What your customers want from their shopping experience 

Your customers are your business. Without them, even the most fantastic, life-changing product will get no sales.
 
And if you aren’t delivering what people want, you’re basically going out of business… be it quickly or slowly.
 
That’s why smart owners spend a lot of time pondering, testing, and asking what their customers want.
 
So what do *your* customers want? And how are you going to give it to them?
 
There’s a bunch of ways to answer this. One way is to focus on giving them the product they want. 
 
The other part is about their experience of getting (and using) that product. It’s the product discovery, the ordering, the shipping, and all the customer service interactions in between. It’s the second part – the customer experience part - that I’m going to focus on here.

## The customer experience

As many of you know, this “customer experience” aspect of your product is becoming more and more important. To some shoppers, it’s basically part of the product. Their customer experience part will determine whether they ever order again.
 
Recent [research from Marketing Sherpa](https://www.marketingsherpa.com/article/chart/purchase-experience-customer-satisfaction) makes this clear:

![1- Marketing Sherpa Customer Experience](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/c219a4971d9d0e83242f16588216a54dd6e30bb7)

So how can you give your customers want they want in terms of customer experience? Well, there’s been some research done on that. We’ve rounded it up for you, and listed it here in order of importance. If you can apply even a few of these ten suggestions, you should see higher conversion rates, larger order sizes, and better customer loyalty.

## 1. Offer free shipping
 
What’s the most powerful word in the English language? Depending on who you ask, it could be “you” or “because”… or “free”. “Free” is especially powerful for ecommerce for obvious reasons. The trouble is where to use it.
 
Ends up, using it with shipping is crazy effective. That’s because almost all of us hate to pay for shipping. In a survey of over 2,000 U.S. consumers, “provide free shipping” came in at the top of the list for ways retailers can improve the customer experience. It beat out the runner-up by 21%.

![2 - Mrketing Sherpa research of shopping experience](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/81459baeee8ce6e9205610187f513fc09f55cc40)

So offering free shipping could get more sales. But… there’s a reason retailers charge for shipping. It’s expensive (duh). You can’t just eat that cost.
 
You could:
 
* Add the average cost of shipping to every item.
* Figure out a minimum order size that you’re willing to cover the shipping for.
 
Most retailers opt for the second choice. That’s probably the best one for you, too. 91% of [online shoppers say they’re willing to spend more just to qualify for a free shipping offer](http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/infographic-what-consumers-want-most-online-shopping-experience-174564).

## 2. Include customer reviews
 
Everyone hates purchase mistakes. You know – when you buy something you end up not liking very much. It’s called “buyer’s remorse” if you’re on the marketing side. If you’re on the customer side, it’s just a bummer.
 
One of the most trusted ways for customers to know they’re ordering something good is for them to read reviews. They may not even read all the reviews – just seeing that an item has over a dozen five-star reviews is usually enough to build trust.
 
The power of reviews has even been quantified. According to [research from Bazaar Voice](http://media2.bazaarvoice.com/documents/Bazaarvoice_Conversation_Index_Volume8.pdf), just one review is enough to increase sales by 10%. And the more, the merrier.

![3- More Reviews Means More Orders](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/a675d9797e1199ec90727846d9db1b90c8af25aa)
 
No wonder sites like Etsy make it so easy to leave a review… and keep asking shoppers to leave a review… and make each seller’s reviews so prominent on product pages.

![4- Etsy Reviews on product page](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/1e03f7ad8d4b5eacac91cc8ee32d21ee77d9873e)

## 3. Give them packaging that’s easy to open
 
It’s not just you. And it’s not because you’re getting old. Some packaging is just difficult to open. It's getting so bad that [77% of consumers reported to have been injured](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wrap_rage) by product packaging in their lifetimes. They also said that difficult packaging is the most irritating and annoying thing about ecommerce packaging.

![5- Packaging frustration research](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/9e3214573546b5847064f19600a081e64c979db8)

## 4. Make sure your site loads fast
 
People like to get their orders shipped to them fast. They like placing their orders fast, too. In fact, they just generally like fast when it comes to being online.
 
