There are certain things to know when it comes to packaging products for your business. You can check out our guide here to learn more.
There are over 32 million businesses in the United States. While many of these companies sell unique products and tout unique philosophies, one thing that binds the vast majority of them is that their products come in packaging.
As businesses continue to innovate products, we've seen innovation of product packaging fall by the waist side. That's a shame because packaging products well can influence buying behavior, increase loyalty, and help your brand get its name out.
If you're not sure where to start when it comes to creating effective packaging, don't worry. Below, we break down a few points that can help you take things to the next level.
Consider Your Target Market
Everything that you do in your business should be focused on your customer. At the end of the day, if you make a change that doesn't serve them, you're likely to lose money.
This is true of packaging as well.
From the materials you pick to the ease of access you offer to the products inside of your packaging, consider the sort of experience your target demo would appreciate. Use that consideration as your guiding light when exploring options.
Keep Packaging Cheap (Yet Chic)
Packaging products effectively is important. Hopefully, our stance on that is obvious given that we're writing a whole guide on the topic.
Still, despite that importance, you don't want to break the bank when it comes to packaging since, at the end of the day, it'll probably end up in the trash.
We always tell business owners to source cheap packaging materials whenever possible. Recycled materials, for example, are low-cost and lay an excellent packaging foundation.
Remember, cheap with a little added creativity can quickly turn into chic!
Be Eco-Conscious
As we mentioned, no matter how nicely you package your product, after your packaging has made its impression, it'll likely end up in the trash. Given that over 250 tons of waste are piled up in American landfills every year, you should think about reducing your contributions to that mass.
A great way to do this is to (again) use recycled packaging solutions and to also keep your packaging elements as militaristic as possible. Not only will doing so save you money but it'll also help keep the planet turning for a little bit longer.
Take Advantage of Advertising Opportunities
Your product packaging is essentially a billboard that you can advertise anything on. Don't let that space go to waste!
If you want to keep your advertisements evergreen, ensure that your logo is prominently featured alongside any other unchanging brand elements (slogans, mission statements, etc.). If you want to make your advertisement topical, make design tweaks to your packaging semi-annually, each quarter, etc. to push whatever your corporate priorities are.
Don't Forget About Inner Packaging
When packaging products, you shouldn't just focus on what's on the outside.
We've seen savvy entrepreneurs, add personalized messaging to the inside of their product packaging so when customers open it up, they're treated to something special. Those small touches leave an impression on people and drive many to continue repeating business.
Understand Your Legal Obligations
On the topic of inner packaging, there are federal and state guidelines which require that certain items have package inserts that express various safety concerns. If your product carries those obligations, ensure you stay in compliance to avoid recalls, lawsuits, and worse.
You'll want to consult an attorney on this matter as the minutia of the law can be difficult to make sense of without an experienced eye. As you search for legal council, engaging a lawyer that specializes in trade may be particularly beneficial.
Aim to Make Packaging Distinctly You
Successful product packaging becomes part of your brand so much that a consumer can glance at your package from afar and immediately know that it's yours.
Is there anything you can do with your presentation that customers can easily associate with your business? If so, make implementing those sticky concepts a priority.
Get Feedback
What seems like a clever idea to you may not translate as well as you hope. This is why testing when it comes to packaging products is so important.
You can conduct self-testing as a small business by having people you know or work with comment on your packaging's design, how easy it was to access their product, and so forth. If you want to gather hard data on your packaging's success, consider going to an agency that can organize formal focus testing.
After all, the expenses involved with focus testing pale in comparison to the cost of having to recall designs that fail when they go to market.
Create an Experience
This is may be self-evident by now but let us hit home the fact that above all else, your packaging should create an experience. What that experience is will be up to you.
Just makes sure that whatever you come up with serves your target audience well!
Packaging Products Is an Art That Few Make a Priority
We understand that packaging products may not be at the top of your business' priority list. That's not to say though that packaging and all of the benefits it can bring should be ignored.
Our team hopes that the ideas we've pitched regarding packaging have gotten the wheels turning in your head and will lead to innovation.
If you find yourself in need of more business inspiration, check out additional business and technology content on our blog!
