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Packaging is more important than some people might think.

The reality is that bad packaging could hurt you. 61 percent of online buyers are more likely to stick with you if you send nicely packaged products.

That’s a big deal, especially considering that more people are shopping online. Getting your package design right is vital, and that’s what Mid-Atlantic Packaging is all about.

Getting the design right is a bit tricky. One thing you can do is to learn what not to do.

Why you Should Learn What to Avoid

While learning this might sound strange, it’s a good thing for a number of reasons. For example, you get to reduce the time spent designing and redesigning. If a mistake is made during the design process, you or your team of designers may catch it easily with these tips.

After spending so much time and money on a design, you don’t want to go back to the drawing board. This robs you of money that could go towards other things to boost your business.

This isn’t the only reason it’s better to start here. The other reason is that many things could work with your packaging design.

You can take chances. You can think outside the box as long as it fits your brand and products. The only limitations you have are the design issues we’re going to talk about.

Knowing what you should not do allows you to go wherever you need to go with your design. It frees you up a bit because you won’t be worried about making rookie mistakes with your design.

These are some reasons you should start with what you shouldn’t do, but there are many more, like the following:

• Gives you peace of mind
• Helps you confront bad ideas
• May help refine good ideas
• Understanding the value of learning from others

What are Some Things to Avoid?

Now, we need to talk about those rookie mistakes you want to avoid when designing your packaging.

Avoid Complexities

One offence you can do in packaging design is make something too complicated.

This could happen to anyone, and it’s easy to do. The usually happens because folks want to create something unique to stand out.

In a company’s quest to create something unique, they might overdo it. Competition is brutal, and it gets even crazier online where you’re competing against many businesses trying to do the same thing. Be careful not to confuse originality with complexity.

If you make this mistake, your customers won’t be happy. Complicated packaging will be hard to figure out. This could cause them to get impatient, and you will waste their time. Your customers will loose the excitement involved with opening a package. You don’t want that, so be sure that your packaging design is simple.

Forgetting to Brand

The other thing you don’t want to forget is branding. Every part of your business is a reflection of your brand. It all represents you in some way.

If you don’t take advantage of this opportunity to brand, you send the wrong message to your customers. It tells them you don’t care about your business. Not branding is a missed opportunity to remind your customers who you are.

When customers receive their product, they are quite happy and excited. This is the perfect time to remind them who’s responsible for that happiness and excitement. If you fail to brand, your customers won’t be reminded that this happy experience is all thanks to you.

Packaging also gives you a chance to advertise beyond your customer base. A lot of people are going to handle your package, and if you create the right branding, you might get people curious about what’s inside.

You might even encourage people to find out who you are and what your business is all about. If the package contains your company’s name, people will have a chance to find you easily. You can also add your social media handles on the package as well, which validates your business.

Overlooking Your Mission

Bad packaging design could mean that you’ve forgotten your mission. Your packaging has to not only reflect your business through effective branding but should also feel like it belongs to your company. The way you do this is by remembering your mission when you’re designing the packaging.

If you get this right, you’ll get folks to connect emotionally to your packaging, which is a good thing. The reason you want this is because it makes it easier for customers to remember your product and business. You can’t miss an opportunity to be unforgettable.

You can ensure you don’t forget who you are when designing by focusing on what your products offer. If you sell toys or something for children, then you want your packaging to feel fun or spontaneous. You want it to look like a toy or have lots of bright colors. It creates a feeling for your customers before they open the package.

If you sell something edible, then make sure your packaging looks good enough to eat. Be sure to consider the type of food you sell. If it’s sweet, then you want to stick to bright colors that remind folks of pastries or whatever you sell. If your food is something like jerky, then your packaging should reflect that. Maybe opt for darker colors that remind you of the delicious treats inside.

Getting this part right is going to elevate your packaging design considerably. It’s going to feel like you are on top of your game, and you want your customers to feel this way. People like to work with companies that know what they are doing and care about their products. That’s what you’re communicating if you get this right.

Misunderstanding Your Audience

The last thing you want to do is forget or ignore your audience or customers when you are designing your packaging. This is a mistake that many companies make. We’ve seen it a million times, and it’s a real shame. Customers are quite picky, and their attention to detail can hurt you if you forget who you’re selling your products to.

For example, if you happen to sell green products, then you want to make sure your packaging material and design reflects that. If your packaging design includes styrofoam or chemicals, then your customers won’t like that. Be sure to use recyclable packaging or materials that have been recycled.

Don’t forget to remind your customers how green the packaging is. Remind them that the packaging is strong enough to be reused. Encourage this, and they’ll appreciate it, even if they don’t reuse your packaging. If you sell food, especially if it’s organic, your packaging shouldn’t contain harmful chemicals, even your ink.

Again, highlight the steps you took to ensure your customers are happy with your packaging because they’ll appreciate it. It might seem like you’re showing off, but it shows that you went the extra mile for people.

Of course, you know you work hard for your customers, but they won’t see it unless you tell them. Showing them means customers will unconsciously think you did all this for them, and that’s a good thing because they’ll feel indebted to you and your business. They will feel happy recommending your company to others.

These are some of the major mistakes you want to avoid, but there’s some smaller ones that you also want to stay away from. The following are some smaller mistakes you don’t want to make when designing your packaging:

• Designing something that looks too busy
• Wasting packaging space
• Mislabeling something in your packaging
• Wasted material

You don’t want to make any of these mistakes when designing, and you might be surprised how often these are made.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that you’re above these issues. The smartest thing you can do is talk to a packaging expert. This is someone who could help guide you to the best design for your business. A customized plan will be created to ensure a cohesive design.

Thankfully, we here at Mid-Atlantic Packaging can help you with all of that and much more. Go ahead and contact us for a quote. See how we can make your packaging the best that it can be.