So what’s “fast”? A page that loads in two seconds or less. Any more than that, and you’ll start losing customers and orders. The slower your site gets, the higher the page abandonment rate for your site will go, as this [data from Kissmetrics](https://neilpatel.com/blog/loading-time/) shows:
 
![6 - Page Load Time Chart from Kissmetrics](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/3ca42d62dd1dbca80759e2c3d74f0006d40af5d8)

Site speed can have huge effects on your earnings. [Just 4 seconds of pageload time](https://www.portent.com/blog/analytics/research-site-speed-hurting-everyones-revenue.htm#:~:text=The%20first%205%20seconds%20of,(between%20seconds%200%2D5)) can impact your revenue by 3X. That means if your pageload time is over 4 seconds, you could be losing out on a lot of revenue!
 
All you folks on ecommerce platform sites like Etsy and eBay and Amazon don’t have to worry about this, of course. It’s one of the best benefits of sticking with a platform.
 
## 5. Don’t hide your shipping costs or any other unexpected fees

Trust is a really big deal online. It can make or break an order. Adding a surprise shipping fee (even if it’s a legitimate shipping fee) damages any trust you might have built up. It raises a red flag with your buyer.

![7 - Chart of cart abandonment reasons](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/cf1b0f98524b8564e63471e0fa894a5d5ba13d08)

Here’s an example of an unexpected shipping fee. It’s a $9 extra charge for insurance, and it was enough to make me decide to buy from a different site.

![8 - Image of Surprise Fees at checkout](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/3913f0bc22eeb7854fb57a375da960eb988591ce)

## 6. Don’t force them to register when they check out
 
Let’s be honest: Online ordering can be a bit of a pain. There’s all these options (shipping, fast shipping, gift wrap, gift message?). And then all those form fields (Name, address, zip code, email… email again).
 
You finally get through the whole exercise… and then the retailer wants you to register, too?
 
Grrr!
 
I know I’m not alone on this. And here’s proof: The second [most common reason people bail on their shopping carts is because they’ve been forced to register](http://baymard.com/lists/cart-abandonment-rate).

![9 - Chart of cart abandonment reasons](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/55c3215a00c59237fd2471aa9766a210b886e9d6)

So be nice. Don’t make people register. Let them check out as a guest.
 
## 7. Give them custom packaging
 
We’ve written about how much packaging influences a customer’s experience (link to that page). But it can increase their loyalty to your online shop, too.
 
30% of the consumers in a recent survey said they are more likely to order again if their package came in a custom-printed box. Big spenders are particularly influenced by this: The more someone spends on online shopping per month, the more likely they are to be influenced by the box.

![10 - Custom Packaging Increases Loyalty](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/ad00e2a4deb47fcd4e39a40ad0feb76e540a819b)

## 8. Let them get their orders shipped fast
 
Want proof of how impatient we’ve all become? Here: [90%](http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/infographic-what-consumers-want-most-online-shopping-experience-174564) of consumers will choose a delivery option that ensures their order arrives within seven days. Even if they have to pay for the upgrade.
 
Amazon’s Prime shipping has spoiled most of us. (Sticker Mule offers free 2-day shipping on orders in the U.S.)

## 9. Put their needs ahead of your own business goals
 
We mentioned trust earlier, and how it can make or break a sale (and over time, your business). This is another perspective on that. It highlights how critical it is to do more than just say you care about your customers. You have to demonstrate it.

![11 - Marketing Sherpa: Put Customers Needs First](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/f56016a6418aa42b6e02705ffc2c47b132b717ce)

There’s no one tactic that will cover you on this one. You’ll need to prove it at every step through the purchasing process and beyond.
 
## 10. Help them make the best decision (for them, not you)
 
This is similar to the last point, but it shows how customers expect help with their buying decisions. And not just any help. Useful help. Unbiased help. Help that puts their needs first.

![12 - Marketing Sherpa: Help Customer Make Decisions](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/026df2f4ab8614893aca789a579dc062d46beaf7)

If you’ve heard of content marketing (attracting an audience through useful content), you may have heard that for it to work, the content has to avoid selling. If the publisher (aka, the company) is too focused on their products, or too salesy in their approach, their content marketing fails. These last two points back that belief up well.

Same thing applies to shopping ads on Google. [KlientBoost](http://klientboost.com/) has come up with something called [The Gold Pan Technique](https://klientboost.com/ppc/gold-pan-technique/) that helps you narrow in on the products your potential customers are actually searching for.
 
So how can you help people make a decision? All the usual things. Lots of pictures, videos even. Good product descriptions with technical details. Reviews and other types of user generated content. And good customer support. But it all has to be in support of the customer – not your own sales goals.

