As a business owner, you know that getting your products in front of your target consumer is essential if you want to be successful. But did you know that the way you package your items can make a difference in how consumers view your products?

Believe it or not, more than 72 percent of shoppers make decisions based on the way the package design looks.

This means you need to figure out how to design a package that attracts the type of attention you want. If you’re not sure where to start, don’t panic. It’s easier than you might think.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind as you come up with different design options.

1. Know Who Will Use Your Products

Before you can start coming up with package designs, you need to think about who will actually be handling the package. This means figuring out who your ideal customer is and the types of features they want out of your packaging.

For example, if you’re selling small items to families with young children, you may want to add child-proof features to the design. If you’re selling to seniors, your package design should focus on ease of use.

If you’re not sure who your target consumer is, consider who you picture using your products most often. Use this target consumer to guide you throughout your package design process. By making it appeal to them, you’ll increase the number of sales you get in the long run.

2. Identify Ways to Protect the Items Inside

One of the most important things to remember when designing your product packaging is that the package itself needs to protect the items inside.

Think about the types of strain the items will be under both on the shelf and in transit, to the stores or customers you’re selling to. If you need to, create a list of those types of strain.

Then, look for materials and design options that will help keep your products safe at all times. For example, if you’re shipping fragile goods, choosing a packaging design that features padding as well as a rigid frame will keep the items from breaking. If you’re selling soft goods that can crumble and shift without damage, choose packaging that will keep the product clean.

3. Make Sure the Packaging Is Easy to Open

Nothing is worse than having to spend an hour struggling with a stubborn package. Remember, making a package hard to open doesn’t inherently make the items inside safer. It does, however, make your customers look for alternatives.

Before you finalize a design, make sure the packaging is easy to open for the intended consumer. If you’re using child-resistant or tamper-resistant seals, make sure your customers can figure out how to open the packages quickly.

If they can’t or the seals are too difficult, you’ll need to start over.

The best way to get the feedback you need is to put each design through package design testing. Use the feedback you receive to guide your designs further.

4. Think About How It Will Look on Shelves

The packaging doesn’t just protect your products. It also helps display them.

When you’re designing a package, consider the way it looks once it’s on the shelf. Then, make sure the design makes displaying your products easy. The last thing you want to deal with is retailers hiding your products because they’re difficult to display.

If you intend for the product to hang on clip strips or racks, make sure the packaging features a tear-resistant hook or mount. If you want the product to sit upright on the shelf, make sure the materials are strong enough to keep the product upright.

Keep in mind that you may need to test several designs to find the one that works best for your product. Use this to your advantage and compare the different display methods while you’re looking at different designs. You might end up finding a different style that works better for your products.

5. Keep Your Colors and Branding Consistent

The most successful product packaging showcases your brand and its personality. Think of it as a type of advertisement in stores.

This means you need to make sure your branding is consistent across every package that you design. Make sure your logos are clearly displayed on each design. If you have company colors or preferred fonts, use those on the package.

This will help customers identify your products at a glance and increases brand recognition even if you’re selling items at different retailers.

6. Pay Attention to Your Closest Competitors

One of the best ways to create a design that attracts the customers you want while also protecting your products is to see what your competitors are doing. Look at the ways they package their items and how they incorporate their brand into the design.

Take notes and design packaging that’s similar but still unique to your company. If there are things you can do better with the design, do so! It’s the perfect way to differentiate your products from your competitors.

The more you can make your products stand out on the shelf, the easier it will be to win over new customers and keep existing customers from supporting your competitors.

Now You Know How to Design a Package That Works

If you’ve been struggling to figure out how to design a package that works for your products, keep these tips in mind. Once you implement them in your design process, you’ll be able to create a packaging design that showcases your products at all times.

Even better, you’ll be able to build off of your new design to create cohesive packaging for new product launches quickly.

Packaging makes a huge difference in the marketability of your products, but it’s not the only thing you need to worry about. Check out our latest posts for more tips to help you make your products stand out whether you’re new to the industry or are an established company.