Running an online business is more than just building an attractive website and spending a fortune on online marketing. Like it or not, a large part of your job will involve packaging products day in and day out. And even though packaging isn’t as exciting as developing and advertising a new product, there’s still value in doing it right.
After all, once you spent all that time and money to promote your products, the last thing you want is for a customer to receive a package that’s crushed or broken beyond recognition. With that being said, here are some great tips on how to properly prepare goods for shipment in order to avoid damage during transport and leave a positive impression on customers.
Pick the Right Packaging
Corrugated boxes are some of the safest packaging options as they are designed to be strong and resist handling. You can choose single-walled boxes if you’re shipping items that do not weigh more than 10 kg, or double-walled or triple-walled if your products weigh more than 30kg. Whatever box you choose, make sure to fill the inside with some sort of layer that will protect against damage from impacts or moisture. This can be anything from bubble wrap to air pillows, foam or instapack quick bags. But if you’re shipping smaller items, it’s more suitable to use envelopes. To ensure the product stays protected, you can house it in a bubble bag before putting it inside the envelope.
Securing the Outside
In order to make sure the package doesn’t open up accidental during shipping, you need to secure it shut with some sort of strapping. While most strapping materials are rigid, the polyester strapping band has exceptional flexibility allowing it to adapt to loads that can settle during shipment. What’s more, the polyester strapping band is also softer which means there’s no risk it will rip through the packaging and damage the insides. As a polymer, polyester is known to be resistant to most chemicals which is why it’s usually the strapping of choice when transporting flammable and pharmaceutical products. This strapping material also has excellent humidity resistance which makes it suitable for long trips. While not as strong as steel, the breaking strength of polyester is still fairly high which makes it suitable for transporting heavy loads. The primary reason polyester is used more frequently in the shipment of products is because it’s much easier to be removed as opposed to steel. Although it’s significantly less expensive than a steel band, you can purchase polyester strapping band in bulk and enjoy even more savings.
Opt for Environmentally-Friendly Materials
Commercial packaging is the number 1 contributor to global pollution. With that being said, it’s important for businesses to become more aware of the impact their packaging has. Although you might already use cardboard boxes and wrapping paper that are already recyclable, that doesn’t mean you should stop there. You also have the option to use paper bags, recyclable polyester strapping band, Enviro bubble wrap, reusable air pillows, and a variety of other packaging materials that do not cause harm to the environment.
