The e-commerce industry is growing, and growing fast. As customers change the way that they shop, businesses must adapt to the virtual landscape while still providing a superior shopping experience. A lot of that comes down to packaging. In fact, 95% of online shoppers say that packaging impacts their decision to purchase a product or not when buying online.

That’s why you need to put packaging at the forefront of your business if you want to succeed in e-commerce. Focusing on packaging that is both attractive and logistically reliable will enable:

• Better brand recognition
• Higher customer satisfaction
• Increased product reliability
• Less damage from shipping

This is especially true if you engage in multichannel e-commerce practices. If you’re selling your products across multiple online channels, packaging is one of the few things that you can keep consistent.

Even if you focused more on brick-and-mortar locations in the past and only dabbled in online selling, the recent 18% bump in e-commerce sales due to COVID-19 should be shifting your views. Now more than ever, you need to optimize your packaging for online purchasing and direct-to-consumer shipping.

To help you out, the experts at MRP Solutions put together the top seven packaging tips and tricks to help you succeed in the world of e-commerce.

1. Focus on Smaller, Fitted Packaging

Businesses run on efficiency. Volume and weight can easily drive up shipping costs, so it’s best to keep things as small and as tight as possible without compromising the packaging’s integrity. Make sure to remove things like hanging tabs and other retail store relics that no longer serve a pursue with e-commerce.

2. Use a Better Liner

Without a good liner, your product may arrive in a leaking mess. Using an induction liner on your package is the best way to ensure that your product arrives without leaking.

If you expect your package to face especially harsh conditions like extreme heat, humidity, or careless handling, you may also want to invest in a vented liner. Vented liners offer a number of key advantages, including:

• Less packaging distortions
• Reduced costly modifications
• No required fluorination treatment
• Easier quality control

3. Make Your Packaging Easy to Open

First impressions matter. If one of the first experiences that a customer has with your product is that it was hard to get out of the packaging, then it could lead to a harsher initial view of your product. You’ll want to make the process of opening your packaging is as user-friendly as possible, especially if you’re expecting a return customer.

4. Showcase Your Brand

Dull packaging gets the job done, but it doesn’t make your customers remember you. Although your branded packaging should be more compact than what you’d have sitting on a store shelf, it should still have the same visually-stimulating design. Bright colors and eye-catching logos/designs will go a long way.

5. Avoid Extra Amazon Charges

Has Amazon ever put your product in additional packaging before shipping it, adding an extra charge to your account? If Amazon doesn’t deem your packaging fit for delivery, they’ll put your item in an additional bag or box and charge you for having to prep the shipment.

By making sure that your packaging is Amazon-approved, you can avoid these extra fees and maximize your profits. MRP Solutions is a proud member of the Amazon Packaging Support and Supplier Network (APASS)

6. Get Creative with Tape

Tape and external strapping can do more than just hold your package together. Beyond keeping your package safe and closed during transit, tape can serve another purpose – marketing. By using branded tape or tape that’s visually complementary to the rest of your packaging, you can create more interesting packaging and a better unboxing experience.

Of course, when choosing a tape, make sure that it can still hold up against the elements. Attractive tape is meaningless if it can’t keep your products secure.

7. Go Green

“Going green” is more than just a phrase that we throw around. By choosing more sustainable packaging, like post-consumer recycled resins, you can create a better long-term supply chain while improving your company’s image. It’s a win-win.

Better Packaging with MRP Solutions

Here at MRP Solutions, we know how important it is to get your packaging right. By using the best materials and processing strategies, we help provide superior packaging solutions to our clients no matter where they’re selling their products. 

Contact us today to learn more about how MRP Solutions can help you create your next great package.

(First published on MRP's website on 7 January, 2021)