Did you know that 96% of customers specifically look for negative reviews when shopping around for different businesses? They’re searching for any small sign telling them that your business isn’t worth using. The more negative reviews you have, the worse it’ll be – even if you’ve got a fair few positive ones as well.
You need to prevent bad reviews from rolling in, which means identifying where they’re likely to come from. For many small online businesses, it’s not so much to do with your products but rather how they arrive. Poor packaging choices can be an easy way for customers to leave less-than-pleasant reviews that impact your business for years to come.
With that in mind, here are three simple packaging mistakes that cause bad reviews, so you know to avoid them!
Too Much Packaging
No customer likes receiving products with too much packaging. Sometimes, the packaging is so large it can’t fit in letterboxes, meaning customers have to be home to take the large box. It’s incredibly inconvenient and leads to plenty of negative reviews.
The solution is simple; cut down on the amount of packaging you use. Make it sensible. Only use as much as is required depending on the size of the product. Small products need small packaging – it’s that easy. This also helps you cut costs as a small business because you won’t need as many packaging materials.
Not Enough Protection
Secondly, there’s an issue with not providing enough protection for your products. You send fragile items in boxes with no bubble wrap or protective packaging around them. Think about how your items will be sent to customers too – they’ll likely be on trucks with loads of other things tightly cramped together. As such, using things like cardboard edge protectors can give your packaging some extra stability and security, preventing boxes from getting crushed in transit.
You don’t need to over-package items to protect them – ensure there are layers around fragile items or that specific products are given the right type of protection. It prevents things from arriving broken or damaged, which is a huge source of bad reviews.
Packaging That’s Hard To Get Rid Of
Is there anything worse than receiving a product with packaging that’s really difficult to get rid of? You can’t throw it in the trash or recycling, so it needs to be taken to the rubbish tip in your spare time. Stuff like this will cause negative reviews as customers are left with strange packaging materials and no idea how to throw them away.
Stick to materials that are easy to dispose of. Cardboard is often used as it can be folded or crushed and thrown in the recycling. If you use packing nuts, pick ones that can melt when exposed to water and be thrown down the drain. Ideas like these make things more convenient for customers, so bad reviews won’t come in.
Will avoiding these packaging mistakes lead to an outpour of positive reviews? There’s a chance, but it won’t always be the case. And that’s not a problem! The key is to avoid negative reviews. If consumers don’t see bad comments about your business, they’re always more likely to give you a go.
