In both Canada and the US, Ecommerce sales are expected to be approximately 10% of all retail sales by 2019. Ecommerce is growing 5 times faster than brick and mortar sales. Time to start thinking about the ideal ecommerce packaging for your product.
Here’s a checklist of items to consider, if you’d like your Ecommerce packaging to stand out from the rest.
Print method
As we’ve mentioned before in this blog, most products bought online arrive in plain brown boxes with black and white labels. There is an opportunity here for you to stand out from your competitors by going beyond utilitarian packaging. An ideal way to add colour to your Ecommerce packaging is through flexographic printing, which is economical and well-suited for bold, simple designs. If you need higher resolution for better detail, Screen printing or litho-lamination are more appropriate.
Labels
Full colour labels can be both affordable and impactful. Inkjet technology can allow you to print variable information and customize your presentation for a more personalized experience. Here at IMS we offer printing service or we can provide high-performance printers and servicing if you wish to produce your labels in-house.
If environmental considerations are important for you and your customers, we also carry a line of FSC (biodegradeable) approved labels.
Barcodes
For Barcode readability on cardboard boxes ITF barcodes are an appripropriate choice. They are designed to be well read on corrugated material
Recyclable information
Proper identification of recyclable elements in your packaging can help the end user better dispose of them. It will also enhance your image as a vendor that cares about sustainability. Knowing the applicable recycling rules in your target customer’s geographical locations and using that information in you packaging design will also reduce the chances of customers’ tossing your packaging into the garbage bin.
User-friendliness
Unboxing is an important and well-documented customer experience. Designing your packaging to be easy to open is key. You should also lay out the product and documentation in a logical sequence to help the customer quickly understand important information first. Provide clear contact information and access to FAQs to ensure they don’t feel left alone if they need additional information on your product or services.
Conclusion
Consider this statistic from a march 2016 white paper on sustainability from simon-malls : 33% of purchases are returned in online sales compared to only 7% in brick and mortar sales. Can you afford not to pay attention to your Ecommerce packaging?
IMS can assist you in creating effective and memorable ecommerce packaging. Contact us
