Customers are always looking for products that stand out from the competition. One way to do this is custom packaging. Custom wrapping has become one of the hottest trends in custom package design. It can be a great marketing tool because it provides instant brand recognition and turns an ordinary product into something extraordinary. Still, custom wrapping also carries with it some risks, which you should keep in mind before adopting custom packing as your go-to solution to boost sales. This post will outline the benefits, disadvantages, and best practices for custom packaging for e-commerce websites so you can make an informed decision about whether or not custom wrapping would work well on your site!
What is custom packaging for e-commerce?
Custom packaging is the act of customizing your product’s packaging to fit your customers’ needs better.
Custom packaging can be as simple as adding a message, photo, small gift, or anything else that will make it unique for you and your customer. However, it can also involve completely revamping the artwork on all sides of the package. There are countless benefits for custom printed eCommerce packages, including increasing trust, strength in brand identity, “creating an emotional connection with consumers” (by making things personal), increased conversions via appealing visuals, etc.
The benefits of custom packaging for e-commerce
Customized packaging can optimize customer satisfaction because it meets your customer’s needs and often reinforces the brand experience. They may provide a better impression of value for online shoppers, such as showing that you care (especially if it’s consistent with how items are displayed in stores). Furthermore, customized packaging may increase conversion rates by helping shoppers feel more informed about their purchases. Correspondingly, customized packaging may allow retailers to appear more trustworthy and reduce potential returns because personalized labels make online apparel orders feel less risky. The right kind of customization might also show other benefits like environmental responsibility.
Disadvantages of custom packaging for e-commerce
One disadvantage is that because custom packaging for e-commerce can be costly, it may cause the seller to sacrifice margins to survive; this means they might charge more. Another issue is that custom packaging for e-commerce may take up more space than the product itself does if designed poorly. The customer won’t like this lack of efficiency.
Custom packages aren’t cost-effective for companies with a large inventory. Remember, the larger the number of items necessary for one order, the more feasible creating a custom package. You’ll also be looking at costly shipping rates from specialty sources rather than standard shipping rates from companies like UPS and FedEx.
How to reduce the disadvantages of custom packaging for e-commerce
- It is best to create packages that are small in size with varying weights.
- Use different colors on the package to distinguish what’s inside for customers browsing your website.
- Custom packaging is more expensive, but smaller orders and minimal returns can offset this cost due to delivered incorrect products.
- Remember that lightweight custom packaging does not decrease shipping rates per weight or volume since they are calculated per shipment rather than per item.
Pitfalls or challenges with custom packaging
The biggest pitfall is that online transactions are very impersonal. This means that it’s more difficult to build brand loyalty without a more hands-on approach, which traditional shopping provides. Alternatives include getting the customer to have a personal experience with your product before purchasing it or making sure you have competitive prices. Hence, they buy from you even if they don’t get the same level of service as elsewhere.
Other pitfalls to custom packaging are the lack of standardization, cost restrictions with costly materials, high product loss rates with time-consuming manufacturing methods, and delayed marketing due to product manufacturing.
