In today’s internet age, we’re lucky that helpful resources for start-ups are easily accessible and seemingly limitless – and yet, ordering all of your business materials online can still be a stressful and unpredictable process. How much do you order? How do you ensure the items will arrive in time? What if you place a large order, and then decide you don’t like the style or design? At Packlane, where we make it easy for businesses to order custom packaging online, we’ve seen all of these dilemmas play out – but there are definitely easy measures you can take to avoid the heartache and reap the full rewards of online shopping for your business.
We chatted with our Customer Service team to find the top 5 mistakes business owners make when ordering packaging online – from picking a box that’s too flimsy or small, to choosing a design that doesn’t accurately reflect their brand. They’ve seen it and heard it all, and while most online businesses have a customer service team ready for these exact situations, it’s always nice if you can get it right from the get-go.
1. Picking the wrong size or material
Your primary goal should always be to ship your product safely and comfortably (we hold ourselves to that same rule!). The design of a custom box will matter very little if the item itself arrives damaged. Measure and test sizes using old boxes or a short run order (Packlane offers minimums as low as 10) and be sure to choose a material that can withstand shipment if you don’t plan to place the box in a more heavy-duty package. Think about what additional packing materials you’ll want to include, whether it’s an invoice, bubble wrap, or a postcard with detailed info and make sure there’s room to fit it all.
Make sure the size and material fit the contents!
2. Not following the artwork guidelines
The most stressful part of customizing print items online is often uploading your designs correctly – but follow the artwork guidelines which are often clearly outlined on a printer’s website, and you should be good to go. For example, fonts that are too small have a tendency to lose their legibility, especially if they’re script. If colors aren’t converted to CMYK beforehand, you may not get the level of vibrancy you were expecting. When in doubt, never hesitate to reach out to customer service and ask – it will save you time in the long run, vs getting a unsatisfactory order in the mail and having to wait for a replacement.
“One really cool thing that very few people do is tile the logo to create a pattern, especially for the sides or the interior. It’s low ink usage for high coverage – a super good pricing trick!” – Simone Payne, Customer Experience Lead at Packlane
3. Weak branding
While it’s always a good idea to get creative with your packaging, it’s important to remember that having strong and consistent branding should still be one of the top priorities when designing your custom boxes. Give your logo a distinguished place that will be easy to spot or turn your logo into a simple pattern on the interior or exterior of your box. Consider limiting your design to the colors, iconography style, and/or tagline that you’ve already established online.
4. Uploading too many assets
A general rule of design is that less is more – and we believe it! We often have designs come in that try to accomplish too much with the limited space they have on their box. Rather than try to use up every corner of your canvas, why not throw that extra information or visuals onto a postcard or insert? Let your package be clean and eye-catching, and leave any additional information for the remainder of the unboxing experience.
Keeping it simple doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t have a little fun with it.
5. Not setting yourself up for easy reorders
You want to pick an online printer that allows you to grow at whatever pace suits your business – whether that means ordering 10 packages or 10,000. Finding a store with flexible order sizes that also saves all your designs to your account will make reordering a breeze – and trust us, you’ll want that!
Don’t let anything get in the way of your business’s success – use your newfound knowledge to order beautiful custom packaging that keeps customers coming back! And if you need a little headstart, Packlane is offering 10% off to Maker’s Row customers on your first order. So what are you waiting for? Unpack your creativity
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