Given the challenges posed by Covid19 in 2020, online shopping addiction has grown and continues to grow exponentially this year as well. This has led many companies to rely on e-commerce platforms to generate revenue and maintain their brands.
2020 and 2021 were extremely difficult years for mainstream retailers, but e-commerce has been a saving boon for many of these businesses. The transition to e-commerce will continue in 2022 and we may face the new norm of online shopping within a year.
But what does this mean for brand differentiation? The 4,444 brick-and-mortar stores have given brands an advantage because shoppers can interact directly with packaging and products. When shopping online, it is more difficult to distinguish brands because shoppers can only interact with product images.
That’s why it’s so important to consider the impact it can have on your customers, from packaging to e-commerce and from the post office to the unpacking experience!
What is Ecommerce Packaging?
E-commerce packaging often refers to packaging used to ship products directly to customers. As the e-commerce industry grows due to COVID-19, shipping boxes are now an important part of the opening process for most consumers.
Many brands are now taking this opportunity to showcase their creativity and brand personality by fully customising their shipping boxes to stand out from the competition. There are several other factors to consider when considering what exactly Ecommerce packaging is. The main thing to consider when choosing E-commerce packaging is how well it protects your product. After all, isn’t that the purpose of all packaging? Ideally, the product should be wrapped in a durable material. We will discuss this later in this post.
At the same time, ready-made e-commerce packaging varies by product and route. Ecommerce packaging is bigger than ever, but conceptualizing product packaging can be intimidating, especially if you have no design experience or don’t know what your options are.
The importance of packaging for e-commerce
The right e-commerce packaging will help make your business stand out.
Bad choices can lead to many problems, from spoiled products to weakened brand bonds and customer retention.
One of the best guidelines to follow to create packaging for e-commerce is Amazon’s goal of creating Frustration-Free Packaging (FFP). This includes the creation of low-waste, easy-to-open packaging that provides significant protection in transit without increasing costs.
It seems like there is a lot to pack in one type of packaging, but it is quite possible if you work with packaging experts in the design process. Packaging experts can be important to getting recommendations on the right ingredients to use and the marketing message to convey.
Protection
The main reason e-commerce off-the-shelf packaging is important is because it protects the product you are trying to sell. This is essentially a very simple goal. Shipping and distribution will be a stress-free process for your business, and you will have many satisfied customers with the product intact and ready to use.
A well-protected product also adds significant value to the brand. There is no risk of refunds and exchanges, which creates a strong impression that makes a good impact on the brand as a whole.
Marketing
From a marketing perspective, ready-to-use e-commerce packaging offers significant value if you make the right investment. With the right design, you can create a meaningful opening experience that your customers will always remember. This is very important for building brand equity among customers. Proper e-commerce packaging will ultimately be your hallmark and help shoppers distinguish products from their computer screens to their homes. Allows you to explore the product itself and triggers arousal.
Ultimately, all of this will serve as an important component to building genuine and lasting relationships with customers.