Running a small business is far from easy, and it may have you tied up in all sorts of small tasks. Sometimes it’s even surprised how much time they can take, and it might cause you to lose sight of the big picture. But no matter what happens, don’t lose sight of how important things like product packaging can be.
It’s not just some simple design, it’s the first impression new customers will get of you and your organization, and it’s a representation of who you are as a business.
Many people base their first impression of a business on how it looks. Sometimes that means the aesthetics of a business’s social media accounts, and then other times, it means the way the packaging for their products looks. If the packaging is professional, high quality, and aesthetically pleasing, customers usually assume that the product on the inside will be high-quality too.
Many online businesses that offer custom packaging now recognize the need for good quality packaging and offer competitive rates. The website DeepkingLabels, for example, claims the following on their website: “We partner with global shipping companies to bring you various affordable and reliable shipping options.”
But before we start talking about how to package your products in high-quality material on a budget, let’s talk about why quality custom product packaging is important in the first place.
Choose A Packaging That Leaves a Good Impression
Think about it – if you saw a packaging that you really loved and remembered, wouldn’t you be more likely to look it up later and maybe even make a purchase? This kind of thing matters more for products like makeup and skincare than it does for others, but the fact remains that distinct packaging that stands out is a great way to make people remember you.
As many as 72% of all the consumers surveyed by the Paper and Packaging Board said that packaging affects their buying decisions. That’s too high of a number to just ignore, especially when you can’t leave anything to chance in a competitive business environment.
Free Advertising
According to research done by Westrock, over 79% of packaging experts agree that a company’s identity is represented by its packaging design and overall identity. For many organizations, product packaging is a chance to tell their own story, the motivation behind what they do, and connect consumers’ belief that they did the right thing by choosing the company they did for their purchase.
On the other hand, people are obsessed with packaging. You’d be more likely to recommend something to your friends and post about it on social media if they had gift packaging or something equally as pretty, and there are already millions of unboxing videos on YouTube, a testament to the fact that the packaging matters.
To be frank, if we ordered something today and it came in a plain white box, we would be suspicious and probably think bad about the company that sent it, even if the products inside the box turned out to be perfectly fine. As we said before, and as you probably know, small businesses can’t afford to leave anything like this to chance. In fact, they usually need all the advantages they can get.
Custom Boxing on a Budget
Now that we’ve briefly gone over the “why,” let’s talk about the “how.” How do you get some awesome packaging for your business, that too, without spending any big bucks on it? Sure, you could find a company that provides the boxes for you for cheap, but they won’t really be high quality or anything that stands out too much.
But don’t worry. We have some great tips for you, and hopefully, you’ll leave this article today with a heart full of hope and a head full of ideas for the future of your approach to product packaging.
Keep the Product in Mind
Before we proceed, a word of caution. Don’t get so caught up in the aesthetic that you forget about making sure the product packaging suits your needs. For example, if you’re selling pastries, you need to make sure they reach your customers in one piece. No point in a pretty box that has cake-flavored mush inside! On the other hand, if your product is on the sturdier side, you can just focus on the design, but proceed with caution in any case and keep transportation and logistics in mind.
Keep Your Brand Image in Check
You can save money by being efficient, but don’t compromise on company values. If you’re advertising environmentally friendly materials, the last thing you need is your customers noticing that your packaging doesn’t follow what you’re preaching. It could even lead to a couple of lawsuits, and those are never good news.
Thank You Cards
If you want to save major banks on the packaging, keep it simple and even plain, but invest in some beautifully designed and creative thank you cards. Customers will know that their support is appreciated and always come back for more. You can hire an artist to create some unique designs and illustrations and simply have the designs printed into cards. This is definitely a much cheaper option than traditional packaging, and who knows? Maybe you’ll eventually drive sales up enough to invest more into the boxes too.
Sleeves
Once you’re done packaging your product in a simple box or some generic packaging, slip it into a custom-made sleeve. They’re simple and cost-effective, and they provide the customer with a unique unboxing experience. In addition, custom sleeves allow you to convey a lot of the same messaging you would have put on a box or a custom package. It has a lot more room for customization and communicating with your customers than a simple thank you card would.
Stickers
If you want to keep the packaging simple and uncomplicated for delivery, think about having some stickers made. Then, you’ll just need to stick them on the boxes, and you can choose whether to go big or small. In fact, this idea has so much room for creativity and some unique experiences that you might not want to go back to even when your business can afford it!
Think about it. Instead of creating whole new packaging for special occasions, you’ll just need an extra set of stickers for the same old boxes. You can even have special stickers for different kinds of orders, all with one thing in common – your company logo being front and center.
How to package your products in high-quality material on a budget?
Running a business is not all about investing the most money into luxury packaging or other services. Rather, businesses these days succeed because they manage to find low-cost solutions to their problems and think outside the box.
Even if you have the budget to invest in pricey box designs, you should consider if the price would really be worth it or if a pair of stickers on a simple box could have done the trick.
Wrap it Up
You don’t always need a box for your product. For example, if you’re selling something like socks, you can simply tie them up together. At the same time, you can mail clothing after wrapping it in some plastic or wrapping paper with the right adhesives and a cute bow.
Beware though! This only works for locally based businesses where the product doesn’t have to travel long distances to get to the destination. If you’re going to be sending products internationally, you can still make a non-box packaging work, but only if you come up with some creative solutions to regular problems.
