How product packaging can boost sales in e-commerce

Did you know that with a gesture as simple as adding an item to your client’s package, you can boost your business? Packaging inserts are a surprise that promotes customer loyalty, creates the identity of your brand, and makes you more competitive in the face of the competition.

In addition to being more profitable to sell to retained customers than constantly look for new ones, it’s also more likely to sell to those who have already done so once. For this reason, customer-oriented marketing, instead of marketing-oriented to potential customers, is crucial.

Packaging inserts are an excellent method of advertising and can improve your sales and profit. Because first impressions count, a lot, besides the aspect of your package, the content is fundamental as well. So in this article, we’ll explain why packaging inserts are important in e-commerce, and how you can use them to boost your business.

Why are they so important:

• They promote customer retention
  When unboxing, packaging inserts are a pleasant surprise that makes the customer feel special, so the probability of retention may increase, as the customer will be more likely to buy back from a brand that appreciates him/her;
• They’re low-cost
  You don't need to add expensive items to get a return, in fact, it’s possible to spend just a little and still get a good profit. In addition, you don’t pay more for including them in the package, since the shipping fees are already incurred, and the best you can do is enhance the shipment and convey your message without additional costs;
• They’re highly targeted
  Packaging inserts can be more targeted to specific and customized objectives since you already know your customer, you can choose the type that’s better suited to its taste, increasing the likelihood of success in future sales;
• They promote the ideal opportunity for cross-selling
  If you already know what your customer has acquired, you can take advantage of this information and promote other complementary products that might interest him;
• They can help move inventory
  If you have merchandise that you’ve been having trouble selling, turn this cost into marketing expenditure and use this inventory, otherwise stagnant, to strengthen the relationship with your current customers.

Types of packaging inserts:

It may seem simple, but choosing the ideal packing insert for your business should be well pondered. Below, we leave you some options, make sure you tried different types until you decide which is right for your business.

Thank-you notes

A simple, quick and cheap method, thank-you cards are a gesture of appreciation that create proximity to the costumer. If the number of orders allows it, it’s feasible to do them by hand; however, if you can’t do so, print a template and add only the client name, or a signature. This will increase the impact it has on the client, resulting in greater closeness and intimacy.

Discount coupons

Unlike e-mails with discount offers, coupons inserted in the shipping packages will certainly be seen by the customer, and not thrown to spam. Thus, the coupons you include in the package become more viable, personal and efficient. However, you should choose the one that best suits your business, and these can be of multiple types:

• Coupons offering shipping fees on the next purchase;
• Coupons offering a discount (in percentage or cash) on the next purchase;
• Coupons offering discount for friends- promotes effective word-to-mouth marketing;
• Coupons offering an item, or a discount on the second item of a next purchase;
• (...)

Samples and gifts

By giving your customers a “gift” along with their purchase, you’ll be letting them know they’re important for your business, and they’ll be pleased and surprised.
Gifts or samples don’t need to be expensive, in fact, depending on your type of business, it’s likely that your suppliers will grant you them free of charge. Anyway, you don’t need to spend much to offer an everyday object that your customer will find useful and that will be a reminder of your brand and your products.
This is also a good opportunity to dispose of items that you’ve been having a hard time moving, carrying the advantage of “getting rid” of that inventory, transforming production costs into marketing expenses that can be profitable.
This also promotes cross-selling, as you can provide the customer with a list of “exclusives” in which he may be interested, or even offer a sample of that same product, promoting its sale in the future.

Feedback and content sharing

You can also ask your customers to leave their feedback- on your website or forum, or on social networks- driving the promotion of your brand and creating the most efficient type of marketing: another customer's recommendation.

These are our suggestions, however, you must be creative and try to adapt your offers to your market, since the identity of your brand can only be strengthened by you. Some recommendations we can add are to always use quality material; to mention the name of your client and possible future interactions; and to be attentive, cordial and kind, always with professionalism.

Conclusion

Packaging inserts aim to add value to both the product and the brand by exceeding the customer’s expectations and adapting the right offer to the right audience. Ideally, to maximize the advantages you should try several types and analyze the results to decide which best suits your business- in the end, you can even decide that the more cost-effective is to apply different types of packaging inserts for different circumstances.

This is a fast and inexpensive way to increase the number of customers and retain them. Because it’s so cheap and has so much potential, this method works for companies of various sizes. However, keep in mind that your business only thrives with dedication, and the demand it generates will depend on the dedication you invest in it.

To learn more about how to develop or boost your online business, visit our blog, or contact us.