## Conclusion
 
There’s a new buzzword in marketing that sums up everything we’ve been talking about: customer-first marketing. It is exactly what it sounds like – putting the customer’s needs above your own, at every stage of the customer lifecycle. In every decision you make.
 
Many of the most successful companies in the world have already embraced this idea. If you aren’t able (or willing) to make any of the changes mentioned here, consider just that one question: What more could you be doing to put the customer first?

There are countless ways to delight your customers using stickers and other custom printed products. Check out more ways Sticker Mule can help your business grow.

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We have to deliver what customers want. It’s the whole point of being in business. That's why figuring out what your customers want is so critical. 

10 ways to save on shipping costs 

Did you notice what happened in January? USPS and FedEx raised their costs. So did CanadaPost. 

These weren’t massive price hikes – only about 3-5%. But it may have been enough to cause you to furrow your brow when you tallied up the month’s expenses.

Shipping costs are unavoidable, of course. But there’s every reason to keep them down. So here are 10 ways to save on shoping costs for your online shop, Shopify store, or your brick-and-mortar business.

Apply even a couple of these, and you’ll more than make up for the price increase from January. You might even trim your costs by 20% or more.

## 1. Join a professional organization that offers shipping discounts
There’s safety – and power – in numbers. It’s true in life, and ends up being true in shipping, too.

There are a bunch of professional associations that offer shipping discounts to their members. Here are just a few:

* [The Specialty Food Association](https://www.specialtyfood.com/specialty-food-association/membership/member-services-benefits/shipping-supplies-savings-programs/) gives its members
 * Up to 29%† on select FedEx Express®
 * Up to 20% on select FedEx Ground®
 * Up to 10% on select FedEx Home Delivery®

It costs $300 and up to join.

* [The National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors](https://www.naw.org/busservices/shipping.php) offers
 * Up to 36% on UPS Air letters including UPS Next Day Air®†
 * Up to 32% on UPS Air packages (1 lb.+)†
 * Up to 34% on UPS International imports and exports
 * Up to 24% on UPS Ground shipments

† Many local Chambers of Commerce also offering shipping discounts.

## 2. Get a good scale
If you’ve been guessing about the weights of your packages, please stop. And if you’ve been trying to make do with a bathroom scale for the larger packages, it’s time to upgrade. You need to get a precise weight for every package, or you could be overspending.

Which scale you get should depend on what you’re shipping. If your orders tend to be really light (like less than 4 lbs) a regular light-duty postal scale might be fine. But most scales like that will become useless for packages over 4 lbs.

Look at it this way: A good-quality scale for packages of 4 lbs or less will cost you maybe $30. If it saves you even 50 cents a day, it’ll have paid for itself in two months.

## 3. Save time, too – get your packages picked up
Unless you’re a post office nerd, you probably don’t relish running to the post office every day to drop your packages off. So don’t: The US Postal service will pick up First-Class, Priority Mail, Priority Mail Express, International, or Return Service packages for you. It can kind of be a lifesaver.

[Schedule your USPS package pickups here](https://tools.usps.com/schedule-pickup-steps.htm).

If the pickup area is secure, you don’t even have to be there when the packages get picked up. Just tell USPS where to find the packages when you fill out that form.

Voilà: One less thing to do.

## 4. Print your labels online
Have you been buying your shipping labels at the post office counter, or at one of those self-self kiosks? If so, you’re overspending. It’s cheaper to buy those online, and then just print the labels at home. You’ll save up to 22% on First-Class packages and up to 54% on Priority Mail Express.

## 5. Consider the weight of your shipping materials
Know why so many companies use peanuts to fill boxes? Because they’re really light. Same goes for those air pillows you’ve probably seen in some packages.

But what if you can’t afford those air pillows, or you don’t have a spare closet empty to store shipping peanuts in?

Just scrunch it. Some paper, I mean. Scrunch up newspaper, or any light paper. It’ll fill the packages nicely, is super light, and doesn’t cost so much. It’s a great way to keep kids busy, too (though you may need some fun paper to keep them interested).

Almost any paper will do. Ideally, you want it to be just strong enough to hold its shape, but light enough not to nudge your scale.

Word to the wise: Don’t try to shave grams off your shipping weight by using flimsy shipping boxes. Exterior boxes need to be sturdy enough to make it through an occasionally rough journey through the post office.

One way to conserve costs? The [poly mailer](https://www.stickermule.com/products/poly-mailers). If you’re shipping items that aren’t likely to be damaged by a bump (like clothes), a simple poly mailer could shave a couple of ounces off each package. And you could dress it up (ahem) with some custom printing.

