Stylish Product Packaging: 8 Budget-Friendly Tips

Product packaging is important for giving your products a professional presentation and improving your customers' relationship with your brand. The packaging of your product has a significant impact on a customer's purchasing decision and should never be overlooked. After finishing this article, you can begin planning to reduce packaging costs to fit them into your budget.

Cutting costs should not imply sacrificing quality. Several effective methods for producing high-quality packaging benefit your customers while also strengthening the brand narrative. It can be difficult to strike the right balance between sticking to your budget and using packaging to promote your company. Here are the main factors to consider when striking the right balance.

Material and structure savings

When it comes to packaging, finding the best material and structure for your customized boxes is critical to the success of your goods. You can improve your product presentation and maximize your brand identity by using packaging! You may believe that investing in high-quality materials will give you the best chance of having your goods arrive safely and survive the shipping process.

The truth is that using the best materials can be costly when it isn't necessary.

Being aware of all of the fundamental decisions you make for your custom packaging project will aid in lowering packaging costs. Reducing the size of your packaging to the bare minimum required by your product will save you money while also making your items much safer. When creating low-cost packaging for your products, look for the materials and designs listed below.

Fiberboard Corrugated

When using less expensive materials for your items, it is not always necessary to sacrifice brand quality. When building low-cost boxes, corrugated fiberboard is one of the materials to look for. Corrugated fiberboard is made of fluted corrugated sheets sandwiched between sturdy paperboards for maximum durability. This material provides strong cushioning for any product that requires additional support and protection during long-distance shipping and handling.

Folding Carton

A folding carton is another great option when looking for supplies to make inexpensive boxes. Want to use luxury packaging but don't have the funds? A folding carton is your solution! This product is available in a variety of paperboard alternatives. It can provide the best printing and finishing options to achieve the desired premium packaging feel. Related product: folding box.

Gusset Bags Made of Paper and Plastic

If you send edible products or products that require extra protection within your packaging, gusset bags are undoubtedly on your radar. Gusset bags are critical for product protection, especially in food packaging.

These bags keep your product from shifting during transportation and give you another opportunity to add brand imagery to your packaging.

Gusset bags are available in paper and plastic varieties that are both inexpensive and useful for telling a brand's story. Consumers prefer these bags for their convenience and utility.

Packaging your items in a bag immediately makes them more user-friendly from the perspective of the customer.

Additional Packaging Supplies

The main question is how much packaging costs a small business. Small businesses that cannot afford expensive customized packaging may benefit greatly from creative box design ideas. Here are a few minor details you can include in any box to make it feel special and one-of-a-kind:

Inserts made of tissue paper and paper

If you're sending a larger or more fragile item, tissue paper, and paper inserts are a great low-cost alternative to adding padding to your package. This works especially well for boxes containing multiple products. You can improve your unboxing experience by padding the objects or presenting them visually appealingly.

Sleeves that are made to order

Custom sleeves appear to be an expensive option that many businesses do not believe they can afford. However, the situation is different. They are excellent, low-cost packaging additions that can only help your product needs. Custom sleeves provide benefits other than increased marketing and brand visibility.

Furthermore, it improves the performance of your package by providing more sealing power to your goods. Custom sleeves communicate the brand's attention to detail, which appeals to consumers' desire for an authentic relationship.

Labels and Stickers

The packaging represents your product and your brand. However, there are times when custom printing for each box is simply out of the question. If you're looking for ways to cut packaging design costs, there's another great option.

Stickers and labels are one of the simplest and least expensive ways to give your package a little more personality. If you simply say "thank you," provide product instructions, or provide additional information about your brand, your customers will sense that your company is attempting to establish a genuine connection with them.

Printing on a Shoestring

Businesses like custom packaging because it allows for personalized branding printing. Depending on the size of your order, you may be able to reduce your printing costs. Although both offset and digital printing are excellent options, depending on the size of your order, one may be more affordable than the other. Digital printing is your best option for low-cost printing solutions for short-run jobs.

Consider, however, that color accuracy may not be as good as with offset printing.

Metal plates are used in offset printing to quickly overlay colors onto sheets while stamping designs onto the substrate. Furthermore, this is frequently how newspapers and journals are produced.

Although it produces higher-quality images and is more cost effective for large print runs, it is too expensive and takes too long to use for the majority of low-volume jobs.

Your home office laser or inkjet printer, on the other hand, prints digitally. It offers quick turnaround times and reduces the cost of low-volume work. In terms of color fidelity and material versatility, digital printing falls short of offset printing.

Reduce return rates by ensuring that products are properly packaged and transported

Product damage has a significant financial impact on your business. Manufacturing, packaging, transporting, and returning a returned product are all considered lost expenses. Furthermore, you risk losing that customer for good because they may never buy from you again or, even worse, will tell everyone they know about their bad experience on social media.

Poor packaging and damage during transit are the two most common causes of product damage. The former appears to be easier to handle, whereas the latter appears to be more difficult. How can you have any control over something that exists outside of your warehouse?

Keep up with Packaging Industry Innovations

Keep an eye out for packaging developments, especially if they affect your industry, whether it's food, cosmetics, or medicine. The packaging industry invests in research and development to create goods that are stronger, lighter, safer, and more environmentally friendly.

All of this results in financial savings. Stronger packages are less likely to be damaged during transit. There is a limit to how much space lightweight packing can take up in carrier trucks. Secure packaging reduces the possibility of damage and spoilage. Environmentally friendly products benefit your brand's reputation as well.

Use Small Packaging Boxes to Improve Packaging

Keep track of the boxes used per product to determine how much packaging costs for a product. Smaller boxes are preferable because they take up less space and are easier to transport. We have discussed some of the methods for effectively utilizing small-box packaging to reduce costs.

Use Single Packaging: To save space, ship as many items as possible in a single box.

Diversify your Packaging Materials: Rather than using the same three box sizes, consider the average shipment size and make sure your packaging is acceptable and does not cost you extra due to dimensional volume.

Use cushioned envelopes: Because some of your products may be too small to fit into small boxes, use large, padded envelopes instead.

Streamline your workflow: Using automated packaging solutions to select the best box for each product based on size.

Negotiate shipping costs: If you frequently ship a large number of products, contact your account manager and inquire about preferred pricing. Examine your shipping data to understand your shipping profile before negotiating with your carrier.

Change Your Packaging Prices Based on Product Durability

Not all of your products necessitate your undivided attention. Some goods are more powerful than others. Others must be more visually appealing. Sort your products by their package type:

Durable: Open crates with covers to keep out dirt and debris will do.

Traditional: Packaging costs less than 2% of the cost of the product.

Fragile: Internal parts needed to secure fragile objects. Packaging materials are required to prevent movement during transit.

Standard: 3–7% of the cost of the product for packaging

Marketing Resources: These materials are more expensive since product design and expert printing services are needed.

Standard: 3–7% of the cost of the product for packaging

Complex: These are the goods that demand delicate packaging. They can have sensitive machinery or calibrated parts. They need packaging that is specific, unique, and extremely durable.

Benchmark: 8 to 10% of the cost of the product for packaging.

Selecting the Best Manufacturers

It is important where your packaging is manufactured!

Before deciding where you want your packaging made, it's critical to evaluate and compare the various manufacturing networks because each has its own set of skills, certifications, and production methods.