Consider this scenario: You’re walking through your local wine shop, hoping to find that perfect bottle of Cabernet for your dinner party. When you reach one of the aisles, you find that nearly all of the brand names are so elaborate and hard to pronounce.

You’re slowing becoming flustered. You aren’t a self-proclaimed wine connoisseur and you don’t want to read any more confusing logos. As a casual wine drinker you “judge wines strictly by their labels … Likewise, the names, graphics, and colors chosen for a wine bottle often reveal a lot about what’s inside.”

As you’re ready to leave the shop, you happen to glance at a bottle of Cabernet that stands out. The label is legible and easy to pronounce. The decision, at this point, becomes easy.

So, what’s the lesson learned from this purchase decision process? Effective packaging design is a key factor that determines whether or not your product will fly off shelves and convert into sales.

Remember, not every customer is intimately familiar with your industry, and many won’t check customer reviews or do their research beforehand. This is why effective product and packaging design has a better chance of improving sales.

Well-Designed Aesthetics are Pleasing to the Eye

Would you rather buy a product with illegible writing and uneventful design or one with noticeable packaging that stands out? For most shoppers, the obvious (and often subconscious) answer is the latter – a product that catches your attention.

Products and packaging should be carefully designed. Consider typography, color, shape and size to catch a consumer’s attention. “Packaging is often the most important and most overlooked aspect of marketing. In the last 10 seconds before the purchasing decision, consumers view packaging as a motivation to buy. Market research supports this. It’s the packaging and the last 10 seconds before purchasing, not getting onto a shopping list, which is most crucial for marketers.”

When consumer buying behavior is so heavily influenced by the appearance of products, why wouldn’t you put extra thought and care into your packaging?

Legible Labels are Easier to Choose

When designing your product and packaging be extremely careful with language. Remember: your brand name should be a lot of things: unique, catchy, memorable … but what about pronounceable and legible?

Not only should your label be decipherable it should be easy to pronounce, so customers aren’t forced to waste time evaluating it. The average consumer doesn’t have the patience to examine a product in entirety before purchase. Your product design and packaging should do the mental heavy lifting for them.

[hr]

“Make your product easier to buy than your competition, or you will find your customers buying from them, not you.” – Mark Cuban

[hr]

Billionaire, entrepreneur turned investor, Mark Cuban shares his opinion on effective packaging design and how businesses should opt for what’s easiest for the customer: “Make your product easier to buy than your competition, or you will find your customers buying from them, not you.”

This means using effective packaging design. Keep your label short, sweet and to the point. Make it easy to read and hard to ignore.

Products Should Speak Directly To a Target

If you plan to attract a specific demographic to your product, then shouldn’t a customer be able to identify and relate to it? In the marketing world, this is why you need to know your customers.

Management consultant and author, Peter Drucker once suggested that, “The aim of marketing is to know and understand the customer so well the product or service fits him and sells itself.”

Who is your target audience? How will they perceive your product? Will they understand your message? If you can’t answer these questions, then find your niche and cater your product and packaging directly to their tastes and desires.

Product and Packaging Design Should Evolve

As time goes on, will the design of your product still be relevant and relatable or will it eventually fade? It’s bad news for your business if consumers see your product and packaging design as trendy, or a fad.

Prevent this and think about how your product can stay current with the times. Then reevaluate and make improvements along the way. This allows your brand message to be seen, heard and interpreted correctly, no matter the year.

This article has been edited and condensed.

Kara Spadone is an SEO copywriter and editor for J.M. Field Marketing, a one-stop shop for fulfillment services, e-commerce solutions, web design and inventory management. She’s passionate about writing content that revolves around business, technology, social media and entrepreneurship. Connect with @jmfmarketing on Twitter.

© YFS Magazine. All Rights Reserved. Copying prohibited. All material is protected by U.S. and international copyright laws. Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this material is prohibited. Sharing of this material under Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International terms, listed here, is permitted.