![Yukon Built Custom Poly Mailers for Online Shops](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/cf319a3005f8345277811eb9eb3ba3e06bf8067f)

## 6. Use boxes that fit the item
It may mean you have to buy a couple of different box sizes, but you’ll probably save money in the end anyway. And you won’t be one of those [companies that ships a tiny item in a huge box](https://twitter.com/USAbox/status/575329675754532864).

![Huge box with a tiny item](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/dfb97617391245c1b88be5fc471b2540073cd224)

## 7. Consider skipping shipping insurance
Any package shipped via priority mail is automatically insured for $50. So if your orders aren’t usually worth more than $50, you probably don’t need insurance at all.

For the packages that are worth more than $50, you may want to do some math. (No really – this is math you’ll want to do).

Let’s say your package is worth $100. If it gets lost, you’re out $50. The cost of insuring it for that extra $50 is $2.65.

Not bad, but if you bought insurance for 100 of these orders, it would cost you $265. If you skipped the insurance, you could lose up to five $100 orders and still break even. That’s because you’d be covered for the first $50 of those five $100 orders. And the remaining $50 for the five orders comes to $250.

But are you really going to lose five out of every 100 packages? One out of every 20 packages? Probably not. So maybe you could skip the insurance for $100 packages.

The math would change (of course) for more expensive packages. So maybe you’ll only want to insure packages that are worth $150 or more. It depends how much risk you want to take, how often packages go missing, and how valuable each package is.

## 8. Use a rewards card
We’re not sure if this is cheating, or just a creative way to cut your shipping costs. But there are plenty of “rewards card” credit cards that give cash back with every purchase.

Usually it’s only 1%. But some cards give much more (up to 6%) in certain categories. If you pick the right card and if you’ve got the credit rating to qualify for the card, you could finagle a way to get 6% back on your shipping costs.

Just don’t carry a balance, or the interest rates will rapidly eat up anything you’ve saved.

## 9. Use Stamps.com, Endicia or Etsy’s shipping option.
Some shipping services and sales platforms give generous discounts if you use their shipping features.

For instance, [Stamps.com](http://www.stamps.com/shipping/) gives its users:

* 26% off first-class package service
* Up to 53% off priority mail
* 10% off priority mail express.

Their site also says you can save up to 40% on package insurance “compared to USPS rates”.

Other sellers have gone with [Endicia](http://www.endicia.com/), which is more sophisticated than Stamps.com (and better designed to support larger operations). They also offer serious discounts.

And then there’s Etsy. According to some sources, Etsy’s “create a shipping label” will let you save almost half the cost of what the USPS would charge.

## 10. Shop and negotiate for prices
There’s a thread running through all the tricks we’ve mentioned here: It pays to shop around.

So here’s how to act on that: Open accounts with all the big shippers. Then plug in some numbers and check their prices for the package types and sizes you’re most likely to ship. Usually there are significant differences in price points across the different carriers.

The best choice depends on your business and your packages. And maybe, based on which other deals you can get through the tactics mentioned above. Who knows - maybe all your packages below 2 lbs should go by USPS, while most of the ones over 2 lbs should go UPS… and the international orders should go via FedEx.

Until you do some homework, you’ll never know.

## Extra credit 
Want to really surprise and delight your customers? See if you can ship their package for less than your checkout cart quoted, then refund them the balance. So if they paid $10 to ship their order, but you can get it to them for $7, refund the $3.

Then send an email notifying them of the refund.

Something like this will cost you a bit to set up. And it’ll take some time and skill to manage. But who would ever forget getting a refund for something like that?

Maybe this isn’t something you can do for every order. Maybe only your very best customers will get this kind of treatment, or you’ll only be able to do it for orders over a certain size. But this kind of white-glove treatment will not go unnoticed. It’s this kind of above-and-beyond care that makes customers stick around.

## Conclusion 
As you can see, there’s plenty of ways to cut shipping costs. But don’t get totally focused on the money. Service – for your customers and for you – matters, too. 

At Sticker Mule, we help you wow your customers with custom printed products. Why not try our [poly mailers](https://www.stickermule.com/products/poly-mailers) or [address labels](https://www.stickermule.com/uses/address-labels) today? Get $10 off your first order when you sign up by clicking the button below.

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Shipping costs are unavoidable, but that’s every reason to keep them low. Here are 10 ways save on shipping costs for your business. 

