• Packaging Drives Customer Engagement

    By ZonSupport | Posted on December 27, 2022| Blog

    An expert in marketing once commented to me he was amazed at how many businesses use a one-sided flyer.

    The cost to print the reverse side is negligible but the opportunity to tell a story about another part of your product or service could 10x your sales. 

    Packaging for e-commerce sellers should be considered as a blank page. Of course, this depends on the style of your packaging.

    If it’s a display box then you will already have made something amazing I’m sure. If yours is a more utilitarian product or eco-style packaging, you may have more room to play with.

    As always, this is not a one size fits all. You need to consider your product, who you’re targeting, and what might resonate with them. 

    While branding and presentation are the typical drivers of your packaging….the ultimate unboxing experience…don’t lose sight of your customer. It’s actually not all about you, but all about them! 

    So how can packaging drive customer engagement?

    Look at all the sports brands. They’re typically the best in presenting their products and providing a pathway for customers to contact them. Subtle is best! Our best practice is to have three distinct customer pathways on your packaging.

    Your website is so obvious but often forgotten.

    You have no idea exactly what a customer may want to go and check. Sure, it’s often a problem but many times it’s a much softer issue. Maybe they’re checking other colors, want to work out how to use it, inspiration for gifts, or plain curiosity! 

    Your brand name is obvious you say. “If they want to look us up, then everyone knows to use the brand name and just search that.” 

    Why put another step in front of your customer? Maybe English is not their first language and they think Niky, not Nike. Look again at that brand name again. Nike. It’s not spelled as it sounds! 

    Yes, it’s stating the obvious but also providing reassurance. Even just seeing your website may inspire them to go look.

    How to, Top tips, Did you know, Assembly instructions, Loyalty program, Discount voucher. The list is endless but needs to relate to your product and customer avatar.

    If you’re selling on Amazon this is not a grab for the customer’s details to ask for a review! Life has moved on. How to use a garlic press is not going to inspire me to go look. Five ways to use garlic might be a better way to grab my interest.

    Sure, your objective is to use this as a hook to get engagement with the customer. But be careful about making them leave their email if it’s something to help them overcome a problem. There’s a time and place for everything!

    Contact us: Should you use info@, admin@, help@, sales@, support@…no way !!! Use hello@

    The assumption that their reason for contact relates to a problem often shines through in this address which is a mistake. It positions this pathway as a negative. Maybe they want to send you a note and say how fabulous your service or product is!

    Language is all about subtleties. This is why we only have native English speakers on our team. You just can’t replace lifelong learning, jargon, and local knowledge with a training manual.

    Hello is a great word and almost personalizes the interaction. Customers are not reaching out to some nameless bot and thinking it’s a machine on the other end when they say hello.

    As part of this pathway, it’s vital to provide reassurance. “We’re here 7 days a week so promise a quick reply.”

    Online shoppers repeatedly comment that sellers are slow to respond, if at all. Indeed it’s a barrier to online purchases for many products as customers think about issues and how will they resolve them. Safer to buy from a brick-and-mortar store you can go back to.

    The order is important! 

    Website first…it’s neutral, informative, and a courtesy! It’s also safe, with no sign of entrapment! Quite simply, it starts the customer conversation in their mind about reaching out.

    The How to, Top tips, Did you know pathway is next. This is self-service in a way. You are offering further details in specific areas and want customers to jump onto this pathway ASAP to get some engagement going. This is your marketing funnel, arguably the only reason you are in business.

    If customers use the third touchpoint, then you know it’s something else. This is your highest priority…the dreaded customer complaint. Drama and hassle come to mind – so true. It’s sure not the best use of your time and is a total distraction from driving your business forward. 

    Our most successful clients focus their time on developing their How to, Top tips, Did you know pathway to make it easy for their customers to find them.  Yet another strategy for resolving customer concerns and creating great reviews in the process!

    As always, ask us anything. If we don’t know the answer, we’ll know someone who does!

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