Etsy is an online marketplace for handmade goods. The platform’s sellers are naturally creative and promote their products in ingenious ways. One proven strategy to make a shop stand out in this artsy crowd is by consistently giving customers memorable unboxing experiences. And at the heart of extraordinary unboxing experiences are exceptional packaging quality and design. Even Steve Jobs knew about the value of the unboxing experience in marketing. Statistics show that online customers generally prefer to receive shipments in gift-like packages. So it’s no surprise that Apple, once a garage business, is now a global name. These days, e-commerce customers want packaging that thrills them so much, they can’t help but give you good reviews. Sellers that don’t pay attention to this aspect of their business find themselves eventually losing to those that do. So in this article, we give you packaging and shipping tips that can get you ahead in the colorful world of Etsy. CONTENT Tip No. 1: Package Your Etsy Product Durably Tip No. 2: Send Pre-Packaging Photos to Your Etsy Clients Tip No. 3: Make Your Etsy Product Packaging Hard to Forget Tip No. 4: Add Promotional Materials to Your Etsy Shipments Tip No. 5: Brand Everything in Your Etsy Product Package Tip No. 6: Show Caring through Your Product Labels Tip No. 7: Make the Most Out of Etsy Shipping Labels Tip No. 8: Record Your Etsy Customers' Orders Systematically Tip No. 9: Determine the Best Shipping Prices for Your Etsy Customers Tip No. 10: Keep Your Etsy Customers Abreast of Processing and Shipping Times Tip No. 1: Package Your Etsy Product Durably Shipment damage leads to customer dissatisfaction. And not everyone is willing to give the seller the chance to remedy it. Many will demand a refund or replacement, but others will simply give their business to competitors, never to be heard from again. Avoiding shipment damage is key to maintaining client satisfaction. And you do it by creating tough packaging for your Etsy products. Big manufacturers can afford expensive custom-made materials. But with a little inventiveness, you can get a good share of the market even on a tight budget. Here’s what you need: 1. enKo Products' Bubble Wrap The enKo Products bubble wrap is very popular among online sellers and brick-and-mortar store owners. You can use it to protect a variety of products during transport. It is convenient to use, visually pleasing and fun to open. It is lightweight, so it won’t add much to your shipping costs. 2. enKo Products' Packing Paper The enKo Products packing paper is also suitable for securing a wide array of goods, including fragile ones like glass and beady dresses. Crumpled packing paper has great cushioning power. Its flexibility lets you maximize your shipping boxes. Packing paper is easier to design, takes up less space and generally costs less than bubble wrap. It is great for products that do not risk fluid leaks or attract moisture. But when you need waterproofing, bubble wrap is the more practical option. 3. enKo Products' Packing Foam The enKo Products packing foam is also a great cushioning material when shipping Etsy products. It is best for protecting goods that need insulation, like electronics and homemade ice cream. You may use it if your Etsy product’s temperature needs to be controlled throughout shipment. Learn More: Get the best deals on Dymo Shipping Labels. Buy Brother DK 1201 Address Labels today! Shop for cheap 4×6 Zebra compatible thermal labels. Browse a range of sizes for sheet labels similar to Avery! Explore our standard shipping labels and start printing! 4. A Brand New Sturdy Box If you want to give your Etsy customers the best unboxing experiences, you should always ship your products in brand new boxes. Old ones cannot withstand rough handling, leaving breakable goods vulnerable. Cheap packaging also makes you appear less professional. Consider the double-boxing technique for fragile goods, especially heavy ones. You may also use it when shipping collectible items that are still in their original boxes. Between free shipping boxes and generic ones, remember that the latter are better for promoting your brand. All they need is some creative juice. Free shipping supplies have someone else’s brand on them, not yours. They get free ads at your expense whenever you ship using their freebies. And between free ads and free shipping supplies, which ones have more value? This aspect of Etsy shipping is something worth considering. 