How to save time and money with creative packaging 

Most online crafters don’t need to be told what branding is. They know it intuitively. They framed their branding as they developed their products. They put it in writing when they got a logo and a business card. 

But what about a product’s shipping box and packaging? If you’re an online crafter, you probably already get that this is another aspect of branding. It’s not just a fulfillment cost. The packaging you use is the first real life experience your customers have with your brand.
 
What is that experience going to be?
 
You want to make an impression, obviously. But you’re also in business. So while it might be fun to make every package into a work of art, that’s not realistic. Your time and money are limited. 

You need to deliver a package that is:

**Durable**

There’s no worse branding experience than receiving a package that’s been pummeled in the mail.
 
**Attractive**

Our expectations frame our experiences. If your packaging is appealing, your customers will have a pre-set expectation that your products will be appealing, too. This can reduce returns, increase loyalty, and even result in better product reviews.
 
**Memorable**

There's no shortage of competition, even for handmade goods. You want first time customers to remember your products and your packaging enough to buy again.
 
**Efficient**

Time is money. You can’t spend hours preparing each package. I’d guesstimate that any more than ten minutes simply isn’t feasible. Five minutes per package is probably the absolute max.
 
**Affordable**

It might be awesome to wrap your work in gold leaf… but you can’t. So how much is reasonable to spend on each package? 3-7% of your product cost is what most companies aim for, but 10% is not uncommon. And 10% is probably the number that most small-scale crafters should aim to beat. Limited budgets and small operations often mean you can’t buy in bulk. Also, because you’re a crafter, there’s an expectation that your shipping should be more distinctive than if you were shipping, say, batteries.
 
Here’s how those different percentages might break out for a $50 order:
 
* 3% of the product cost would give you a $1.50 packaging budget
* 5% would be $2.50
* 7% would be $3.50
* 10% would be $5.00

Let’s say you decide on 7%. That’s $3.50 of budget to package a $50 order. Impossible? Not at all. You can definitely keep the outside box to $1.50 or so. Judicious use of stickers and a custom stamp can turn a “boring” brown box into something reasonable cool and memorable, but also tough enough to survive even an abusive postal worker.
 
That leaves you $2.00 per package.
 
So what can you do with that? Quite a lot, actually. Take a look at what these three small online crafters have done with their packaging.

## 1. Pick a theme
 
Packages literally tie things together. So do themes.
 
Here’s how [Love Bud Photography](http://www.lovebudphotography.com/index2.php?v=v1#!/HOME) announces its work in the mail. 

![LoveBudPhotography Uses a Party Theme for their Online Store](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/545e44e6ced80f0e99580ea30da4c1cf9af9d243)

The party theme used here is an easy way to invoke celebration – and we want our customers to celebrate when they get their packages, right?
 
But the party theme is also a smart business move. You see, party supplies are easy to find. They’re inexpensive. And they come in hundreds of colors and variations. The hardest part about picking what to use will be to winnow down your options.
 
Just a few things to notice in this box:
 
**1. The package filler.**

Want to know the single best way to keep stuff from getting damaged in a shipping box? Make sure it can’t move around during transit.

That’s why so many people use box filler. And this particular box filler – the crinkled strips of paper – definitely has a party feel to it. It’s known as crinkle paper, and you can get a 10 lb box of it at Staples for $18, retail. With a third of a pound of that in each shipping box, you’d pay about 60 cents per box.
 
**2. The printed card.**

This serves a clever dual purpose. It’s an insert card you can use for loyalty or feedback (ask for an honest review) or another message. But it can also be a thank you card. You can get thank you cards printed up for ten cents or less each. Then write a quick thank you note to customize each package. That personalized touch is exactly the sort of thing people remember and share.
 
**3. The confetti.**

Using confetti in shipping packaging is pretty popular right now. But it makes sense. We all have fun associations with confetti, plus it’s colorful and cheap. It’s an easy way to add splash to a box for barely a dime per package.  

Want another spin on the confetti idea? Here’s how [The Bees Knees](http://www.thedieline.com/blog/2011/3/4/this-is-the-bees-knees.html) ships their honey.

![BeesKnees Uses Creative Packaging to Ship their Honey](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/a2d667c715a07e80de5869a6ecfe20e428931d7b)

One quick comment on this, though. That glass jar will need protection during shipping. They might want to borrow some of Love Bud’s crinkled paper. Or use honeycomb packaging to expand upon that theme.

