Great packaging goes hand in hand with your brand. Your brand colors and identity are tied to every piece of your business and help make you memorable. You don’t have to spend an arm and leg, it just takes a bit of creativity to stand out.

Don’t have the time (or creativity), grab our custom packaging vendor list to get the best vendors for custom packaging, branding materials and all things packaging. Make a great impression with your customers and have them coming back for more with our tips below.

Outer Packaging

The outer protection for your package is what arrives at your customer’s door and gives the initial in-person impression of your brand. That means it needs to be equally attractive as it is sturdy. In most cases, poly mailers are going to be your safest bet and most reasonably priced. Poly mailers are the top choice among boutiques whether they are custom designed or not. Poly mailers can either be flat or padded (bubble). If you will be shipping larger packages, you can request free boxes from USPS or use brown shipping boxes and custom or colored duct tape for brand identity.

Outer Packaging Ideas

• White poly mailers, color poly mailers - flat for clothing and padded for delicate items that need extra protection. Buy white poly mailers here
• Blank sticky postage labels - use these to print sticky postage labels from your home printer vs. cutting them individually. You can print 2 labels per sheet. Buy blank postage labels here
• Postage label printer - if you get a lot of orders or running a holiday special, save yourself major time by using a printer made solely for postage labels. Buy a postage label printer here
• Color duct tape - adding a signature color duct tape to your packaging boxes is a nice touch and leaves a memorable impression on customers. Buy color duct tape here
• White or brown cardboard boxes - these are usually a bit more costly than poly mailers, but are great for protecting items better and have a clean look. Add a cute sticky label of your logo or thank you for an extra touch. Buy cardboard boxes here
• Logo and Thank You stickers - let customers know there package is from your business right off the back with cute logo stickers or use premade thank you stickers. Buy thank you stickers here Get blank labels for logo stickers
• Free USPS Flat Rate Boxes, Mailers and more   

Inner Packaging

Aaahhh...the adrenaline rush of unboxing! Great inner packaging, whether branded or not, is a great way to show customers a little bit of love was put into packaging their specific package. A little ribbon here and a cute sticker there can go along way. Most importantly, keep these two thing in mind:

• Ensure the item looks nice, professional and packed with love
• Prevent sliding around, damage and provide protection during shipping
  

• Tissue Paper - this is a very inexpensive way to pack clothing items. Pair with a cute sticker or ribbon. Buy tissue paper here
• Clear Plastic Cello Bags - this is another inexpensive way to pack clothing pieces and accessories. Pair with a cute sticker or ribbon. Buy clear cello bags here
• Organza bags - great for placing small jewelry, lashes, etc. There are several colors, sizes and styles to match your brand. Get organza bags here
• Bubble Wrap - bubble wrap provides extra security for delicate and fragile items like sunglasses and other accessories. You can alternatively get "padded" or "bubble" poly mailers. I recommend still adding extra bubble wrap in padded poly mailers. Get bubble wrap here
• Silica Gel Packs - these are used in things like handbags, shoes and any other product that may collect moisture. A cheap investment to give an extra touch of professionalism. Get silica gel packs here
• Size labels - size labels are great for organizing your products and ensuring your customers get the right size 99.9% of the time. Get size labels here

In addition to inner packaging, be sure to include an invoice and/or return slip for customers.

Promotional/Branding Materials

Branding can be used both outside and inside your packaging. It is critical in the e-commerce market to focus on unique branding to keep customers coming back. For the inside, besides an invoice, include a thank you card with social media handles, promotions for next purchase and other branded materials. For the outside, you can splurge on custom packaging or save some money with logo/phrase stickers. 

Ideas for Promotional/Branding Materials

• Thank You/Social Media Postcards - these are great to include your social media information, contact info and promote selfies and social media tags. This one thing can help increase your brand identity. In addition, thank you cards are great to include inside of your packaging to help encourage future purchases. You can squeeze all of your info on insert or make a few. You can make your own custom inserts for a low price with templates from places like Etsy, Zazzle or Vistaprint. 
• Thank You Stickers - Thank You stickers are great to put on the outside, inside or both of the package. Show customers that you appreciate their business. Get thank you stickers here or at Etsy, Zazzle or Vistaprint
• Custom Logo Stickers - You can print your own custom logo stickers easily with Avery or purchase from Etsy, Zazzle or Vistaprint. 
• Want more custom packaging designs, click here

Use the below for some boutique packaging inspiration

If you’re interested in custom packaging, we have a great list of packaging vendors that offer low-cost custom options to really help your brand stand out amongst the competition. Get it today for and extra 40% off https://www.onlineboutiquecenter.com/products/packaging-vendor-list?_pos=1&_sid=eb08371e0&_ss=r