Ecommerce packaging design: 10 captivating ideas your customers will love

According to Statista, it’s expected that the UK’s ecommerce revenue will grow 5.16% annually. But what does this mean for your business? 

With more and more consumers choosing to make online purchases over in-store purchases, it is essential that ecommerce brands step up to match the growing market and leave a lasting impression. There are many ways to make your brand stand out in an ever-growing market, the most obvious being through branding, products, and websites, but one important factor that many companies overlook is packaging.

Ecommerce packaging serves not only functional purposes for protection and delivery but should also be a representation of your brand’s personality, credibility, and quality. Having bespoke packaging that matches your brand values will help leave a lasting impression on your customers, and if designed cleverly and to a high quality, will encourage them to purchase again.

So, how can you design brand packaging that will captivate your customers and build your brand’s awareness? In this article, we will explore 10 unique and clever packaging design ideas that your customers will love.

Choose a creative internal design

You may think the exterior design of your packaging is the most important thing to get right. However, the design doesn’t have to stop there. Customizing the interior of your packaging is a powerful design move that will set your brand apart from any competition. No matter what you choose to do with the internal design, whether it be a branded illustration, message, or pattern, it will add that extra attention to detail. Not to mention, it extends the duration of a customer’s interaction with the packaging, creating a more memorable impression.

Here are some internal packaging design ideas:

• A witty quote or slogan
• Brand logo
• Brand illustrations
• Instructions (for how to use the product/s)
  
  

Add personalised inserts

With the ecommerce market being as large as it is, it can be hard for customers to feel appreciated and noticed among the huge crowd of online shoppers. However, one small yet extremely effective way to make every one of your customers feel valued is to include a personalised insert in the packaging. This can be a branded note saying thank you to the customer for buying, or even a special discount for them when they next make a purchase. These small touches are a great way to engage your customers, make them feel appreciated as a valued buyer rather than an order number, and encourage repeat purchases.

Think outside the box

When thinking about cardboard packaging, it is easy to imagine a box. But there are so many more intuitive and creative shapes you can use to package your product. When choosing the shape of your packaging, think about the shape of the product, or even draw focus on your brand's personality. For example, if your product is an item of food, you can shape the packaging to look like the food. This will allow you to showcase your products and leave a lasting impression on your customers.

Make your packaging reusable

If you create packaging that’s functional beyond its primary use, you can increase the number of people that will come into contact with your brand and also reduce unnecessary waste. Depending on your market and what products you are selling, there are many innovative ways you can design multi-functional packaging. For example, if you sell clothing items, your packaging could also double up as a cardboard hanger that can be folded once the parcel has been opened. This will encourage your customers to interact with the packaging for longer, giving them a more gratifying and memorable opening experience.

For shipping boxes, include branded sealing tape

You have designed beautiful product packaging, but you have to protect it by putting it in a shipping box. So how can you show off your brand during its shipping? One easy and affordable solution is to design custom sealing tape featuring your brand colours and logo. This subtle addition to an otherwise plain shipping box is a great way to gather brand recognition for those who come into contact with the parcel.

Add branded accessories

Packaging design doesn’t have to stop at the box; there are plenty of packaging accessories that can be included to add that extra personal touch. Depending on your band personality and the product inside, the packaging accessories can differ to suit. For example, you can include branded tissue paper, stickers, or even a ribbon. These small touches are a great way to enhance your packaging design and include brand placement throughout the whole packaging experience.

Make the packaging interactive

User experience is an important element of any design – especially if you want to leave a lasting memory of your brand with its customers, and this applies to packaging design. Packaging is the first thing a buyer will see and touch before they get to the product, and if done correctly, can also become part of the whole unboxing experience. Incorporating interactive features into your packaging is a great way to engage customers and keep them interacting with your brand even after the product has been unwrapped.

A great example of this is to add a QR code for users to scan which will take them to an app or link relating to the product—this could be a set of instructions, or something even more creative, such as a game or experience relating to the product.

Add support information

Keeping consumers well informed and making their entire experience with your product as easy as possible is important for leaving a good impression and avoiding any complaints or returns. Information on your products and how to use them can be cleverly featured in your packaging design to keep users informed. If your product requires building or has specific steps of use to ensure best results, providing instructions or information on the packaging is a great way to ensure customers can enjoy your product and all of its benefits.

Make your packaging sustainable

Sustainability is an increasingly important requirement for modern consumers and is also one that should be adopted by businesses wherever possible to ensure a greener future. One of the best ways to reduce your carbon footprint and preserve natural resources and assure your customers that you are making efforts to do so is through sustainable packaging.

An easy way is to have bespoke packaging that accurately fits your product. This way you wont be shipping air. Another way is by opting for recycled and recyclable packaging materials, creating multi-functional packaging that can be reused, or swapping virgin packaging materials with more sustainable alternatives is a great way to do your bit for the environment and show your customers you are a responsible business.  

Ecommerce packaging from the experts

At Swiftpak, we have over 45 years of experience working with brands to create packaging solutions that creates a positive customer experience. Our ecommerce packaging solutions are designed specifically to meet your needs as a business and offer maximum protection for your products during shipment.

If you’re looking to take your ecommerce efforts to the next level, our packaging experts would love to hear from you. We’re standing by to answer any questions you have and look forward to creating a solution your product deserves. Contact Swiftpak today.