Calling all small online sellers: Is your packaging up to scratch?

Online shopping has officially taken over the world. You can find pretty much everything you need at the touch of a button, and the swipe of a finger, making it easy for absolutely anyone to get a piece of the action. From small E-bay sellers, to independent online businesses, a major concern is that your customers receive their orders quickly, and in one piece.

In addition to increased security and efficiency, however, there are one or two more things to consider to set you apart from the bigger online business out there, and keep customers satisfied.

Size matters, and so do materials

Before you start packing up and shipping out you need to know that you’ve got the right packaging for your products. Choosing the wrong package size could risk the security of the products your sending, and will often mean you end up spending more in shipping costs. If the packaging is too big, you’ll have to fill the empty space with unnecessary padding, which will ultimately increase the amount of waste that you produce. Certain products, such as lined envelopes and corrugated boxes, come with a protective lining already in place, so security is already taken care of.

With such a growing importance in the need to reduce our carbon footprint, incorporating eco-friendly materials into your choice of packaging isn’t just practical, but it also helps you to protect our environment. Paper postal bags and cardboard boxes are courier friendly, and suitable for a wide range of products, whilst also helping you to reduce the amount of waste that you produce. By being eco-friendly, they also offer a great additional selling point to set your small business apart.

Tamper free, simple and secure

The important factor in online retail and distribution, is knowing that your products can be packaged and delivered without the risk of damage. Tape may seem like the best way to secure your packages; however, it can still be unsightly, difficult to remove, susceptible to interference. Opting for boxes with tamper-proof tabs offers the additional security for your packages, with a clean and simple finish.

First impressions count

Your packaging is just as much a tool for marketing as the products you sell, and the weekly product and advice emails you send out. By continuing your brand identity on your product packaging, your small business is represented from sale to delivery. Bulk buying specially designed packaging can be costly and unnecessary for smaller businesses, but there are plenty of other options available. Customising your chosen boxes, with stickers, labels, and other coverings is a more cost-effective solution for smaller online sellers, whilst ensuring your business is still effectively represented.

Keep ‘em coming back
It’s an exciting experience when you can finally open your online delivery, and by improving the experience of opening the box or package, your customer satisfaction levels could go through the roof. With so many big brands dominating the online shopping sphere, smaller e-commerce sellers and sites often need to go one step further to keep customer interest high. Consider paying close attention to how you decide to layout your product orders. Details like your choice of product wrapping, a thank you note from the seller, or even an extra thank you gift, like a simple packet of sweets, adds a personal touch, and will encourage your customers to shop with you again.

StorePAK manufacture an excellent range of innovative, environmentally friendly and adaptable packaging products perfect for your online small business. To view our range of packaging products, or for more information about the other products we supply, check out our website, or get in touch with our dedicated team today.