Packaging 101 for E-commerce

With shipping costs rising all the time, mailing and packaging costs can cut into a company’s profit margins, especially for small and mid-sized businesses. As this post, packaging 101 for e-commerce, illustrates it doesn’t take much effort to lower your company’s packaging and shipping costs while putting more money towards your bottom line.
The first thing to look at is the weight and dimensions of your package, these are the prime factors that affect shipping costs. Using the smallest and lightest packaging is optimal, and in many cases the easiest way to cut down on costs. Smaller packaging also has a less obvious benefit, less room in the package for the item to move minimizes the chances of damage while en route to destination.
Another aspect is to ensure you are using the correct type of packaging for what you’re sending. Would a bubble envelope work for the product or does it need to be sent in a box? And if the latter is true, what type of box would be best? Wide but short? Long but narrow? Choosing the correct form of packaging is another way to help ensure safe transport and minimize the risk of the cargo arriving at its destination damaged. A good idea might be to test out various types of packages to gain customer feedback to see what works best for your clients.
There is a current trend towards brand packaging in order to provide your customer with a memorable product experience. In the world of social media, there are many unboxing videos, during which people film themselves opening up boxes of products they buy online. Branding and the overall presentation is key. You never know if your package could be the subject of an unboxing video seen by thousands, if not millions, of people. And, as they say, you only have one chance to make a good first impression.
Ottawa Logistics has been around for over 80 years and we ship thousands of orders a day, you could say we have picked up a few packaging tips along the way. Don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any warehousing, shipping, kitting or packaging questions.