Your package is the first thing that customers see when they are considering your product. It must appeal to them or else they will grab the competitor next to it. If the consumer has already bought the product and it was shipped to them, they will not want to see a brown paper bag wrapped around the product. The packaging must cover all the needs of the customer.
- Freshness – According to Statista the single most important aspect of any package is how fresh it keeps the product, and how hygienic it is. You need to realize that more people are buying over the internet, so if the product is not fresh when they receive it, they will never buy it again, and they will never recommend the product to others.
- Eye Appeal – Walk into a large grocery store, or retail store, and take a few minutes to browse around. The first package that catches your eye go up to and look close by to see how its competitors have packaged theirs. It goes to show that the flashy package that catches the eye will be the first choice of customers. Not just you, but most buyers will respond in the same way.
- Size/Shape – It may seem funny when you give a small gift wrapped in different sized boxes until you have a huge box with a little present. It honestly does not matter what the present is, by the time the person gets to it they will be disappointed because they were expecting something big. Think about a bag of chips. When you open it the first thing you see is that it is only half full. No matter what the reason is, it is annoying to say the least. So, if you are producing a small product that is flat, use flat pouches that fit around the product. Do not market it in a big box stuffed with fluff.
- Green – No this does not mean that the package needs to be green. Consumers today are extremely conscious about the damage that packaging and production plants due to the environment. The ‘greener’ the package is, the more likely that it will sell well. We all want to leave as small of a footprint upon the Earth as we can, so all the little things that we do add up.
- Brand – Your “brand” is your business. It is what shows people who you are, and what you stand for. If you have been in business for any length of time you will understand how this concept works. The “brand” of a company is how people see you. For instance, if you sell a product that helps people get cleaner teeth, you need to portray an image of white, clean, and fresh.
- Useability – If your package is useable at the time that they need it, and reusable when they want to hold onto it longer, you will see sales increase. If you go with a cheap outer package that must be cut open you had better have a low price, a very low price, otherwise the consumer will pick the product next to yours that does offer those conveniences.
It has been said in the past that the packaging is more important than the product itself. It seems strange, but if you think about it, you will know that there is a substantial amount of truth in the statement. You can have an excellent product in bland packaging that never sells, and on the other hand have a mediocre product in a great package that you cannot t keep stocked on the shelves. Consumers are finicky people, and if something catches their eye, and keeps their attention, they will likely purchase it.