5. enKo Products' Stretch Wrap Many Etsy sellers are so successful that they get to ship their products in bulk. When shipping items in large volumes, you will need enKo Products’ stretch wrap. When applied properly, our stretch wrap can extend the shelf-life of perishables by several months to a year. It stabilizes boxes together, protecting them from transport damage. To know more about using stretch wrap on your Etsy products, we encourage you to read our stretch wrap buying guide. Combine these packaging materials to create an awesome unboxing experience for your Etsy clients. The most wonderful packages to open are those with stuff that is not broken. While you’re at it, don’t forget to give it an artsy flair. Get High-Quality Stretch Film Wrap at 10% OFF! 18″ Hand Stretch Film Wrap Length : 1000 ft Width : 18″ Core Diameter : 3 inches AS LOW AS $16.13 Tip No. 2: Send Pre-Packaging Photos to Your Etsy Clients E-commerce customers always compare the actual products they get to their internet pictures. Etsy buyers are no different. In fact, they are often very meticulous. Two things that peeve them are getting a totally different item or receiving it damaged. To avoid confusion, you can make it your store policy to send pre-packaging pictures and wait a reasonable time for confirmation. Ship it once the customer confirms or the waiting period lapses. You can spare yourself a ton of headaches by this simple act of diligence. Additionally, communication about the product’s condition before packaging makes you look more businesslike and trustworthy. Tip No. 3: Make Your Etsy Product Packaging Hard to Forget When customers buy from Etsy, they expect the sellers to be inventive when making their products and packaging them. If you love creating things with your hands, you should use that talent to make eye-catching, memorable packaging for your goods. A standout packaging shows your attention to detail and that you’re on top of your game. Make your packaging neat. It does not have to be very elaborate, but it must show your brand personality. Play with colors, shapes and textures. Test its appeal on different people and choose the one that clicks with your niche. Good packaging embeds your brand in the minds of Etsy customers and can enhance your shop’s reputation. Tip No. 4: Add Promotional Materials to Your Etsy Shipments Like your products, marketing inserts are tangible representations of your brand. Satisfied Etsy customers can give them away to family and friends or show them off on social media. Besides their promotional value, they let you communicate continuously with customers and build a loyal client base. You can add the following inserts to your Etsy shipments: Brochures Free samples of your other products Business cards with your business address, email and social media account Coupons Thank-you stickers Collectible stickers, etc. Use a good photo-editing app when incorporating pictures in your promotional inserts. They help you ensure consistent image quality online or in print. Free and paid types are available. You may be concerned about promotional inserts raising your shipping costs. That is understandable, but remember that they enable you to market your brand directly. Smart business shippers consider these costs as investments. Tip No. 5: Brand Everything in Your Etsy Product Package Etsy startups normally use generic packaging materials, and that’s okay. However, it does not mean that you can leave them looking plain. Brand everything in your product packaging. Create a catchy logo and slogan. The logo design does not have to be complicated, but it should be memorable to your Etsy clients. Branding your packages helps you become more visible and unforgettable to your market. Tip No. 6: Show Caring through Your Product Labels Product labels are important not only for promoting your merchandise but also for protecting customers. For example, modern American food and cosmetics buyers are conscious of what they take in or put on their bodies. They are more likely to buy from Etsy sellers who are transparent about their ingredients than those who are not. From ingredient labels, they can get information about a product’s nutritional value, allergenic potential, cultural acceptability, etc. At enKo products, we’ve written a lot of materials about the regulation and proper labeling of various consumer goods. You can read them and use them to gain huge advantages for your Etsy shop. You may check some of our articles on product labeling here: General Food Labeling Information for Small Businesses FDA Labeling Requirements for Solid Food Beer Label Startup Tips: How to Make and Design Beer Labels FDA Cosmetic Labeling Requirements A Simple Guide to Making FDA-Compliant Drug Labels Small Business Tips: What Information Must Be on a Pet Food Label? The Prop 65 Warning Label: Taking a California Environmental Law a Little More Seriously To create compliant DIY labels affordably for your Etsy merchandise, use enKo Products’ customizable sheet labels. These high-quality labels are eco-friendly, easy to design and can go with any type of packaging. And the best part is that you don’t have to exceed your budget to get them! Print Custom Product Labels with your Laser & Inkjet Printer! Laser & Inkjet Printer Labels Number of sheets : 100 / pack Size (inch) : 1″ x 4″ & 1-1/3″ x 4″ & 1″ x 2-5/8″ AS LOW AS $11.77/PACK Tip No. 7: Make the Most Out of Etsy Shipping Labels