How Packaging Shapes the eCommerce Customer Experience

Read on to find out how and why packaging can have a huge impact on your customer experience. 

Product packaging influences buying decisions and the customer experience far more than many people realize. From brand identity to creating an emotional response, your packaging has the potential to create a loyal customer base that will always choose you over your competitors.

First Impressions Matter

Never underestimate the power of first impressions, no matter how good your product is. At a glance, your packaging needs to reflect what your product is about, its quality, and what you stand for as a company.

Using materials from Opal packaging plus, or a high-end illustrator to design your packaging all sends out the message the product inside is of value and is high-quality, which makes it stand out from the crowd.

Communicate Brand Identity

Your packaging also communicates your brand identity, such as your values, story, message, etc. For example, packaging that is bright and loud is a sign of a fun or quirky product, while a minimalist design could show sophistication and a level of elegance.

Keeping your packaging consistent also builds recognition and brand loyalty, and makes your product recognizable no matter where it is. For instance, a Rolex watch box is incredibly simple, yet you can pick it out from dozens of other watch boxes in a matter of seconds.

Product Appeal

Great packing enhances the appeal of the product, and as mentioned before, it can make it stand out on the shelves. Whether it be bright colors, a unique shape, or an innovative design, all these things make your product more eye-catching.

Essential Information

Your packaging should also be used to communicate essential information that a customer may need to know before they buy your product. Things like an ingredient list, usage information, or benefits are all important to a customer.

To take this further, using clear and concise sentences and wording gets this information out quicker and will make it stand out in someone’s memory.

Functionality

The functionality of your packaging also plays a big role in whether or not someone will choose your product. This is particularly important if you sell food, beauty, or makeup products.

For instance, if you sell a body wash, is the packing waterproof, and is there an easy-to-use spout. Another feature may include the bottle being refillable, allowing your customers to use it for many months to come.

Emotional Response

Being able to get an emotional response out of your customers when they pick up your product can be a game-changer, no matter how small it is. Whether this be through your message, your story, or your values.

A great example of this is Lush, which has a small sticker with a name and drawing of the person who packaged your product. This small detail instantly makes the product feel more personal and makes the customer feel like the extra effort was made with the product they are choosing.

Reinforces Quality

Your packaging should also be used to reinforce the quality of the product it contains. Considering the packaging is the only thing a customer is exposed to before the buy and open your product, it needs to be of the same quality.

For instance, packaging made of high-quality materials sends a much stronger signal to a customer than a flimsy, poorly designed box. Always remember that what’s inside the packaging doesn’t matter if the outside of it looks cheap or poorly made.

Unboxing Experience

The unboxing experience can also play a major role in how memorable your product is, and, therefore, how likely your customer is to buy it again. No matter how simple or over-the-top your packaging is, you can still create an unforgettable unboxing experience.

Nowadays, many brands have exploded in popularity due to their unboxing experiences and how well they translate to social media. The better the unboxing experience, the better chance there is of your product being shared across social media platforms.

Promotes Sustainability Message

Sustainability has become incredibly important to customers over the past few years, and your packaging should reflect this. Whether that be using recycled cardboard, or having reusable containers.

For instance, The Body Shop sells products in high-quality, metal bottles that you can take to be refilled. Not only is this sustainable, but it encourages customers to come back regularly.

Safety

While it may be uncommon, many customers are still wary of the safety of the product they want to buy. In other words, customers won’t feel comfortable buying a product if they feel like it is easy to tamper with.

This means they are more likely to choose a product that has sturdy and robust packaging, as this reassures them that it has been damaged in transit, and that it hasn’t been tampered with by someone with nefarious motives.

Increases Future Sales

Finally, all of the points above combine to drive future sales. Customers respond to every small detail of your packaging and product, and when they are all better than the competition, they can’t help but go back to it over and over.

They will also build trust in your company, meaning they are more likely to buy the other products you sell as well, leading to increased sales across the board.