More and more retail businesses have their merchandise available in online stores as well as in brick-and-mortar stores. Many businesses only have an online presence. Online stores have, for the most part, taken the place of the traditional catalogues. Whereas once upon a time, our grandparents looked forward to the next issue of the Montgomery Wards or the Sears and Roebuck catalogues and placed their orders using that medium, now we merely go onto the Internet, search for the item we want, and voilà! there it is! But what these two shopping methods have in common is that the product you order has to be shipped to you. Therefore, when you are designing packaging for a product that you will sell in your online store, you need to consider the item’s trip from your home or warehouse to its destination. Consider these rules for packaging.
Make It Sturdy
Above all else, the packaging has to withstand the rigors of shipping. It may be tossed, plopped, stacked on, or dropped. It may sit in a semi-truck trailer overnight in subzero weather or summer’s heat—which inside a metal trailer can exceed 150 degrees or more. So, it depends on how sturdy your product is and whether or not it’s perishable or subject to melting or freezing as to the type of packaging you will need to ensure that it arrives in the same condition as when you shipped it.
Make It Lightweight
Nearly everything ships by weight, books being one exception. So, if you can walk that fine line between sturdy and lightweight, you will get the best of both worlds. Some packaging materials tend to be lighter yet sturdier than others. You will need to do some research to determine what is the best packaging material for your product.
Make It the Right Size
Don’t waste space in your packaging container. It has to be large enough to fit the product plus any necessary packing materials to keep it from breaking, yet not so large that there is wasted space inside. The larger the package, the more you’ll pay to ship it. Even if you know that you will have to pack the item in its own display packaging inside another shipping box, it is still good to have a sturdy display package of the right size.
Make It Attractive
Depending on the product, it may be presented on the online store website in its packaging. Food items are a prime example of this. The packaging should be attractive and appealing on the website, showcasing the best of the food item. The potential customer can’t pick it up and examine it, so make sure to show all sides of the package. Make the photo so it can be enlarged so a person can read the packaging. This is especially important with vitamins and supplements or food items, where people want to read the ingredients. You will also want to choose a bold but clear font to further increase the readability of your product. If you aren’t sure the best steps to create the most attractive online package, consider seeking out some professional advice.
