Customize packaging

6 Pointers for Packaging That’s Also E-Commerce Fulfillment Friendly

Custom packaging is vital and knowing how to prepare your product for e-commerce fulfillment will make a world of difference in the way your brand is perceived.

One of the most important aspects of how your brand is perceived is the delivery window. In 2017, 63% of online shoppers expected three-day delivery Customize packaging

This is a guest post by Brandon Rollins, a Marketing Consultant at Fulfillrite. Fulfillrite is an order fulfillment company for e-commerce and crowdfunding.

At Fulfillrite, we are well aware of just how important it is to ship goods in a timely manner. This is why we offer same-day order fulfillment at no extra cost to our customers.

Use lightweight packaging to reduce shipping costs

We fill orders for other companies, meaning we take their inventory out of our warehouse, put it in a box, apply postage, and send it off.

There are more steps along the way, but this is the basic idea. The most important of those steps, for your purposes, is applying postage.

Postage is nothing more than permission to ride on a carrier’s truck or airplane. FedEx is a carrier, as is UPS, DHL, and the US Post Office.

Every single one of them assesses postage rates based on weight and the dimensions of the package. After all, weight determines how much fuel they will burn transporting the package. Dimensions play a role, too, but we’ll cover that shortly.

Choosing the right box for e-commerce fulfillment

Similar to the above, every carrier prices postage at least partly on the physical dimensions of the package.

Sending items in a box that’s an inch or two too big can very quickly add up to additional costs for you.

When you’re manufacturing or assembling items, always consider the cost of shipping. Extra space inside the box – whether that be in the item’s box or the shipping box – will drive up costs.

Some people have even taken to manufacturing items around the sizes of flat rate US Priority mailing boxes.

Pack tightly to reduce the amount of extra material needed

The best way to reduce weight and the dimensions of your custom mailer box or shipping box is to pack tightly.

The item itself needs to be packed tightly within its own packaging.

Then, the box in which the item is contained needs to be packed tightly and placed into the smallest mailing box possible.

This also shaves a few critical ounces off the package weight because you are using a smaller box and less bubble wrap, styrofoam, packing tape, and so on.

The unboxing experience

A lot of e-commerce fulfillment comes down to figuring out the most cost-effective way to send a package. Learn About: Custom cupcake boxes

That doesn’t really capture the whole picture, though. A good fulfillment process makes a customer feel important and it turns an online purchase from a hassle to an exciting event!

Want to use that excitement to your advantage?

Consider the angle at which the box will be opened. A lot of people have become very interested in perfecting the unboxing experience, and first impressions count for a lot here.

What is the first thing you want customers to see when they open the box?

Odds are, it will be the top of your item’s box. Many designers only consider the angles exposed to people shopping in the store.