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Are you an eCommerce small business owner planning to ship a gift to suppliers, clients and partners and looking for the best shipping and packing tips? You’ve come to the right place! Here, we’ll discuss tips & best practices to make sure your items are in the same condition as they were when you packed them. You’ll find this vital in maintaining quality professional relationships. After all, who wants to receive a broken gift?
Here’s a word from CONCREATE decor on how they properly ship their Etsy orders:
Don’t Make the Following Mistakes When You Pack and Ship a Gift
E-commerce small business owners face several common mistakes when it comes to packing and shipping products, including gifts. They are:
- Inadequate Packaging Materials: Poor quality or incorrect packaging materials can lead to product damage. Also, Packwire points out that excessive packaging with no functional purpose can be just as bad, leading to recipient disappointment. Both of these design factors may ultimately hurt your brand.
- Selecting the Wrong Courier: Choosing a courier that doesn’t align with your brand values, shipping needs, or customer expectations can lead to inconsistent service quality, delayed deliveries, and potential mishandling of packages.
- Ignoring Shipping Regulations: This can lead to delays, fines, or returned packages.
- Inaccurate Shipping Costs: Misestimating costs can affect profit margins or deter customers.
- Failing to Consider Shipping Insurance: This risks losses if something goes wrong in transit.
- Slow Shipping Times: Delays can lead to dissatisfaction and negative reviews.
- Not Providing Tracking Information: Lack of tracking can reduce trust and satisfaction.
- Lack of a Clear Return Policy: An unclear or complicated return policy can lead to confusion and dissatisfaction.
The issues don’t stop there:
- Ignoring Sustainability: Excessive or non-recyclable packing materials can harm your brand image.
- Not Considering Seasonal Fluctuations: This can cause unexpected delays and costs.
- Failing to Customize Packaging for Gifts: Missing out on enhancing the customer experience.
- Poor Inventory Management: Mismanagement can create delays and impact reputation.
- Ignoring International Shipping Nuances: This can lead to serious delays and extra costs.
- Lack of Multiple Shipping Options: Limiting choices can alienate customers with different needs.
- Ignoring Customer Feedback: Not using feedback to improve can lead to repeated mistakes.
Shipping and Packing Tips Business Owners Should Use
Taking care when shipping and packing gifts meant for clients, customers, or partners is important. Here are some tips on how to ship a gift for business.
Use a Box that is the Right Size for Your Gift
It may sound obvious but using a box that is the right size for your gift is an important aspect of shipping gifts. Get the box too big, and you run the risk of the item rattling around in transportation and becoming damaged. Get the box too small, and the gift could become quashed and damaged.
Think Carefully About Packing Materials
When you a ship a gift, for example, thanking a loyal customer for their continued business, think carefully about what material you will pack the gift in. For larger, more delicate gifts, you may want to use a robust, corrugated cardboard box. For smaller, flatter gifts, a rigid cardboard express envelope is likely be the most suitable option to keep the gift protected.
Opt for Eco-Friendly Materials and Carriers
Using eco-friendly materials to package your business gifts is an effective way for your business to reduce its carbon footprint and be seen in a corporately responsible business. As packaging specialists, GWP Group notes:
“Sustainable packaging is becoming increasingly important from not just an environmental perspective, but from a business one too.”
Also, it doesn’t hurt to choose a logistics carrier that aligns with these values and prioritizes sustainable shipping practices. Partnering with a courier that is committed to environmentally friendly shipping methods not only helps in reducing the ecological impact but also resonates with environmentally conscious customers.
This choice can reinforce your brand’s commitment to sustainability and foster a positive image among your clientele.
Make Good Use of Internal Packaging
For more breakable items, for example, if you are shipping wine as a gift for a marketing partner who has carried out an effective marketing campaign for you all year, ensure the gift is surrounded by adequate internal packaging.
Use plenty of bubble wrap, loose fill polystyrene peanuts, polyethylene foam, or crumpled paper, to provide internal cushioning and prevent movement from inside the box.
When packaging a gift, use Apple as a source of inspiration, which is globally renowned for its clever use of packaging. As the late Apple CEO Steve Jobs, once said:
“A hen’s egg is, quite simply, a work of art, a masterpiece of design and construction with, it has to be said, brilliant packaging!”
