When done correctly, physical packaging can be the key to improving customer experience. Custom packaging acts as your visual storyboard that both excites your customers and works to your benefit. But how do you determine the right size package to showcase your brand image in the first place, and why does it matter?
As an online retailer, an essential aspect of your business is ensuring your products get to your customers without damage. Choosing the right size shipping box helps reduce customer returns and maximize sales.
To determine the best custom cardboard box size for your product packaging, you first need to know the measurements of your product. Before deciding how large your shipping box should be, consider the following tips:
Outside shipping box dimensions: These measurements are essential to know for shipping purposes. You’ll want to find a happy medium between inside and outside box dimensions so that you make the best decision for the sake of your product and budget.
Inside shipping box dimensions: These dimensions will give you a clear picture of your box’s usable space. For example, if a custom mailing box has inner dimensions of 12″x12″x12″, your product’s measurements should be smaller to fit properly.
Avoid wasted space: When you ensure your custom box dimensions are fitting for your product packaging, you can steer clear of hefty shipping charges, additional carton-sealing tape and damage caused by shuffling and bouncing.
When you’re trying to determine the right size packaging for your products, it will help to take direction from subscription box owners who have been there. Three of the most common custom box sizes chosen by e-commerce companies are:
In general, USPS cubic shipping is the most cost-effective way to ship your subscription to customers. Cubic pricing is based on volume — not weight. It’s also important to keep in mind that your longest dimension should not exceed 18 inches. Follow the formula below to calculate USPS cubic shipping:
Length x Height x Width / 1728 = Cubic Rate
For instance, if your packaging dimensions are 10″x6″x3.75″, you’ll calculate that 225″ / 1,728 = 0.13. Because this figure exceeds 0.1 cubic rates, you’d fall into the 0.2 range.
By calculating the custom box sizes, you can strategically manipulate the dimensions of your product’s package — and save significantly as a result.
Consider this: In the first example, our final cubic rate was 0.13. By altering that figure by just a few inches — to 9″x5″x3.5″ — you’ll end up with a 0.09 cubic size, which is just below the 0.1 cutoff. This way, you can use 0.1 pricing over 0.2 pricing and save, on average, $0.13 per shipment.
At Bolt Boxes, we’ll provide you with the best personalized packaging solutions with custom printed shipping box services to match your industry and specific product needs. Whether you want to personalize your boxes for product packaging with a company logo, message or particular color scheme, Bolt Boxes will have you covered. As the fastest carbox manufacturer in the world, we’re different, and we do everything in-house, including designing, manufacturing, printing and delivery.
Simply plug your specifications into our online configurator or contact our team for more information about creating custom size shipping boxes. If you’d like to get an idea of what custom shipping boxes we’ve completed in the past, visit our work page for some design inspiration.
