Packaging can make a huge difference for small businesses that thrive in a competitive market. In fact, 72% of US shoppers focus on packaging design and 67% on materials, which heavily influence purchase decisions. Hence, the right packaging can make your product stand out, increase its visibility, and give it a professional look. However, it might be challenging for small businesses to create product packaging that stands out. Well, in this blog, you can find the top 17 small business packaging ideas to help your product stand out and boost sales. Let’s get started!
The Role of Small Business Packaging
The way you pack and present your products can make or break the sales. For small businesses, packaging plays a significant role in marketing, reinforces branding, and delivers a memorable customer experience. Overall, great packaging can make positive impressions of your products and brand, which eventually encourages customers to return.
List of 17 Small Business Packaging Ideas
Now that you understand the role of small business packaging, let’s take a look at 17 innovative small business packaging ideas that can set your brand apart.
Custom Boxes
As the name suggests, custom boxes allow you to personalize them with your artwork, logo, and images. You can apply your brand-oriented design, colors, and lively graphics. Both the outside and inside of the boxes are fully customizable.
From simple collapsible boxes and drawer boxes to elegant telescopic boxes and two piece boxes, a variety of unique styles are available. In brief, these boxes are a perfect way for small businesses to showcase their brand and make their products stand out.
Embrace Eco-Friendly Packaging
Using eco-friendly packaging options appeals to eco-conscious customers and is considered one of the best small business packaging ideas to demonstrate your brand’s commitment to sustainability.
Eco-friendly packaging uses fewer materials, has precise measurements, and is printed with the right printing option—all to make successful product packaging while reducing the environmental impact.
A Layered Packaging Look
A layered packaging look makes your product look more unique and luxurious. Imagine a silky jewelry box featuring EVA foam inserts and a branded envelope inside. Alternatively, consider a shoulder neck box with an inner soft pouch to hold your product securely inside.
The excitement of unboxing layered packaging can turn your product into a joy. For customers who love to unbox their purchases on social media, layered packaging encourages them to share the fantastic content.
Transformative Packaging
Sending customers packages that can transform into a picture frame or a decorative display piece offers a unique and practical afterlife.
For example, you can opt for a full-finish rigid box type that can be repurposed as a storage organizer, a toy for children, or a stylish home decor.
Transformative packaging demonstrates creativity, showing that your business values practicality and sustainability.
Business Cards & Thank You Notes
Don’t forget to include your business cards, as the cards will make it easier for customers to contact you. Plus, pay gratitude to customers and make them feel special with thank-you notes, especially the hand-written ones.
Try Minimalist Packaging
As a small business, you likely want to cut expenses without compromising your brand image. Minimizing your packaging will be a great move. Minimalist packaging can enhance your logo’s visibility through its simplicity and readability, which further boosts the product’s appeal.
Opt for Themed Packaging
Themed packaging adds a layer of excitement to your product presentation. Even better, it allows you to customize the packaging to specific occasions, holidays, or product lines. For instance, you can tailor it to create a unique gift packaging idea for Christmas. This approach will create a more memorable experience for customers.
Scented Packaging
Scented packaging is another unique way to create a memorable and sensory unboxing experience. Add a light, pleasant fragrance to your packaging to evoke emotion, reflect your brand’s personality, and leave an unforgettable impression. This idea not only applies to perfume boxes. Alternatively, you can use scented packaging to pack and send other products, such as jewelry, gifts, and luxury goods.
Interactive Packaging
In today’s digital landscape, implementing interactive packaging is a smart strategy for attracting new customers. You can apply QR codes on product packaging that provides valuable information to enhance the overall customer experience. Alternatively, an NFC tag can direct customers to content such as a landing page, video, or discount code with a simple smartphone tap.
Mailer Boxes
If you often ship products directly to customers, mailer boxes are a stylish packaging choice. They’re sturdy enough to protect products during transit and customizable to showcase your brand from the moment customers receive their packages. Whether you opt for a minimal or full-color print design, these boxes help create an exciting unboxing experience that fosters customer trust in your brand.
Luxury Packaging for High-End Perception
Luxury packaging can enhance the brand’s perceived value. Not only will this packaging protect your products, but it will also provide customers with an unforgettable unboxing experience.
Many businesses choose rigid boxes for luxury products because they enhance the product’s perceived value, serve as an effective branding tool, optimize product protection, function as a presentation and display piece, create a “gift” moment, and encourage social sharing. You should consider this, too!
Multi-Purpose Packaging
Multi-purpose packaging is a fantastic way to add value for your customers and reduce waste. Here, focus on creating packaging that customers can repurpose. For example, you can deliver your products in magnetic closure boxes. These boxes are both trendy and functional, allowing customers to repurpose them as storage containers.
Insert Custom Inserts
Packaging inserts not only protect products during transit but also personalize the customer experience, building a deeper connection between your business and customers.
Branded Hashtags
Social media users love sharing their unforgettable unboxing experiences. In fact, TikTok alone has exposed about 12 million videos with the hashtag #unboxing.
Yes, branded hashtags can encourage customers to snap and share their purchases. The hashtags make it easy for your brand to find user-generated content (UGC). You can simply search the hashtag you added to the packaging to see customers sharing their latest pictures or videos.
Include Tissue Paper
When customers unbox their orders, tissue paper is often one of the first things they notice. Thus, adding branded tissue paper is an excellent opportunity to show off your brand’s personality. You can print your logo, a fun pattern, or signature colors to add a layer of style to your packaging.
Use Custom Stickers & Labels
Adding custom stickers and labels can enhance your brand image and create a lasting effect. Custom stickers allow you to represent your unique brand, designs, and messages visually. Meanwhile, when it comes to labels, they are one of the most effective tools for capturing customers’ attention.
Add a Finishing Touch to Your Packages
Finishing touches can make your packages look more appealing to customers. The best part is that when you work with an expert packaging manufacturer like Custom Rigid Boxes, you can choose from various finishes and get the one that best suits your desired result.
For example:
- Aqueous coating offers a unique look and feel.
- Varnish enhances colors and adds texture for a premium look.
- Spot UV adds a clear, shiny coating to specific areas of a design.
The finishes above can also be customized according to your branding requirements and product aesthetics.
In Summary
No doubt, packaging can make a huge difference for small businesses that thrive in a competitive market. Overall, great packaging can make positive impressions of your products and brand, which eventually encourages customers to return.
However, it might be challenging for small businesses to create product packaging that stands out. Hopefully, the 17 small business packaging ideas we’ve shared will help your product stand out and boost sales.
FAQs
What is the role of small business packaging?
For small businesses, packaging plays a significant role in marketing, reinforces branding, and delivers a memorable customer experience.
Why should small businesses choose eco-friendly packaging?
Eco-friendly packaging uses fewer materials, has precise measurements, and is printed with the right printing option—all to make successful product packaging while reducing the environmental impact.
How to create interactive packaging?
To create interactive packaging, you can apply QR codes that provide valuable information. Alternatively, an NFC tag can direct customers to content such as a landing page, video, or discount code with a simple smartphone tap.
What are the benefits of choosing custom boxes?
Custom boxes allow you to personalize them with your artwork, logo, and images. You can apply your brand-oriented design, colors, and lively graphics. Both the outside and inside of the boxes are fully customizable.
