Gone are the days when businesses were forced to accumulate bulk quantities of packaging when they only needed a handful. With the rise of digital printing, companies can choose the size of their print order, however small, and thus save money and avoid wastage.
But that is not all! Today, businesses also have the option of personalizing the boxes they send to their customers. Major brands, such as Licious.in, Oreo and Crayola have forayed into custom box packaging at some point and enamored their customers!
No wonder, the custom box printing and packaging industry, in the United States, is projected to hit $218.36 billion by 2025. There is considerable scope for variety in this growing industry – from pretty patterned cake boxes to durable display boxes for cosmetics.
Three reasons why custom packaging is so popular
1. Growth of eCommerce
The Internet has made it possible for virtually anyone to set up a business anytime, anywhere, without investing in a physical store. Ecommerce allows products to be shipped worldwide and brings operating costs – and thus, final prices – down.
As more and more businesses move towards eCommerce and make use of web-to-print technology, product packaging becomes a functional necessity and a meaningful way to create an excellent first impression amongst consumers who are spoiled for choice.
2. Increased need for branding
In today’s fiercely competitive market, having a distinctive brand helps a business stand out – even more than having a high-quality product.
Product packaging plays an important role here, as consumers often come to recognize a brand from the colors and materials it uses in its boxes. And deploying a web-to-print solution can make it all happen!
Amazon Storyboxes, launched in India, was a packaging initiative to promote the various inspiring customer stories. Apart from the story in written words, each box had the caricature of that customer. Pretty personalized; we must add!
3. Better customer experience
Given that 80% of people experience brand awareness by sight, having a distinctive custom packaging plays a vital role in growing a brand. Many consumers associate attractive packaging with premium quality.
Durable boxes and bags can also be reused by them, helping keep the brand on their minds. Besides, with influencer marketing’s growth where influencers create ‘unboxing’ videos to talk about brands, attractive packaging is likelier to get positive reviews.
Six products do buyers of custom packaging like to customize
1. Boxes
Brands like to be able to choose appropriately sized boxes for their products to fit into. They also want to include corner pieces or soft stuffing to protect fragile items without scratching them. Plus, if they can print specific designs on such boxes with web2print, it is even better!
2. Labels and stickers
Brands will typically attach a product label to every product they send out. They may also add stickers with their brand logo to the outside of the box to be instantly recognizable. These labels or stickers could just contain the brand’s logo or a specific message they wish to promote. Thanks to a Web2Print Packaging Box Design Software, that is a possibility!
3. Tape
Not every brand wants to use the same white or beige masking tape to seal their boxes. Some may want to match their tape color to their box design or have their brand logo stamped along the length of the tape. Variety and personalization are two vital elements in the custom box printing and packaging industry.
4. Bags
For smaller products such as jewelry or cosmetics, brands often like to pack their boxes into attractive bags. These could be plain mesh or silk bags or feature elaborate designs and are typically made with durable material so that customers can reuse them.
As mentioned earlier, influencers love creating “unboxing” videos. Thus, this could be the perfect opportunity for brands to showcase the depth of their creativity. They can upload their artwork or personalize any print-ready artwork on a web-to-print software solution.
5. Paper
If certain products such as chinaware or accessories need to be wrapped in paper before being packed into the box, brands may want to add their logo or a distinctive design to the paper as well. This makes receiving and opening a package a visually appealing activity.
6 elements your custom box printing business should have
1. Responsive website
Your web-to-print storefront should load quickly, be highly responsive, and have a clean, easy-to-understand layout. Often, brands will decide whether or not to go with you based on how responsive your site is and whether it works on multiple devices.
2. Design tool with templates
Your online product designer software should be highly intuitive and easy to use across browsers and devices so that brands can get their work done anytime, anywhere.
In addition, there should be enough templates for them to choose from as a starting point should they so wish. From modern, minimalistic looks to vintage designs, your templates should account for various styles and preferences to cater to brands with varied tastes.
Also, sometimes the end-product might not be as fascinating as the one they see post-customization. Therefore, your web-to-print storefront should have the option of “3D preview,” so that your customers can view their personalized designs in 3D format and then place an order.
3. Project management and workflow viewer
Brands should be able to track their orders’ status at every stage of the process from order acceptance to final delivery. Your dashboard on the web-to-print storefront should reflect order status, including any delays that may happen.
Ideally, you should also include an option for brands to request extra customizations along the way, along with the rates for such customizations. This will decrease your overhead expenses, reduce the time taken to coordinate with a sales rep over budget and shorten your potential customers’ buying cycle.
4. Live pricing and shipping calculator
Brands should instantly gauge how much their order will cost to print and ship, including any discounts or bulk rates you might have. Ensure that your price calculator on the web-to-print storefront accommodates orders of any size and is specific about which products you offer only in fixed quantities. This will enable them to decide to purchase from you faster. Everyone loves a convenient shopping experience!
5. Payment gateway
A secure payment gateway is an essential component of an eCommerce website that buyers keep returning to. Make sure you clearly state which payment methods and currencies you support on your web-to-print software solution.
It would be best if you also had a clear refund/return policy in place so that consumers don’t hesitate to repeat-purchase from you if it doesn’t work out the first time.
6. Live support
Brands should be able to reach out to you at any time for assistance. Have a customer helpline and email address set up along with chat support. Be sure to respond as promptly as possible and to stick to the promised turnaround time for queries. Poor customer support can shrink your customer base. Hence, be quick and proactive on your web2print storefront.
Over to you
The industry thrives on a simple logic: when someone receives a custom box or package, their shopping experience enhances. The delivered item looks more personal, almost like a gift. Therefore, if you want to scale your online custom box business, you must leverage web-to-print technology.
Luckily, we can customize the software and deploy it for your business. Please contact us at [email protected] for more details.
