Packaging Your First Impression

Your package design communicates key information about your brand to prospective buyers and sparks their interest in your product. A well designed package encourages them to select your product over a competitor’s, while an unattractive package may cause them to favor another brand. In fact, businesses have reported a 30% increase in customer interest when they pay attention to packaging.

Figure out your budget. Before you start designing, be clear about how much you can afford before the cost of your package eats into your profit since custom packaging costs more than standard issue. When considering package costs, ask yourself these questions: How many units per month do you plan on selling? How much per piece can you afford to pay for packaging and still turn a profit on the sale?

Grab your customers’ attention. It takes 7 seconds to form a first impression of a person and it’s no different for a product. Most shoppers make purchasing decisions in the same amount of time, often without doing more than just skimming the store content. Help your product stand out from the crowd with a few special touches like a uniquely shaped, easy-to-open package with unusual color and design elements.

Make it shareable. If your product is good, people will tell their friends about it, most likely through social media. The same is true about your packaging. Almost 40% of consumers will share photos of packaging on social media if it is interesting or gift-like. A person snapping a photo of a package and sharing it on social media gives it more potential to attract new customers based on their friends’ recommendations, since this factor influences 81% of consumers’ buying decisions.

Go green. Customers are more interested in environmentally friendly packaging now than ever before. Along with being recyclable, packages should also be reusable. About 90% of consumers will reuse product packaging after purchase. By going with green packaging, not only will your business and consumers benefit, but the environment will too.

Creating an attractive package for your product can be challenging, but the rewards of doing it right are clear. Your packaging often forms your customers’ first impression of your brand.