How Packaging Can Keep Customers Happy
If you have been in business for long enough, you know how hard it is to get customers—and how it's even harder to keep them.
When people have thousands of products to choose from, and even more thoughts swirling through their head, how do you grab a customer and save them for life? It’s a question that every single successful business person has to think about it. Sure, your product may be great, and you may have everything to back up that statement, but if your customers aren’t happy, then what do you really have? One way to keep your customers happy is through packaging! It’s so apparent, yet continuously overlooked. Sometimes, the most significant way to reach a customer is in the palm of your hand… literally! Below we will chat about various ways you can use your packaging to entice customers.
It’s all about that package appeal!
Take a step back from your own company and think to yourself: what makes you want to grab a product in the first place? It’s probably the packaging and how it looks. Gone are the days when you could just shove a product in a box and call it a day. Customers are looking for more, and they believe that they deserve more. We live in a high-demand market, and if you aren’t creating and selling what people want, you’re probably in trouble. When you take the time to make your product look nice, you are telling your customers that you care and you want them to enjoy your product. People like being cared about, so care about them!
It makes your customers happy to know that you care. Sometimes it’s as simple as making your product pretty, and that’s not a bad thing. People love buying things that will look cute in their home; it’s not rocket science. By making your packaging attractive, you will be on your way to standing out and getting your product in the hands of a consumer
Everyone loves freebies
Bottom line: everyone loves free stuff. Not only does it make them happy, but it gives them something to carry around and share. Slap on your logo, and boom, basically free advertising for however long that person uses that freebie.
Be strategic about what you use as a freebie because it can be pretty much anything! Make it work for you. Maybe you are a skincare brand, and you have a new product coming out. A great way to make your current customers happy is by sending them a small sample! Giving out samples of something in your line of products gives people the chance to test something they may have normally never given a second thought. And if you are lucky, they may love it and want to buy a full-size version!
This also brings to mind the “unboxing experience.” If you go to YouTube and type into the search bar, “unboxing,” you will find hundreds of thousands of videos about people literally unboxing things they have purchased. People absolutely LOVE to watch other people unpack things. There’s a type of thrill seeing items people have purchased, and this totally works in your favor.
Give a little to get a little, that’s what it comes down to. When you make people feel appreciated, you are being more than your product. You are giving your product a personality and a person behind the mask. A little gift or a simple thank-you can take you a long way.
Sometimes: Practical Is Better Than Fun
It’s not as fun of a point to dive into, but sometimes what makes people happy is one of the most basic things out there, and that’s being trustworthy and practical with packaging. Not everyone is looking for something that stands out. They may be looking for something that simply works! With packaging, you have the control over how it functions and how well it functions. If your product is fragile, you don’t want your packaging to be loose-fitting and unable to hold the product inside securely. That’s simply bad business. What this means is usually the company has chosen price over quality. Sturdy, trustworthy packaging not only sends a promise to the customer, but it also saves you money when it comes to returns.
When you buy a product, you are assuming that it will come to you in one piece, because that’s what you paid for. Good companies know that it takes a little extra effort to make appropriate packaging for each individual product. When you care it makes you look good, when you don’t care, it makes you look bad. A pretty simple equation, but an equation many people calculate incorrectly.
Conclusion
Making people happy is a hard job, but when your life is your product, it’s essential that you are able to put a smile on your customer's face. If your product makes them happy, they want more of you! Make your packaging memorable, include some freebies or a thank-you, and always remember to be practical. When your product looks good and functions well, your customer will notice, and they will spread the good word.