Compared to brick and mortar shops, e-commerce businesses have fewer customer touch-points with their customers. So. in order to establish a personal connection with their clients, these businesses need to create a memorable unboxing experience.
However, in reality, a majority of the unboxing experiences are often underwhelming. To overcome this issue, we’ve created this guide to achieving the perfect unboxing experience!
What is an ‘unboxing’ experience?
Unboxing refers to the act of unpacking a box or product packaging. The unboxing experience is the memorable interaction a customer has when first unboxing a product for the first time.
What separates an unboxing from a regular delivery is the care and attention that a brand puts into making the experience remarkable.
Think back to the last time you received a box in the mail – what kind of emotions did you feel as you opened the box? Excitement? Relief that your order is finally here?
Were you tempted to grab your phone and capture the whole experience? Did the business you order from add any extra value to your order through attractive inserts, free samples or thank you cards? All of these elements can help to create a memorable unboxing experience!
Why an unboxing experience is important
An unboxing experience is a sophisticated post-purchase marketing strategy and offers many benefits!
It makes a great first impression
Since e-commerce businesses have fewer touch-points with their customers, the buying process can often be seen as impersonal. This means that businesses need to work harder to create the first impression.
Consequently, the moment of delivery can be a great opportunity for businesses! An attractive, well-presented packaging can help them build a personal relationship with their customers and make a wonderful first impression.
It enhances your brand’s image
With so many e-commerce retailers offering identical or similar products, it’s harder for these businesses to differentiate themselves.
So, if you want consumers to buy from you over your competitors, you need to offer more than just a product.
Consider the example of Tiffany & Co. Their robin-egg blue boxes garner instant recognition, and are so iconic that individuals can buy miniaturized boxes as china ornaments. In other words, Tiffany’s ‘Blue Box’ has become a byword for refinement, class, and good taste. And that’s without even seeing what is on the inside!
In turn, providing a premium unboxing experience massively shapes your customers’ perception of your brand. By making a purchase from your brand feel like a high-value investment, you can successfully differentiate yourself from your competitors.
It drives customer loyalty
In 2020, Yotpo reported that 37% of customers say that it takes at least five purchases to consider themselves ‘loyal’ to a brand. That’s a pretty high bar to reach. So, how do you make sure that customers want to come back again and again?
While many businesses use loyalty programs or online personalization to boost retention rates, the unboxing experience is simpler and more effective!
Unboxing relies on emotion and gives customers the feeling of being an influencer whose opinion is valued. This kind of consumer empowerment is the key to achieving customer loyalty!
It boosts your content marketing
By adding unboxing photos to your brand’s social media channels, you can provide a different kind of engagement over regular product images. In turn, your followers get the opportunity to picture themselves on the receiving end of your beautiful packages. This is a highly emotive marketing pitch and enables social commerce to do the selling for you.
how to create a memorable unboxing experience
Custom packaging can help you create the best unboxing experience for your customers. While it may seem daunting at first, if you apply the following elements, it’ll make the whole process easier!
Branded shipping boxes
When your goods arrive on a customer’s doorstep, you immediately want them to know it’s from you.
Although plain boxes are cheaper, you miss out on a valuable opportunity to build brand recognition. Plus, there’s nothing like an eye-catching box to build your customer’s excitement over their purchase!
If you’re packaging more lightweight products, consider opting for custom mailer bags instead to reduce your packaging waste!
Custom tissue paper
Wrapping your products in custom tissue paper adds another exciting step to the unboxing experience. It adds to the feeling of your customers receiving a ‘gift-like’ purchase, as well as protecting more fragile items.
three different designs for the same brand, all printed on a white base 
Custom tape
If branded boxes or bags are too costly for you, swap out your regular tape for a custom one instead! This is a very economical way to liven up plain exterior packaging while maintaining the same level of protection.
Custom stickers
Custom stickers are another easy and cost-effective way of creating a memorable unboxing experience. They have a lot of different uses, such as sealing gift wrap or decorating the interior of your package as well. You can also get creative by including them as a freebie for customers!
Product presentation
How the products are arranged within the box dictates how aesthetically pleasing the unboxing experience is and increases the likelihood that your customers will take pictures and videos. So, in order to provide your customers with a delightful arrangement, consider opting for custom packaging inserts!
Packaging inserts will not only protect your products during transit, but they’ll help to keep your arrangement organized as well! Plus, you can always design them to ensure branded uniformity across all your packaging.
Interior print
Investing in interior print is another way you can create a memorable unboxing experience! Interior print can be a great element of surprise and coupled with interior text, it can really elevate your overall packaging design!
Promotional inserts
Last but not least, you can use promotional inserts to add a personal touch! Examples include thank-you cards, discount cards, free samples, handwritten notes and instructional guides.
Some of these types of packaging inserts can be combined, so you can avoid having multiple loose papers floating around in your packaging.
For instance, if you want to make a connection with the customer and create repeat business, a thank-you card and discount card may be the best option!
For more information, check out our catalogue on fast turn around items!
how we can help
Overall, creating a memorable unboxing experience is critical to e-commerce businesses and social media marketing.
So, if you’re interested in learning more or want to get started on creating the best unboxing experience for your customers, contact us today for a free consultation!
Whether you have your own design or you’re in need of a helping hand, our skilled in-house design specialists are with you every step of the way!