Wrap Each Item Individually
If your gift comprises of more than one item, a cup and saucer for example for a loyal colleague, be sure to wrap each item individually with plenty of bubble wrap or crumpled paper, to protect them during transit.
Consider Gift Wrapping
Shipping a present without proper gift wrapping is akin to serving a gourmet meal without presentation. Many online retailers and shipping services offer gift-wrapping options. Opting for this service can transform the gift’s reception, making it more memorable. As marketing expert Julia Carrington notes:
“The beauty of a gift lies not just in its contents but in its presentation.”
Fill Out Hollow Items
If you ship a gift that is a hollow item, such as a vase or bottle holder, fill the interior with plenty of internal package like bubble wrap. That way the item will have extra protection during transportation when such objects are especially prone to becoming broken.
Review Shipping Restrictions
Before shipping, especially internationally, always review any potential shipping restrictions. Certain items, whether due to size, materials, or function, may be restricted or even prohibited in some countries or regions. As leading logistics company ShipGlobal states:
Double-Check the Recipient’s Address
Before finalizing any shipment, always take an extra moment to review the recipient’s address. It may seem like a small detail, but even a tiny error can cause significant shipping delays, rerouting, or even returns.
Confirming the address with your recipient or through an official business directory can be a smart move. After all, an accurately addressed gift will not only reach its intended recipient on time but also reflect your meticulousness and professionalism.
Weigh the Gift After You Have Packaged It
With the additional weight of packaging, it is important you weigh your gift after you have packaged it. If, for example, you are shipping wine as a gift to employees for Christmas, weigh the wine once it has been packaged up. This will provide you with an accurate weight of the package.
Add the Right Amount of Postage
When you’re sending a thoughtful gift message to say thank you to a hard-working supplier or employee, the last thing you want is for there to be a long delay in the recipient receiving the gift.
Putting incorrect postage on a package due to insufficient weight can cause huge delays in shipping and could even result in the package failing to reach its destination at all.
It’s therefore important that you weigh the gift after you have packaged it and send it with the right postage.
Print Your Postage Online
When you ship a gift of thanks and gratitude to clients or customers, save valuable time by printing the postage online. Use an online postage app to print a printed postage stamp conveniently and quickly to your desktop printer.
Here are the benefits of printing postage online:
- Efficiency: No need to visit a post office; complete everything from your office or home.
- Cost-Effective: Often, online platforms offer discounts or special rates.
- Accuracy: Avoid underpayment or overpayment by getting the exact postage every time.
- Tracking Integration: Instantly receive tracking numbers and monitor shipments easily.
- 24/7 Access: Print postage anytime, whether it’s during business hours or late at night.
- Bulk Shipments: Handle multiple shipments at once, making it perfect for business needs.
Label the Gift as Fragile
Delicate, breakable items, like fine china, glassware and crystals, make beautiful gifts for valuable clients, customers, partners or suppliers to enjoy for many years to come.
Give the gift maximum opportunity to arrive to its destination in one piece by marking the package as fragile, so the carrier knows it should be handled with care.
Use Tracking Services
To make sure your gift message arrives in the hands it’s intended for, use tracking services when you send the parcel. Tracking services, such as the ones offered by USPS and FedEx, enable you to keep track of the status and location of your package.
You will also receive proof of delivery when the gift has been reached its destination. What’s more, tracking services are free and therefore won’t cost your business anything.
Ask for Feedback
After your gifts have been delivered, don’t hesitate to solicit feedback. Whether you’re reaching out to a supplier, partner, or customer, gaining insight into their gift-receiving experience can be invaluable. This feedback not only helps refine your gifting strategy but also reinforces open communication channels.
Shipping and Packing Tips Business Checklist
| Packing Tip | Done? |
|---|---|
| Use a Box that is the Right Size for Your Gift | |
| Think Carefully About the Packing Materials and Opt for Eco-Friendly Materials | |
| Make Good Use of Internal Packaging | |
| Wrap Each Item Individually | |
| Consider Gift Wrapping | |
| Fill Out Hollow Items | |
| Review Shipping Restrictions | |
| Double-Check the Recipient’s Address | |
| Weigh the Gift After You Have Packaged it | |
| Add the Right Amount of Postage | |
| Print Your Postage Online | |
| Label the Gift as Fragile | |
| Use Tracking Services | |
| Ask for Feedback |
Image: Depositphotos.com
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