The product packaging is purely a best thing or spot to engage the customer attention & interest for the purpose of purchase. In an era of information where businesses are focusing more on consumer’s behavior, packaging has already got importance in the minds of customers because they can easily find 80% of the product detail on a package. By keeping these factors in mind to gain an obvious edge in a market, one of the packaging giant and prestigious names in Australian packaging industry The Custom Boxes conducted a survey.

They engaged legion of ecommerce consumers to be aware of what shoppers are actually look forward to from an ecommerce packaging. The survey segregates premium customers from all other shoppers on basis of their spending. Premium customers spend more than $200 a month while other customers spend less than $200 per month. The findings of survey revealed that premium customers prefer to give importance to those packaging businesses who offers custom packaging designs.

Top Customers vs. Other Customers

Packaging is an ages old practice for product protection but it was not much appealing for customers until the dawn of custom designs. The product with custom packaging in fact looks more valuable than an ordinary packaging and gives the sense of elitism to its buyer. As per assessment, 51% of premium customers preferred custom packaging and the same proportion of premium shoppers perform a repeat purchase due to custom packaging. While on the other hand, only 25% of other customers feel that custom packaging makes the product precious and 29% of other customers perform a repeat sale because of custom packaging. Another plus point of premium shoppers is that they are very keen to share about their spending related to packaging on leading social media platforms and 37% of top customers are doing this as compared to 22% of everyone else.

If we compare the spending of first time customers with returning customers, then we’ll come to know that returning customers usually spend 67% more than the first time customers. This is the point where most of the businesses can gain trust and confidence of repeating & premium customers without doing extra efforts. In these days, social media has established strong connection with customers and use of social media as medium of marketing is now very common. It is influencing the decisions related to purchases more than anything else. YouTube is one of the favorite social media site used by many businesses for the purpose of marketing; but packaging industry is using it more than anyone else not for the sole purpose of marketing but for learning also. The Custom Boxes Australia found that packaging related videos gone up to 871% in viewership since 2010 by just adding un-boxing in their video titles. And this is what customers appreciate more because such kind of marketing videos are actually helping them to know more about your brand and product.

Customer Expectations

Every product comes with some of its pros and cons but from customer’s point of view; they always set their priorities according to their expectations. The reason behind every successful business is very simple – meeting the customers’ expectations. In packaging industry, the expectations from customers are very high and due to this only 11% customers are completely satisfied with packaging. There is a one big reason behind less number of completely satisfied customers; and that is the very first impression of your product and custom packaging on customer. Custom packaging is the earliest perceptible familiarity for an ecommerce shopper with your brand and product. And if that first impression actually impressed the customer, than it can be the real success of your brand.

There are many reasons of customer’s dissatisfaction about the custom packaging. But, when it comes to those factors which are actually annoying or irritating the customers related to packaging and leads to dissatisfaction are:

• Packaging that is hard to open
• Excessive packaging
• Damaged packaging, but not the item
• Non-recyclable packaging
• Ugly packaging

55% of customers said that packaging that is hard to open irritates them, 19% of customers are annoyed due to excessive packaging, and 13% of customers are infuriated due to damaged packaging but item is saved, while 8% environment friendly customers said that they are unhappy with non-recyclable packaging and last but not the least is ugly packaging which irritates 4% customers. If packaging company can take control on above mentioned factors of customer’s unhappiness, than they can easily increase their number of completely satisfied customers.

Customers Predilection

In these days, most of the packaging companies are now offering two options for their customers – custom printed packaging and custom packaging design. But, the survey conducted by The Custom Boxes Australia revealed that custom printing is more important for 29% customers while 71% customers said that custom packaging design is more important for them.

Happy Returns

Happy returns policy is another approach from companies to keep their customers happy and satisfied. It is also very common is packaging industry and right of every customer to return if they are not happy with the product. But, we need to know the returning ratio in order to find out the difference between premium customers and all other shoppers. The trend which has been observed in packaging businesses is that, those customers who spent more also returns more than those customers who spent less. Product return is very valuable tactic to make customers feel that they are more important than the material and this thing makes them a loyal and satisfied customer of a company.

However, 95% of customers will return to your site for a repeat purchase if they found that the return process is very easy and convenient. Most of the customers said that they return at least one quarter of their online purchases. For example, if a customer is spending $50 or less in a month than the return amount will be up to $5. If the monthly spending of customers are in-between $50 to $200 than return amount will be up to $15. In case of those shoppers which are spending more than $200 a month can return from $20 to $25 which means more spending more return. There are so many other methods to make customers happy but easy return policy is the prime way to convert happy customer in to a completely satisfied customer.