5 Easy Tips For Small Businesses To Improve Their Packaging

Searches around “packaging for small businesses” have risen by 496% according to Google, so it’s clear that business owners are wanting to improve the packaging they use for their products. You’ll often hear: “It’s what’s inside that counts.” But, with packaging, what’s on the outside can be just as important. 

If you need convincing, here are some stats pulled from recent large studies:

• Do you run a luxury brand? 61% of people say they are much more likely to make a repeat purchase of a luxury product if it came in premium packaging. 
• Is your social media presence an important part of your business? 40% of customers will share an image of your packaging on social media if it was unique or branded.
• Worried about the cost of improving your packaging? 49% of consumers are willing to pay a little more for good packaging.

With all of that in mind, the packaging experts at DPack have put together 5 easy tips that can help small businesses improve their packaging and get ahead of their competition.

Tip 1: Bespoke packaging goes a long way

First impressions aren’t just important when meeting someone. You want the first moment someone lays their eyes on your product to be an affirmation of their purchase. By using custom packaging with your logos and business name printed across it, you can help build your brand with that customer and make your package seem much more premium.

Bespoke packaging isn’t just about what’s printed on the package, either. By providing custom dimensions, you can get a box that exactly fits what you’re sending. This means you’re not paying additional money for shipping a larger box. While these savings might be low per-delivery, if you extrapolate those numbers across your entire business, you may start to see huge savings. 

Tip 2: Keep it as environmentally friendly as possible

According to a 2018 study from Recycling Lives, 81% of people prefer to buy from sustainable sellers. There are many videos out there looking at excess in deliveries, so consider the package that your customer receives and what’s inside. Bear in mind the difference between excess and protection, however.

By trimming away the unnecessary plastic and cardboard from your packaging, you may win over those interested in sustainability, improve your branding and maybe even save yourself some money. What about removing protection? That takes us on to our next point. 

Tip 3: Protect your package

A study from Retail Dive said that 21% of oversized online deliveries arrived damaged. While the number may be lower for smaller packages, you have to ask yourself what number is too high. A review of money lost on product returns found that UK retailers were losing £60 billion a year, so save yourself the headache of returns and refunds by protecting your parcel. 

Separate the excess from the protection and keep your product safe by using bubble wrap, corner protectors and loose-fill packaging. Touching on the previous tip, using too many of these may become wasteful. However, some A/B testing on your own premises should help you figure out what the right amount is. 

Tip 4: Get your personality across

Just like how people are often drawn to others with similar interests or personality traits, the ‘character’ of a brand can have a huge influence on whether someone buys from that brand or not. The marketing industry is built on traits like this, so consider what your packaging is doing for your personality. 

Effective copywriting can win over your target demographic and establish why your brand is better than your competitor. Truly high-level copywriting has been helping the Davids take on the Goliaths on store shelves for decades. Of course, the product itself is what really matters at the end of the day, but good packaging means you can win them over before they even see the product.

Tip 5: Leave a little something extra

A popular move on Etsy is for – mostly sole traders – to leave a personalised note in with the packaging. This may be a small slip thanking them for their purchase with a signature or drawing if the product is of an artistic nature. While this may be difficult to replicate for an SME, the spirit of it should be followed where possible.

If you’re including a personalised receipt with their name and order, consider going the extra mile to leave a note with tips or a story about their purchase, or offering a discount code for the next time they come back. There’s a lot of public dislike for major corporations at the moment, so feel free to lean on this if you’re a small business and thank them for supporting you over businesses with nine-digit revenue.  These small touches can lead to repeat customers, and that’s where businesses start to make a lot of money. After all, it’s easier to retain customers than find new ones. 

Conclusion

Hopefully, this article has shown you that improving your packaging and the first impression you create can be a low-cost but high-impact change for your business.

If you’re in any doubt, consider buying from your competitor to see how their packaging is. You may find that they’ve been ahead of yours for some time, so when a customer is comparing yours to theirs, your offering may lose that intangible feeling of quality that can make or break a brand. Get it to make yours.