marketing tool while offering security for your products. With custom packaging, you can invent a personalized design using desired shapes and pictures and print logos and patterns on boxes or other packaging materials.
For an e-commerce business, packaging plays a vital role in customer experience. It is the first point of contact a customer makes with your brand, and it’s crucial in every stage of your business branding.
Small businesses can benefit from custom packaging and create unique containers to properly deliver their products while establishing and maintaining a brand with which customers can easily identify.
In addition, custom packaging can help you build a following of loyal customers by fostering credibility and sustainability. It also ensures your customers get an unforgettable unboxing experience.
What is Custom Packaging?
Custom packaging is a type of packaging tailored to satisfy a brand’s specific needs. You can use it as an alternative to the one-size-fits-all packaging solutions or what is generally known as standard boxes.
For an e-commerce business intending to stand out with a sharp competitive edge, custom packaging is used to gain customers’ attention and loyalty and to promote user experience by modifying components of the packaging materials such as shape, color, size, and labels.
Custom packaging vividly represents a brand’s value. For example, a business that has value for the environment will use eco-friendly packaging materials for their custom packaging.
Among other benefits derived from custom packaging, it can be necessary to protect your products in cases where regular choices are insufficient to prevent damage during the shipping process.
Factors to Consider Before Designing Custom Packaging for Your Business
Beyond the aesthetics that go into custom packaging, it is important to consider other factors like your audience, the size, and the shape of your product.
The following are factors to consider before designing custom packaging for your business:
Your Target Audience or Potential Customers
The knowledge of who your target audience or potential customers are will significantly influence your design. Understanding their packaging preferences is the step to satisfying them.
Do your customers prefer extravagant packaging or quirky handcrafted packaging?
Concentrating on your target audience will assist you in selecting color combinations and graphics most appealing to them.
How Fragile Your Product is
One of the goals of every e-commerce business is to deliver its products safely to its customers’ doorsteps.
You run the risk of incurring damages while shipping fragile products. Hence, your choice of packaging could affect whether or not your product is delivered to customers damaged.
If you are shipping fragile items, you can use fillers that serve as cushions such as dunnage materials to keep them from breaking. Crinkle paper, air-fill, or bubble wrap are all less expensive solutions for extra padding. If you have the money, specially made inserts are an excellent way to keep your products secure.
Consider balancing form and function when using custom packaging for your products, especially if they are fragile.
The Shape and Size of Your Product
Products come in various sizes and shapes. You want to ensure they are packaged well and fitted into the right boxes, regardless of their shapes and sizes.
Designing a custom size or style will require figuring out the ideal combination of size, shape, and box safety, and this often takes effort, time, and practice. You will probably go through trial and error.
Shippers and mailers are the two most common varieties of packaging used. While we use shipping boxes for large-sized items such as household appliances and kitchenware, the best way to package jewelry, cosmetics, and other small items safely is by using mailer boxes.
The last thing your customer expects is to have a set of earrings wrapped up in a ton of bubble wrap and delivered in a huge shipper box. Doing this will be a waste of material and will elevate the cost of shipping and logistics.
Ascertain the shape and size of each product so that you can design suitable custom packaging for them.
How to Design Custom Packaging For Your Business
You can use the following steps in designing custom packaging for your business:
Choose Your Packaging
You can begin by deciding what kind of custom packaging you prefer, and it’s important to know what kind of custom packaging would work best for your products.
You can choose from various options such as coasters, colored boxes, labels, mailers, custom boxes, custom tapes, tissue paper, and stickers.
Once you’ve decided which packaging you want to use, you can create and position your artwork or logo.
Choose Your Dimensions
The next step after choosing your product is to choose the dimensions of your product. Select the length, width, and height of the box.
The dimensions for custom boxes range from the smallest size of 4x4x3 to the largest size of 12x10x4.
Please make sure the dimensions you choose for your products are the best fit for them.
Choose Your Material
Your product will largely influence the material you use for designing your custom packaging.
When using custom boxes, you choose the type of material you want. It can be Kraft material or white paper.
You might choose Kraft material for a more organic appearance if your design has no white.
Choose Your Preferred Graphics
You can create a unique graphic design on your custom packaging.
Select the inside and out color and the artwork you want to imprint on your packaging.
There are many graphics and available artwork online that you can choose from. You can incorporate a text box with various fonts and panel colors or use other graphic options.
Use a 3D Preview for Custom Boxes.
With the 3D preview option, you can check the finished design of your custom-made boxes.
The 3D preview allows you to view how your final design will appear in your custom packaging in real life.
You can adjust the position or colors as you choose. Save the modifications when you are satisfied with your results.
Select Quantity
The final step in designing custom packaging for your business is to select the order quantity after designing the custom packaging.