Etsy customers always appreciate timely delivery. One way to ensure it is by creating accurate shipping labels. These stickers help your carrier deliver your packages to their recipients fast. To get the most value for your money, try getting your shipping labels from online postage sites. These services give hefty discounts to US small businesses. They save you a trip to the carrier’s office, reducing fuel costs and time spent for mailing packages. They also empower you with another marketing tool as they let you customize your shipping labels with your logo, slogan, shop name, etc. Etsy has a feature that allows US sellers to get discounted shipping labels on-site. The carrier services offered to US sellers are USPS, FedEx and Asendia. When you buy and print your shipping labels from Etsy, the site automatically informs your customer that you have shipped their order. Different online postage sites offer different conveniences. Shop around so you can get the best services for your Etsy store. To further lower your costs, use enKo Products’ 4″ x 6″ thermal tags when printing your shipping labels. Don’t miss our exciting offers! Buy Cheap Fanfold Labels or Rolls at enKo Products! 4″ x 6″ Fanfold Labels (500 / Stack) SHOP NOW 4″ x 6″ Fanfold Labels (1,000 / Stack) SHOP NOW Tip No. 8: Record Your Etsy Customers' Orders Systematically Barcoding helps businesses manage their inventories. On Etsy, you are not required to get a UPC or EAN for your product, but you are allowed to use your own SKU system. Besides managing your inventory efficiently, having your own SKU system on Etsy lets you systematically record your customers’ orders. The information can help you personalize your product offers. Tailoring your strategy according to buyers’ preferences lets you boost the power of your messaging and maximize your resources. Unlike sites like eBay, Etsy does not currently have a feature for including SKUs on shipping labels. However, you can print them on appropriately-sized product barcode labels or on your waybills to help integrate shipments with stock monitoring. Tip No. 9: Determine the Best Shipping Prices for Your Etsy Customers Although the site has a shipping calculator, determining your Etsy customers’ delivery fees can still be tricky. You can get around some of these issues by doing the following: Input the parcel’s total weight accurately. Include the weights of your product, promotional inserts and packaging. Note your package’s dimensions. You can build your shipping costs into your product’s price so you can make money from free-shipping promos. When you offer free shipping, Etsy will calculate the postage costs. The site will base its computation on your product’s final price, your package’s weight and dimensions and the prevailing postage rates. Etsy may overcharge your customer when you ship heavy packages or those containing multiple items. If you find such bugs difficult to fix, you may use a free online postage site like Pirate Ship or paid ones like Stamps.com to get better rates. Another pricing tip: when you set your product’s price, do not be afraid to factor in all your costs. Overpricing wards off customers, but underpricing can also make them think that your product is of low quality. Look at your competitors’ prices, and while you’re still building your brand, target the middle or upper-middle of their range. Tip No. 10: Keep Your Etsy Customers Abreast of Processing and Shipping Times Lastly, many Etsy sellers are artists who need time to craft their products from scratch before sending them to customers. If you are one of those sellers, you can take as much time as you need as long as your client understands your process. Lack of communication is a reason for customer dissatisfaction. Take a proactive approach by explaining your process for each product. Are they available now? If not, how long will it take you to make them? How long will the shipment take for each? To make sure that the customers understand your process, communicate with them. Some of them may not reply and still push through with their order. If they are unsatisfied regardless, then at least you have done all you could to keep the transaction transparent. If you have a great product and your customer service is consistently topnotch, most customers will give you good reviews. Conclusion Etsy is an online marketplace for handmade products. Sellers are naturally creative, so you must use every available tool to make your shop stand out on this platform. One of them is your product packaging. The packaging is vital in promoting your Etsy shop because it helps you create good unboxing experiences for your customers. A memorable unboxing experience makes your brand easy to remember. And here, we have just given you tips for packaging the products you sell on this site. Facebook Twitter Youtube Instagram Like & follow our social media pages to see more updates and promotions ! Tags: Shipping & Packaging Melodie
