More often than not, merchandisers believe that profits and business priorities lie only with the product that they sell. This is partly true. However, a very important aspect of overall business success stems from excellent packaging. The meaning of “excellent packaging” is two-fold: first, packaging needs to be safe and reliable and second, it needs to be attractive-looking or interesting.

This blog post will explore the benefits of good packaging, how to go about improving your packaging and the reasons why you should consider implementing these ideas in your own ecommerce business.

Benefits of packing well

1. Good packaging means customers are more likely to share their online purchase with friends on social media. This results in organic advertising of your brand and ultimately leads to an increase in potential new customers. The power of transforming an online customer to a brand ambassador on one or various social media platforms is more powerful than you can imagine.
   
2. The natural increase of brand awareness in a social media space will increase the number of sales and overall profits.
   
3. Excellent packaging design creates a memorable experience consumers will either document or speak about to others, thereby creating positive word of mouth.
   
4. Consumers tend to do a lot of research before making online purchases, therefore positive social media content from peers and friends can positively influence new consumers to chose your online store rather than a competitor’s.
   
5. Great packaging that is safe and reliable will result in happy customers who receive what they order in one piece with no broken or damaged parts.
   

How to pack well

So now the big question is: how can you go about improving your packaging? Take a look at some of these tips you can use:

1. Branding: if your packaging lacks effective and interesting branding, try to improve this by either adding more branding or redesigning your packaging to make your brand stand out and be more exciting.
2. Safety: ensure that the correct packaging is used for the correct items. Take more care and consideration for fragile items and include more support in terms of plastic, polystyrene or similar to ensure the safety of the item. Broken items will result in a negative experience for the consumer, which could possibly lead to negative word of mouth. Not only this; consumers will then probably demand a refund or replacement, which costs you more money and time. So why not do it right the first time.
   
3. Local or international? Whether items are being shipped locally or internationally, everything mentioned above applies to both. However, if items are being shipped overseas, there is even more reason to ensure their safety, as long distance travels make them more vulnerable to damage.
   

According to recent studies, only 11% of consumers are completely satisfied with packaging. With such a huge amount of unsatisfied customers, you have a chance to stand out. By improving something as simple as packing, you will keep your existing customers happy and increase the number of new consumers. Something so small and simple can have a huge impact on your brand, your reputation and, most importantly, on your profits and turnover.