The total number of orders will determine the quantity of custom packaging you produce. You may consider reducing costs when customers order in bulk.
It is cost-effective to start production once customers have made payments.
Types of Custom Packaging
There are many options to explore when designing custom packaging for small businesses.
Below are the most common types of custom packaging.
Corrugated Boxes
Corrugated boxes, also known as regular slotted container boxes, are the most common type of shipping boxes. They are made from strong kraft paper, providing protection, padding, and durability for the products being shipped.
Corrugated boxes feature the following:
- Corrugated boxes are easy to construct.
- They are conveniently foldable.
- They give the package a uniform finish.
- Ensures the material is used economically.
- Very low production-related waste.
- Depending on the length of the flaps utilized, accommodate products of various sizes.
Rigid Boxes
Rigid boxes, also called custom gift boxes, are high-end boxes used for packaging luxury products. They are sturdy and offer premium protection to products.
These boxes give your customers a special unboxing experience, boosting your business’s values and spreading brand awareness. You can also place custom inserts as an extra touch of elegance to keep your products secure in the box.
Paperboard Boxes
Paperboard is made from sheets of paper from the fibrous material in wood or recycled waste paper.
They are strong but also lightweight since they are made of sheets of paper.
These sheets can be readily folded into boxes and cut into various styles and forms to fit the dimensions of your products.
Poly Bags
These packages offer lightweight solutions and are used for packaging light products. They are tear and waterproof and environmentally friendly. They also guarantee the security of your non-fragile products.
Poly bags have a smooth exterior, making labeling your products simple and hassle-free. They are easily customizable, allowing you to add your chosen design and logo.
Paper Mailers
Paper mailers are mostly used for shopping small and multiple lightweight products. They are lightweight and provide consumers with a great unboxing experience.
They are also one of the eco-friendly packaging solutions that you can customize to suit your brand’s ideal and display your creativity.
Paper mailers appear luxurious with vibrant digitally printed colors. They are the ideal packaging solution for the apparel industry.
Plastic Mailers
One of the benefits of using plastic mailers is that it is eco-friendly. Plastic mailers are made from a substance known as polyethylene. The bio-based polyethylene protects the environment and helps cut down on carbon emissions.
Plastic mailers are tear, tamper, and waterproof; they are a good option for lightweight products.
Jute Packages
Jute packaging is one of the oldest and most traditional means of packaging. Jute packaging is tough, provides natural ventilation, and protects packaged goods from damage.
The good thing is that it can be customized to suit your brand and customer taste. It is used for packaging products such as potatoes, rice, onions, wheat, etc.
Bottle & Cap Packaging
Bottle & cap packaging is a packaging solution for liquid products; Glass bottles are usually used.
There is a wide range of options for packing caps to choose from when using bottle & cap packaging. This includes Metal caps, child-resistant caps, droppers, cork stoppers, and metal caps.
Dunnage Packaging
Dunnage packaging is used in products that require extra cushioning and protection during shipping.
Custom-made dunnage ensures the safety of fragile products with specific dimensions. The dunnage materials that can be used include recycled paperboard, honeycomb kraft paper, and bubble wraps.
Foil Bags
Foil bags are lightweight metallic bags with a bright and shiny appearance. They are durable and waterproof.
Foil bags are a great option for packaging food products. They are also used for packaging non-food products.
Benefits of Custom Packaging
Leveraging custom packaging as an integral part of your brand will boost sales, give you a competitive advantage, and open opportunities for business growth.
Here are the key benefits of custom packaging:
- Custom packaging offers an exceptional customer experience. With unique packaging, you form a strong bond with your customers, who hold a positive opinion of your brand, which they eventually share with others.
- Custom packaging helps in elevating brand awareness. With a carefully thought-out color scheme and precise logo positioning, your customized product packaging can stand out in the market from the competition.
- Custom packaging protects your products during the shipping and delivery process. It accommodates the padding options for additional protection necessary for carrying fragile products.
- Custom packaging is attractive and appealing to reflect your brand’s values and set it apart from similar brands.
- Custom packaging encourages using environmentally friendly packaging materials. Many customers prefer to buy products with eco-friendly packaging.
- Custom packaging helps reduce shipping fees because it is more cost-effective than the standard pre-made packaging. Standard pre-made boxes might not be suitable for your products; you might pay more for the added weight of wasteful packaging when you use them.
In Conclusion
Many small businesses are steadily opting for custom packaging. Make sure to join the trend if you’ve not done so.
The customizations you include in your packaging can take various forms, from unique box designs to customized stickers and packaging tapes.
Additionally, when designing custom packaging, focus on functionality. Your custom box should serve the purpose of protection. It is worth investing in custom packaging to promote sales and increase your customer base.
Read more:
