It is evident from the facts and figures that e-commerce software is booming. In 2022, e-commerce generated $1,034.1 billion in sales, an increase of 7.7% over 2021. In 2023, the company's sales will reach $6.17 trillion, a 22.3 percent increase over 2022.
The impressive figures of eCommerce is partly due to the security and satisfaction that eCommerce packaging offers to the different products from different businesses. As products vary in size, their packaging also vary in size. For instance a simple wedding band packaging from MensWeddingBands.io is smaller than a mini-freezer packaging. However, they both give the buyer satisfaction when they open it.
E-commerce packaging can help you leave a long-lasting impression on your audience when operating in a highly competitive market. In addition to leaving a positive and lasting impression, it also protects the product.
The full article explains e-commerce packaging and its different platforms; read the full article for a better understanding.
What Is E-Commerce Packaging?
E-commerce packaging entails securing your product during shipping, creating your brand identity, and managing shipping costs. It is the first physical touchpoint between a brand and its customers. It includes inserts, infill material, and outer containers.
E-commerce Packaging Explanation
The packaging used for e-commerce products is often called e-commerce packaging. The unboxing experience is incomplete without shipping boxes. There are many brands that customize their packaging boxes in order to show off their creative side, which can significantly enhance the customer shipping experience. Businesses can also differentiate themselves from their competitors by utilizing this strategy.
If your customers receive broken products, it will reflect poorly on your brand name and you. That is why besides attracting customers, packaging also protects products. And it is essential to choose the right packaging to ensure good protection and an attractive presentation.
Moreover, packaging design can be stressful if you don't have any design experience or know your options. Don't worry; many custom box manufacturers are available to assist you with packaging design you can get their help.
Top Popular E-Commerce Packaging
A variety of options are available when it comes to e-commerce packaging. In addition, you need to consider your product's shape, size, and type when selecting a type. Despite so many solutions being available on the market, three of the most popular packaging solutions are discussed here
- Corrugated boxes
- Padded Envelopes
- Poly bags
Corrugated Boxes
Cardboard boxes are made up of layers of cardboard, which can be added or removed to improve or decrease strength, depending on the product. These boxes consist of two layers outside liner and inside liner. Using corrugated boxes also allows you to customize them according to your preferences.
Almost all e-commerce platforms ship their products using these boxes since they boost the quality of the product. In addition to their lightweight and recyclable properties, this packaging solution is also economical making it accessible for small businesses too.
Padded Envelopes
Padded envelopes, also known as jiffy bags, cushioned mailers, and padded mailers, feature thick paper and protective padding on the inside. In general, they are used to package small and fragile items. When it comes to shipments of small-sized accessories, electronics, or books, this is the best option.
Poly Bags
Poly bags are also a standard method of shipping products. Retail stores primarily use these bags to package unbreakable items like clothes, stuffed toys, etc. Unlike paper bags, these bags are made from polyethylene, which is harmful to the environment since it takes 300 years for them to decompose. They can harm Water and soil when they break down into small pieces. These bags should not be used; instead, you can use other cheap materials and make them much more appealing with a little touch of creativity.
Top 5 E-Commerce Platforms
- Shopify
- Woo commerce
- Wix
- Big Commerce
- Adobe Commerce
The following list of top e-commerce platforms for 2023 will help you decide which is best for you.
Shopify
Founded in 2004, it is one of the world's leading e-commerce platforms. Integrating product information, client information, and administrative tasks is seamless with this platform. As soon as the basics are in place, Shopify offers numerous ways to explore and expand your product line and sales channel.
Despite its smooth onboarding process, Shopify offers over 6,000 apps through its Apps Store. In addition to SEO, it offers excellent marketing tools resulting in business growth. It has a basic plan that costs $25 per month, and If you want to buy its moderate plan, you can expect to pay $65 per month, while the advance plan costs $399.
Woo Commerce
Similar to WordPress, WooCommerce lets you sell products online. However, WordPress is only a content-driven platform. If you are familiar with WordPress, you can easily optimize this platform for search engines by coding.
Additionally, for Shopify to WooCommerce users' convenience, there are over 300 extensions. Interestingly, if you need guidance, you can also get support from Woo-commerce customer service. Notably, this platform is free, but several things could be improved, including its high development, maintenance, hosting, and costs.
Wix
Wix is an excellent website builder platform offering custom templates, hosting your domain name, and registering domain names. You can create your website for free, but if you wish to create an online store, you must purchase a subscription.
