The packaging is a crucial part of the ecommerce business. No matter what, you cannot compromise on the packaging of your products. And that is because it has a direct relation to customer satisfaction. In other words, if your packaging is not on point, you cannot run an ecommerce business effectively. For this reason, you need quality control in ecommerce packaging.
It’s interesting to note how little the span of attention is in human beings. In other words, the attention span of an average human in only 7 seconds. And that’s all that you have to create an impression of your brand. With the market competition becoming extremely high, you have to stand apart from your competition and packaging is one of the easiest ways to do that.
An eCommerce Example
Imagine a scenario where the customer has eagerly ordered a gift for their loved one’s birthday. They are expecting the parcel to arrive the next day from the order day with express shipping option. It’s a last minute purchase and the customer is waiting for the delivery.
At the backend, you know that you are running a gift shop. This means you have a wide variety of items that can be gifted to people. You have a wonderful store and express shipping options for next day delivery of these products.
The customer has ordered a vase in the order. You immediately know where it is in your warehouse. Therefore, you pick, pack and ship it to the customer’s doorstep.you assign the courier quickly and the parcel is taken off from your pick upa address.
Since you have shipped the parcel via express shipping options, everything is working at the fastest pace. The logistics has special arrangements for express orders. And so, your product is sorted and delivered overnight to the delivery hub.
The next day the parcel reaches the customer’s doorstep. The customer has been tracking the package on the tracking link that you sent them. However, the moment they see the package, the first thing they notice is the damaged packaging. The packaging looks squeezed somehow. And the moment it is shaken, the sound that appears to be coming from it is that of bits of pieces clashing together.
The customer knows that the product is broken. Thus, the delivery was refused at the doorstep. The delivery agent takes the parcel back and the product is disposed of being marked as a hazard.
This type of situation is not uncommon in ecommerce. In fact, a lot of businesses give up on the idea of e-commerce because of the issue. But, in this case, while you might assume that it is the logistics company at fault, the scenario is not entirely this.
What Could You Have Done Differently?
In the above example we saw how a damaged product can destroy a customer experience. But, the question is being a seller what could you have done differently. The answer lies in quality control in ecommerce packaging. The quality control in ecommerce packaging is considered to be one of the most crucial aspects.
So, if you would have packed the product with a bubble wrap, and put additional fillers or air pillows in the package, the situation would have been different. In addition to this, you must use layers of packaging for fragile items and put a sticker on the box. The sticker should clearly say that the item being shipped is fragile. And therefore, the courier company takes it into consideration.
But, the point is that most sellers miss out on this. In the haste of dispatching order quickly, they miss out on adding extra layers of packaging that often keep the product shielded. Maybe if you have a large team, these mistakes can happen from your staff’s end. But, it doesn’t matter who does it, the ultimate impact happens on your customers. And that is where you need quality control in ecommerce packaging.
What Can You Do for Quality Control in Ecommerce Packaging?
Remember that quality control in ecommerce packaging is not a one time task. Instead it has to be repeated again and again for every parcel of that you ship. But, you have to begin somewhere. Take a look below to understand what you need to do-
Examine Your Packaging
The first and foremost thing that you need to do is examine your packaging. What are you using to ship most of your products? Try to answer the following questions-
- Do you use the same kind of packaging for all your products?
- What are the different elements of packaging that you purchase?
- Which of your products are fragile and are they shipped with some additional packaging?
- Is the quality of your packaging sufficient to support your products during transit?
For some of these questions, you might need to actually perform an experiment. This means that order different packaging materials.then try to put them under different scenarios to understand what happens. For example, put a package under a heavy sac. This will help you understand what happens in pressure conditions. Similarly, conduct different experiments and understand how it will affect your business.
Try the Drop Test
One of the most important characteristics to test about your packaging is its durability. How durable is your packaging during the transit. Because if it is not, your products will be delivered in a damaged condition. One common test to ensure the durability of the parcel is the carton drop test.
Understand that no matter which courier company you use to ship your parcels, the handling during the transit is rough. Nobody takes into consideration what’s in your package until it has a special label on top of it. But even that doesn’ guarantee a safe delivery. Even if you partner with a reputed courier company, there is nothing that you can do for customer experience, once the product is delivered in a damaged state to the customer.
Therefore, it is best to take the precautions in advance. One of the best things you can do is try the carton test. For this, the package is dropped several times on site, mimicking the actual rough handling scenario. The package is dropped at different angles and from different heights.
In case your box breaks or gets damaged during this process, consider this a warning sign. This means that your package might not reach the customer’s doorstep, the way it was intended to. But, just because your package appears untampered, it doesn’t mean that the product inside will be safe. quality control in e-commerce packaging has to ensure the ultimate quality of the product.
Whenever you perform a carton test, make sure to open the box. Access the situation of your products inside. If the goods are damaged, it means that your packaging is not appropriate. Quality control in ecommerce packaging would suggest adding more fillers in the box.
Look at Every Packaging Material
The next task is to look at every detailed aspect of your packaging. Analyze the kind of packaging materials you are ordering from your manufacturers. Maybe the packaging materials do not pass the quality control in ecommerce packaging. For example, if you are shipping food items, you must have air tight containers. This is to ensure that no moisture can pass through the package. In addition to this, you must always have followers, bubble raps, paper cuttings to add as dunnage in the packaging.
The next step in quality control in ecommerce packaging is to make sure that you seal your packages well. Make sure that you use primary packaging and a tertiary packaging. On top of it, you seal everything with a pressure resistant tape. Try vacuum sealing as it reduces the overall area occupied by the parcels. Vacuum sealing can be used especially when you’re shipping cushions. Since they occupy a large part of the space, you can vacuum seal them to ensure that they are safe and steady.
Perform a Final Inspection
Depending upon the size of your products, seal them well. You might be selling a particular line of products. Make sure that you communicate this with your supplier. A good supplier can suggest some effective packaging material and practices to keep those products safe. In addition to this, you can also tell them if you have any special branded packaging requirements.
The last part of the process is to perform a final inspection of your packages. This is an important step of quality control in ecommerce packaging. Have an inspection team in place to monitor the dispatch of every order. This will reduce the risk of errors.
Be Sure of Your Labels
Labels are an important part of the packaging. Is so confusing to understand how they form a part of packaging. But, quality control in ecommerce packaging ensures that the packages have adequate labels on top of them. Use thermal printed labels for the best effect.
Conclusion
Quality control in ecommerce packaging is a complex task. But, with the right steps, you can accomplish it. Remember that effective packaging starts with the right kind of packaging materials. So, invest time in researching what materials are right for your product line. Then partner with a reliable logistics service like Dash101 that can help you ship to 26000+ delivery locations at the lowest coast with safe delivery.
