3 packaging switches to improve your customer experience
Customer experience is more important than ever…
In the last few years, we’ve all had to adapt, personally and professionally, to some unprecedented challenges.
The global pandemic caused a significant shift in online shopping behaviour, with 88% people reporting they spend more time shopping online.
Plus, we’re now all more demanding to boot… We want everything to be delivered to our doorstep by the next day please! The IMRG highlights that almost 40% of us use home delivery more than pre-pandemic.
They also reveal that we’re all more aware of (and expect) a friction-free online shopping and delivery experience. In fact, 65.7% consumers report that a good delivery experience has encouraged them to order again from a specific retailer.
Why packaging should play a part in your customer experience
So, what does that tell us? If you’re an online retailer, you’re operating in a highly competitive marketplace. One in which customer experience is king (or queen) if you’re hoping to recruit brand loyal customers.
In an age of social media, heightened sensitivity around climate change and customer expectations, it’s increasingly important that retailers get it right. Especially when people have spent millions of hours watching people unbox products! This is where your packaging materials come in…
Packaging may appear mundane but it’s actually the very first physical interaction that your customer has with your brand. In short, packaging is an opportunity to generate excitement. It allows you to build a connection and create a memorable unboxing experience, creating an appetite to shop (and share!) again.
But where can you start? There are countless ways you can enhance your customer experience with packaging! To get you started our team have curated 3 simple packaging switches. These can help to improve your customer experience quickly…
1. Switch from plain to printed packing tape
Custom printed packing tape is a relatively low-cost way to customise your packaging. It’s an easy way to advertise your business and create the initial anticipation during your unboxing experience. Starting from a minimum order quantity of 72 rolls, printed packing tape is an entry level branded packaging opportunity for companies of all sizes.
Use it to convey your brand name and story or talk to your customers in a creative or quirky way. For example, you can use messages like “I’ve arrived… open me now!” or “I’m excited to be here!”.
Custom printed tape is available in a variety of sizes and materials, including gummed paper tape. Gummed paper tape forms a strong adhesive seal with cardboard packaging, so you need less of it to form a strong seal and it’s sustainable (and recyclable) too, which is another tick for customer experience.
2. Switch from bubble wrap to Geami WrapPak for in-box presentation & a sustainable customer experience
Consumers are becoming increasingly frustrated with packaging that’s not sustainable or is hard to recycle. The results of our 2021 unboxing survey back this up. Almost 1 in 5 said they won’t buy from a retailer who doesn’t use sustainable packaging. 14% also said that the packaging their online shopping is shipped in didn’t have clear instructions for recycling it responsibly.
So, you may want to consider switching from plastic packaging, such as bubble wrap, to 100% recyclable paper packaging.
A great example paper packaging that will enhance your unboxing experience is Geami WrapPak. It’s a beautiful expanding honeycomb paper packaging with a tissue liner. It offers high product protection and easy recycling in kerbside collections.
The honeycomb design means that the paper locks together, so no additional taping is necessary. The result? Beautifully presented products that enhance your unboxing experience.
3. Switch from basic 0201 cardboard boxes to self-seal ecommerce boxes
Basic 0201 cardboard boxes are certainly functional. But do they hit the nail on the head when it comes to a great customer experience? A WOW unboxing experience is about function as well as form! That’s why you should think about how easy your packaging is to open! No one wants to waste time finding the scissors when they could drive right into their delivery…
So, our third packaging swich is swapping from standard 0201 boxes to ecommerce boxes. Ones that have self-seal adhesive and easy-open tear strips. This sort of cardboard boxes will make your packaging easy to open and removes the need for unnecessary taping. This creates a neat and enticing parcel AND helps remove packaging material from your pack, pleasing eco-conscious consumers.
On top of this, you can further elevate your unboxing experience by custom printing your boxes. An easy win is to print your logo on the outside of the box. This will create the first “ooh!” moment as it’s handed over by the courier.
Don’t forget the inside of your ecommerce packaging either…By adding personalised messaging within your box you can tell the story of your brand. You could take your customers on a journey to their next purchase by adding a QR code, ask them to share their unboxing experience or review your product. The possibilities are endless…
If you’re looking for ways to enhance your customer experience, ask how the Macfarlane Packaging can help you today.
