If you run an ecommerce business, you need to get your packaging right. It might not seem like a big thing but if you make mistakes with your packaging, it can cost you extra money, slow down your shipping process, and even impact your brand. Hopefully, you already know this and it’s fairly simple to get things right when you are selling products that fit into a simple box. But what about oddly shaped products? 

This is a big challenge for some businesses but there are some simple ways you can tackle it. If you sell oddly shaped products, here are some important packaging tips you need to follow. 

Always Go For A Custom Option

If you aren’t sure which option to go for, always go with a custom packaging option. It’s usually better and cheaper than trying to get one size box that fits everything. IN most cases, if you try to get a ready-made box, you will end up with a huge amount of excess packaging on every package. This is a problem for two reasons; firstly, you’ll pay way more for shipping because you are using a box that is much larger than it needs to be. Secondly, it’s very wasteful, so if you are trying to run an eco-friendly business, it’s not ideal. 

There are plenty of custom packaging companies out there, like Crownhill Packaging, that will help you design and make the perfect packaging that fits your product exactly.

Calculate Your Shipping Costs Ahead Of Time

Before you start ordering hundreds of custom boxes, you need to calculate your shipping costs. Depending on the size and weight of your product, you might find that custom packaging is actually more expensive. Calculating shipping costs ahead of time means you can make an informed decision about which option to go for. You can use a freight class shipping calculator for SMB to see roughly how much it will cost you. If your custom packaging is going to be exceedingly expensive, you need to go back to the drawing board and rethink the design. You can also look at the cost to ship to various countries. In some cases, it’s best to avoid shipping to certain places if the cost is going to be too high. 

Use A Specialist Courier

If you are shipping odd-shaped products, you may need to use a specialist courier. You can’t just send things with the regular couriers because they won’t have experience handling your specific type of product. The cheapest option is usually going to be parcel or letter post but this service doesn’t offer special handling for oddly shaped packages and it’s not ideal if there is any chance that they could get damaged during transit. It’s worth spending a little more money on a specialist courier service because broken items and late deliveries are very costly. 

Dealing with oddly shaped products can be a challenge and if you make mistakes with packaging and shipping, you will end up costing yourself money. However, if you follow these tips, you can make sure that your products are delivered in perfect condition without breaking the bank.