Interestingly this platform is so user-friendly that it has more than 100 million users. Managing your store and tracking your sales are also very accessible with its dashboard and mobile app to track your store’s performance on the go. If you plan to build your online store, this platform can be a reasonable consideration.
Its subscription is typically between $20 to $200/month. Lastly, if you choose a free plan, the platform forces Wix branding on your site, and you are unable to transfer your website to any other venue in the future.
Big Commerce
The largest e-commerce platform reaches 120 countries with the best e-commerce SEO services. A significant advantage of this platform is the ability to list unlimited products, contributing to its popularity. You can also learn about your store's trends and make changes based on its reporting system. Another accessible feature of this platform is that you can easily make payments through multiple payment options without additional transaction fees.
Big Commerce sale is more than 25 billion dollars. More than ten free themes are available, and 160 plus paid themes if you wish to buy one. Lastly, its design is not user-friendly, and these paid theme options can be problematic.
Moreover, its Standard plan costs you $39/month, plus the plan will cost you $105/month, and the pro plan will be $399/month.
Adobe Commerce
The Adobe Commerce platform is also known as Magento. The Adobe Commerce platform is a non-hosted option for developers who need to create a custom e-commerce store. You can also use Up/Cross-Sell features here to increase your sales. Additionally, it supports all mobile interfaces for creating mobile-friendly content.
Since it is an open source, there are no subscription fees that you have to pay, and you can enjoy a user-friendly interface and a lot of customization options for free.
For assistance, it has a big community; you can contact 1,000 trusted partners and 300,000 developers. For businesses looking to elevate their online shopping experience, Adobe Commerce development offers customizable, scalable solutions that can adapt to the unique needs of any e-commerce venture. In the case of building your own e-commerce platform, you may want to skip this platform unless you are experienced with advanced coding.
Why E-Commerce Packaging is Essential?
E-change packaging has become increasingly crucial as online purchasing continues to grow unexpectedly. This packaging serves a couple of capabilities beyond sincerely housing a product at some point of transit; it plays a vital role in defensive products, supporting branding, improving client enjoyment, and aligning with sustainable practices.
Product Protection
E-exchange packaging must ensure that products arrive accurately, no matter the vast coping they go through sooner or later shipping. Packages regularly pass through diverse distribution facilities, trucks, and now and then, a couple of providers in advance than the customer. Proper packaging reduces the risk of harm from shocks, drops, or strain, ensuring a high-quality patron enjoys and minimizing high-priced returns.
Branding and Customer Experience
Packaging is a client's first physical interaction with a web logo, making it a powerful branding tool. Unique and appealing packaging can create a memorable impact and develop emblem loyalty. Many businesses customize their packaging with logo shades, trademarks, or thank-you notes to make a long-lasting effect on the patron. This enhances the "unboxing" revel, which has become a famous social media fashion, with customers sharing their unpacking revel online, efficaciously giving producers free publicity.
Sustainability and Environmental Impact
With growing awareness of environmental problems, sustainable packaging has become a subject for many groups. Reducing packaging waste, using recyclable or compostable materials, and minimizing excess packaging are all steps that mirror an enterprise's determination to take environmental responsibility. Customers increasingly anticipate inexperienced practices, so deciding on sustainable packaging answers can decorate Emblem's reputation and appeal to environmentally aware customers.
Operational Efficiency
Proper packaging picks can streamline the logistics and shipping methods. Lightweight but long-lasting packaging, for example, can lessen delivery fees and make garages more excellent green. Some e-exchange structures help custom packaging and automated labelling, simplifying the packing machine and supporting companies' gadget orders extra quickly.
Customer Satisfaction and Reduced Returns
Good packaging complements customer delight by imparting a reliable delivery revel wherein merchandise arrives in pristine circumstances. Clients who continually gain nicely packaged products that meet their expectations are likelier to become repeat customers and advocate the Emblem. Furthermore, lowering broken items through consistent packaging reduces pass-returned fees, saving cash and tries for agencies and clients.
Conclusion
understanding the nuances of e-commerce packaging is essential for businesses aiming to thrive in the digital landscape. By investing in eco-friendly and visually appealing packaging solutions, businesses can enhance brand perception and customer loyalty. When paired with the right e-commerce platform, these packaging strategies can create a seamless and memorable shopping experience, driving sales and fostering long-term customer relationships.