One of the special aspects of buying handmade items from sellers on the internet is when the parcel arrives. Unlike most large companies where you are just another order number, when you buy from an independent designer maker they will ofte go the extra mile to ensure your purchase is beautifully packaged.
I have a board on pinterest with some inspiration for making your parcels memorable
Follow Craft Blog UK's board Craft Seller Packaging Ideas on Pinterest.
Top Tips for Packaging Your Work
Marketing ideas for your packaging
- Make your packaging match your branding. This could simply be the colour of tissue paper, or perhaps a little sticker to seal the tissue paper with your logo printed on.
- Include a little freebie. Nothing too pricey as you need to make a profit, just something little like a badge or branded stickers to make your customer smile.
- Include a discount code to encourage the buyer to come back to your shop.
- Always add a few business cards they can keep or pass on to friends - why not include a handwritten discount on the back with an expiry date.
- Photograph your packaging and share it on product listings - people are reassured by a neatly packaged item.
- Offer a gift wrapping option. A gift box may be too big and pricey to include in your standard packaging costs, but why not offer wrapping or a gift box as an extra.
Practical Considerations when packaging products
- Always find a clean surface to package your items. The floor is not a great idea, especially if you have pets (pet hairs stick to everything).
Packaging on the floor can also give you back ache, knee ache and result in you rushing the job. The ideal surface is a clean table or worksurface big enough for you to have everything to hand
- Create a packaging tool kit. Keep everything you need in one place. You will save time spent looking for tape, scissors etc and you will also be able to see quickly when your packaging stocks are running low.
- Practice wrapping and packaging your items before you add them for sale. You'll need to weigh the item complete with it's wrapping to get the price right. You can either incorporate postage costs into the product or you can add a price on your web shop. Either way, it's important you don't lose profit by undercharging.
- Hunt around for packaging deals and consider reusing packaging. Being eco friendly could be part of your USP, let people know in the product description that you resuse packaging.
- Don't make outer packaging too exciting as there are some very unscrupulous people about who might pinch your parcel.