{"id":26677,"date":"2020-09-09T08:29:37","date_gmt":"2020-09-09T13:29:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/?p=26677"},"modified":"2020-09-10T01:47:45","modified_gmt":"2020-09-10T06:47:45","slug":"gift-wrap-packaging-guide-ecommerce","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/gift-wrap-packaging-guide-ecommerce\/","title":{"rendered":"Get Ready to Wrap and Pack Your Store\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s First Holiday Orders"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

We\u2019re having a blast helping you get your online store ready to rock its first holiday sales season. Now that we\u2019ve covered the finer points of holiday shipping schedules and surcharges<\/a>, it\u2019s time to plan for something more hands-on: wrapping your customers\u2019 gift orders and packing them for shipment. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Put on your elf hat and start thinking about your packing workshop. Your store\u2019s holiday season will go better if you have everything you need on hand and plenty of room to work when those first gift orders start coming in. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s a quick rundown of all the stuff you\u2019ll need to get your products wrapped, packed and on their way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gift wrap options for online stores<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Gift wrap is an easy upsell at the holidays<\/a>, especially if you have great options and promote them well. You\u2019ll need gift paper and invisible tape, gift bags or gift boxes. You\u2019ll also need cards for your customers\u2019 messages to their loved ones. Ideally, you\u2019ll brand your gift wrap in some way, so the recipient knows where their awesome gift came from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The options you offer will depend on your skills and your budget. Wrapping paper is great if you can turn sharp corners and fold neat edges. Otherwise bags and boxes will be easier and look better. Decide how much you can spend on gift wrap before you take to the internet to order supplies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The most cost-effective way to brand your gift-wrapped orders is with paper or gift bags (usually a dollar apiece or less in bulk) and a custom self-inking stamp. You can order a stamp for less than $20 and then stamp your logo on whatever you want. Custom stickers cost about 50 cents each, for a dressier but still inexpensive branding touch on your bags or paper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When your holiday gift wrap options arrive, it\u2019s photo shoot time. For inspiration, check out #giftwrappingservice on Instagram to see how professional gift wrappers make packages pop:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"gift<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Dress up some of your products and take photos<\/a> for your website. You can create a special page for your holiday gift wrap options as soon as your photos, descriptions and pricing are ready. No need to make it live right away, as long as the draft is ready to publish when you launch your first holiday promo<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Protective packaging<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Peanuts, paper, air pillows, bubble wrap, Styrofoam-whatever you need to protect your products on the way to their new homes, stock up on it now. The storage space you give up to hold it all will be worth it when you can fly through your order packing process this winter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While we\u2019re talking packing materials, are yours worth using in your marketing? For example, if you use compostable cornstarch packing peanuts or recyclable air pillows, you can mention that on your shipping page and on your product pages. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Boxes and envelopes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Make sure you have enough shipping boxes, padded envelopes, mailing tubes and other shipping containers for the volume of orders you expect and then some. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Order what you\u2019ll need soon, so you\u2019re not stuck making trips to the post office or the store along with lots of last-minute gift senders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Labels and ink<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Make sure your printer is good to go, with a couple of extra ink cartridges and lots of printer paper and labels-especially if you\u2019re including return labels and gift receipts with your holiday orders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tape, tape and more tape<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Get a boatload of packing tape now. Get a couple of dispensers, too, so you\u2019re not hunting for your scissors and trying to lift the end of the tape off the roll (ugh) during peak shipping season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Postage<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you haven\u2019t set up an online account with your shipping carriers yet, do it now. If you can set up a backup online payment method now, do that, too. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Being able to buy postage in bulk will save you a lot of online time this holiday season, and it will keep you from having to stand in line at the post office or shipping store.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other important order shipping supplies<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Consider adding these items to your workspace if you don\u2019t already have them:<\/p>\n\n\n\n