When we open our store, the first thing we think of is the goods that we are going to offer, and we hope that that is going to be enough to keep people coming back to us and our brand. Even though the goods that you offer are going to be the reason why people invest in you, the packaging that you ship those items in can make a huge difference in how users perceive your brand. Here, we are going to list some of the ways that poor packaging can affect your eCommerce business. Keep on reading to find out what you should pay attention to and how to prevent your company from closing its doors permanently.
1. There is going to be a drop in sales
Purchasing something that has been damaged is going to steer us away from buying goods from that eCommerce business ever again, and when people ask for referrals, we are not going to recommend that store ever again. It is said that one of the best marketing strategies is having customers who trust you and that will share your brand online with their friends, but know that the opposite can happen as well.
There are going to be many people who are not going to be afraid to leave a comment on your site or page, and they will share their dissatisfaction on their social media as well. When hundreds of people see that your packaging is not good, they are going to go to your competitors, and you are going to see a huge drop in your sales. This will be extremely difficult to recuperate from.
2. You will get constant returns
Every good that we offer to the market costs us an investment. No matter if that investment is just a few dollars or thousands of bucks, we still need to put our money into creating or getting the products and then reselling them to our clients.
When the package is not protected, it may break during transport, and when our customers receive it, they will either return it damaged or they will just ask for their funds back. When that happens only once or twice, it is normal, but when we have hundreds of goods returned to us, it means that we are losing the profits, as well as the investment. This will put a huge toll on your brand and it can lead to your bankruptcy.
3. Your returning customers will not return
As customers, we are unforgiving, and once we have a bad experience, we will never go back to the same eCommerce business. There are so many options on today’s market, and if we don’t like one brand, we have dozens of others that we can choose from, so once we cross one name off of our list, chances are, we are never going to put our money to them again.
No matter how long you’ve had the customer, and even if they have purchased goods from you for decades; if you ship the items that come broken, damaged, or without the needed protection, they will simply stop trusting you and they will never place an order from you again.
4. What’s inside the package will not matter
We all purchase and order items because of them, and we don’t think about the packaging when we order the goods, but when we receive them and when we have the first impression, if it is bad, what is inside the box will not matter. Even if the product is in perfect condition, and even if it is not damaged, the client will always wonder if it came in contact with something that may harm them and they may even just throw your product in the garbage.
As suggested by Mitchel Lincoln, you don’t have to stick to any traditional design when it comes to the packaging options, and you can fully customize your goods to get the result you want. When you choose the right package, you will know that your clients are satisfied and that they will pay attention to the goods that you take pride in.
5. Your brand will be remembered as a bad one
Have you ever ordered something online and it got either poorly packaged, damaged, or it was open and torn? Can you name the brand which you purchased the goods from? Chances are, you can, and you will always remember that business as a bad one, and you will never use that store again.
The problem with us as customers is that we only remember the best and the worst things, and we are more likely to remember a terrible experience forever than something excellent. Well, this will happen to your company even if you sell one product that is poorly wrapped, and everyone who comes in contact with it will always think of your brand as a bad one.
6. It may lead to you closing your business
Lastly, once you portray yourself as an inconsistent brand, and when your customers stop trusting you, chances are, you will end up closing the doors of your business forever. It is pretty difficult to come back from this, and if your clients don’t trust you, they will not recommend you, there won’t be any referrals, and all of your customers will go to your competitors.
Even though with time you may be able to bounce back, and people may start trusting you again, it is going to be pretty difficult. You will have to invest so much money in the right marketing, packages, and goods, and the investment will be higher than the profits.
Because of all these things, you should never try and save costs on the packaging options. The box is the first thing that we see in a store and the first image that we pay attention to. When we get the product, we base all of our impressions on how it looks even before we get to the items that we actually invested in. Know that you have to make the right decision, and nowadays, the right decision will not cost you as much as you think it would. However, the wrong one will definitely put a black spot on your brand’s reputation.