**How much for that party in a box?**
 
With those three things plus the shipping box, and we’re at $2.30 per box ($1.50 for the outside shipping box, plus 80 cents for the filler, the card, and the confetti).
 
That still leaves $1.20 of budget per box left. Enough to buy a bit of candy, like Love Bud has done here. Or to include some other small gift like the heart in a tin.
 
Want another twist on the party theme? How about skipping the crinkled paper and using half-filled balloons instead? They’re the party version of air pillows. You can get packs of 100 balloons for less than $6. You can even get them in a particular color, and nail another branding opportunity.
 
## 2. Use common materials in a creative way

This is the best secret for small shop packaging. If you can use common materials in a new way, you’ll:
 
- Save money
- Be memorable
- Skip lots of sourcing headaches (because you can get your packing supplies just about anywhere)
 
My favorite example of this is…
 
The humble paper bag.
 
Here’s how the handmade craft company [Nestled](http://nestledblog.blogspot.com/2012/04/packaging.html) does theirs:

![KraftBag Nestled Packaging for Etsy Store](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/da2728cbbd14994c18b17a9099c0e72884053a66)

It’s simple, affordable, and appealing.
 
Here’s the cost breakout:
 
-   	The bag: 5 cents
-   	The twine: 5 cents
-   	The die-cut printed label: 20 cents (this is my estimate). 

"Die cut" refers to the shape of this tag. Notice how it’s not a square? That’s why it’s so expensive. But Megan (Nestled’s owner) saved so much money with her other packaging materials that she can splurge a little on the label.
 
Total cost for this? 30 cents!

That leaves enough left over to possibly add another layer of protection for the jewelry inside. Add a sticker and a stamp and you’ve got a custom-printed package. Oops… getting ahead of myself.

## 3. Invest strategically in your printing

Yes – custom printing can be expensive. And yes – your budget is small. But that doesn’t mean you can’t do any custom printing. You just have to do it strategically.
 
One example of this? Custom tape.
 
A lot of cool little craft companies are using custom tape. No surprise, really. You have to use tape anyway to seal the box – might as well make it into a branding statement.
 
There’s two types of tape being used these days: Packaging tape (sometimes known as “Carton sealing tape”) for outside the shipping box and “Kraft” tape, which is suitable for lighter uses.

Rolls typically come in 55 or 100 yards. If you buy about 25 or fewer rolls, you’ll pay roughly $10 per roll. Buy more and the cost per roll goes down.
 
If you use one yard of tape per package, that’s about 10 cents of custom tape per package. Not bad, given how much of a statement it could make.
 
But you could go even cheaper. Here’s plain tape made marvelous with a custom stamp. It’s not suitable for packaging tape, but it would keep interior boxes and envelopes closed. And it makes for a very cool return address label.

![Custom Stamped Masking Tape](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/fdea7890831ae500d8618850bd2ee4b39b6d1d6b)

Custom stamps bring up a ton of other possibilities. They basically make you into your own print shop. Here’s how [one coffee roaster](https://shopventory.com/blog/diy-stamp-projects) packs their coffee:

![Custom Stamped Coffee Bag](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/de09998c759db71bf90e4a626def40b45275ca14)

And there’s another paper bag…
 
[Custom stickers](https://www.stickermule.com/custom-stickers), of course, work great too. They’re similar to stamps, but stickers can seal boxes (like custom tape does), which makes them dual use. And stickers can go on the outside of shipping boxes, too.
 
With all those options, you can save enough to be able to splurge on some custom printing. And it doesn’t always have to be a custom box, either. Custom printed poly mailers (aka “poly bags”) work well, too.

## Conclusion
 
There’s absolutely no reason to give up on having cool packaging. Even if you’re on a shoestring budget.  Especially if you're on a shoestring budget, actually.
 
Just be sure that whatever you use will hold up during shipping. And keep your package prep time to a minimum. That’s one area many handmade companies don’t estimate for properly. For instance, if you earn $20 an hour, and you spend 15 minutes prepping each package, you’ve just put $5 of your time into that package. Those hours add up and can throw off your spend per package… which is why a little custom printing can quickly pay for itself.

## Back to you
 
There are countless ways to delight _your_ customers and grow your brand using stickers and other custom printed products. Check out more ways Sticker Mule can help your business grow.

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 The packaging you use is the first real life experience your customers have with your brand. What is that experience going to be? 

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