Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Packaging Ought to be Memorable

From Sweetly Scrapped on etsy


We barely got through Halloween and the Holiday Rush is upon us. As a customer, I can safely say that the packaging of my order helps to add to the excitement and anticipation. If my package is nicely tied and pretty as a cupcake then all the better. If not, then it could leave an impression of the business.

Now, a full disclosure--I keep my packaging simple. My items tend to be large and I feel like I am tending to bulkiness and not wanting to add more weight to the cost of shipping (already seems high!). But a bit of ribbon, a tag, and a word of thanks tends to be all what people appreciate when spending their hard-earned money. And I can do that bit of customer service with a smile.

Le Animale shows off her packaging in her shop photos and it seems to work for her business. Thought and time went into this little bit of extra---can't you see yourself opening up these goodies?
Special Touches Matter
And if you are the creative sort (you are if you are on etsy!) then you can follow this easy tutorial by Melike and create an extra special sort of packaging.
Handmade Packaging Tutorial
And giving attention to the packaging of your products does not have to be expensive. BeadedTail wraps her jewelry in the cutest paw print tissue paper and she includes cute notes. I cannot find my photos but I have taken photos of her boxes because I almost don't want to open them they are so cute!

So, if I can find ways to wrap large blankets then I know you can take care of the smaller things. Get out there and make those packages extra special. Your customers will remember.

Things to remember:
  1. Be memorable
  2. Be timely
  3. Be neat
  4. Be consistent with your branding
  5. Be prepared

QUESTION: Are you prepared for the holiday season?
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Today's guest blogger is Erika. She is the creator of Artful Rising where she
encourages you to get-your-rear-in-gear to Create. Inspire. Change the World. Join the conversation today and receive your own ebook on following your dreams.

12 comments:

storybeader said...

I just need to make more products! {:-D

BeadedTail said...

I love nice packaging! It doesn't have to be anything fancy but letting me know that my purchase was important makes me feel special. Thanks for mentioning my packaging too! I hope people feel special when they get something from me because I certainly think they are!

Anonymous said...

So true! Never does packaging matter more than this time of year:) I think even when people are ordering for themselves opening your purchase like a gift to you has a strong physiological happy affect!

Memories for Life said...

So true! The little extras show how special each customer really is :)
I always add a handwritten thank you note with my packages (even though I Hate my handwriting!)
And I almost bought pink bubble wrap even though it was like twice the price...LOL!

Karen said...

My standard packaging always includes a handwritten note, and the (removable in case the recipient is gifting it and wants a peek!) top to each box is decked with ribbon and a tag. Outside of that I pack more for safety and security than looks. I would hate for an item to get to its new home in less than perfect condition!

Emily @SweetlyScrapped said...

Hi! Thanks so much for featuring my tags! I feel so special!!! Hope you are having a wonderful day!! :)

Anonymous said...

Thank you for this wonderful post! I too feel that packaging should be as important as the sale. It makes all of the difference when purchasing handmade items. Presenting your company in special ways makes it just that more special.

Rose Clearfield said...

Great post for the holidays! I keep my packaging simple, too, but I still try to make it memorable. One of my goals for 2012 is to design custom thank you cards that fit my shop. I do include notes now, often that fit with the holiday/season/but it would be nice to have something specifically for my shop.

A Cup of Sparkle said...

Thank you so much for featuring my handmade felt bags. It is so great to hear what other shops do. It gives me lot of great ideas... Good luck to everyone on their holiday sales.

-Melike
acupofsparkle.blogspot.com

A Cup of Sparkle said...

I hear people include thank you notes. I used to do that, but I started getting worried that it is purchased as a gift and I don't want to spoil it. And, I also didn't want to ask my customers whether the purchase is a gift. I just wanted to share my thoughts on that.

Judy Nolan said...

If you don't mind, I think I will add one more item to your list: Be economical. As you pointed out when you said you keep things simple, it doesn't take much to put a nice package together, and buyers don't really want their cost of shipping to be higher because of a thank you gift.

Splendid Little Stars said...

I always write a personal thank you note--on a tag with yarn. And I include a little something extra that weighs almost nothing. I'd like to know if others include a "gift" of some sort.
When I receive a package I really don't care about an extra gift. I'm happy to get the exact thing I ordered.
When I first joined etsy, it seemed that sellers were saying that a "gift" is important.