8 packaging mistakes brands must avoid

Receiving a well-packed package after online shopping is an exciting experience. It makes the customers happy and appreciative of the effort and thought a brand put behind its packaging. Packaging is one of the key factors that helps sell a product. If customers receive damaged packages repeatedly, they may even stop shopping from the brand altogether. A similar outcome might ensue if the customer likes the product but finds the packaging a hassle.

8 lesser-known packaging mistakes to avoid

Avoid the wrong size of packaging
It is far more common for brands to get the size and shape of the packaging wrong than one would like to believe. Not only does this incur wasteful expenses, but it also leads to other issues. If the packet size is bigger than it needs to be, it leaves a lot of room for the product to move around and cause potential damage. For example, if glass containers are packed in extra-large packages without adequate padding, they are likely to keep shunted around and breaking. On the other hand, when the packaging is smaller or tighter for a product’s size, it can also cause defects. Businesses might use a too-small box, multiple layers of bubble wrap, and extra packaging peanuts to keep the product tightly locked in place. This extra precaution might put excessive pressure on the item and cause bends, dents, cracks, or tears.

Poor labeling
Correctly labeling products is crucial when it comes to product packaging. Brands have to follow some rules and regulations to be able to market and sell their products legally in the country. These rules and regulations are easy to check and follow. Checking the authority body’s website for information on packaging requirements helps businesses correctly identify the information they need to add to the product package.

Wasteful packaging
Studies show that more and more consumers are increasingly concerned about the impact of wasteful packaging on the environment. Add in the economic impact of the packaging, and the concerns are higher. Today, any business that packages their products wastefully is not the first choice for customers. Consumers want brands to cater to their needs but be environmentally conscious as far as possible. This could mean businesses and brands might need to put some time into rethinking and redesigning their packaging, but the decision will be helpful for the brand in the long run.

Overpacking
Check most of the successful brands and their packing styles. The ones who know how to do it right would know the right amount of packaging. Excessively packaged goods only mean more waste generation and time taken to open them and customers are rarely impressed by either aspect. To win customers over, brands need to keep their packaging minimal and essential. Additionally, it ensures that the packaging is less likely to damage the environment.

Low-cost option
Startups, as well as settled businesses, are always looking to increase their profit margins. Some might even be ready to cut corners to achieve their goals. This could mean quantity over quality of product, lower shelf life, and poor packaging. One would be surprised to know the number of brands that compromise on packaging quality once they have earned a customer base. However, once a brand’s reputation for using poor packaging materials becomes known, it is tough to earn the goodwill of the customers back.

Non-recyclable materials
Plastic and styrofoam are some of the primary packaging and shipping materials that brands use. However, both these materials are environmentally harmful. With more and more consumers gravitating towards environmentally friendly brands, this can impact the brand’s profit margins and their customer base. Since brands that use recyclable and reusable packaging material are preferred, switching to eco-friendly packaging can help generate a higher e-commerce shopping base. Some of the alternative packaging materials available are made from biodegradable organic substances or cardboard shipping boxes that are easier to recycle and reuse.

Copy mistakes
Another mistake brands make is not taking enough care of the copy on the product packaging. Brands should take care not to let typing errors slip by and put poorly checked copies on their packaging. It allows the customers to believe that the brand team is careless about the product, and they may eventually stop investing in it. So, it is advisable that brands recheck and triple the branding and any written information on all the packages and marketed goods before sending them out of the factory, lest the typo leads to misinformation and results in the possibility of any harm to customers, especially in the case of food and beverage products.

Generic packaging
Generic packaging may not be attractive to customers. If brands feel that they lack experience with branding and messaging, they can consider hiring professionals to help them out. For a business to be successful, the products or services, along with the packaging, need to attract a good and loyal customer base. Users often buy products based on social media ads or pictures seen on various media formats; boring and uninspired packaging may not attract them toward the product, no matter its advantages. However, it is a delicate dance. Simply selecting an elaborate logo design might not do it all. The packaging needs to strike a balance between aesthetically pleasing and practical.

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7 online reputation management errors small businesses must avoid

Online platforms have helped businesses reach more customers, but now, businesses have to build and maintain their presence in both offline and online worlds. The reputation of a company among the general public largely contributes to its sales and growth in the long run. So, online reputation management has become an important measure, especially for small businesses trying to establish an online presence. Before embarking on this path, here are mistakes small businesses should avoid: 1. Absence on social media platforms Social media platforms have emerged as powerful tools for businesses, helping them actively engage with their audiences and promote their products and services. These days, when one comes across a brand’s name for the first time, they usually check the company’s social media profile before deciding if they should engage with the brand. So, if a business does not have a social media profile, it can seem unreliable to potential consumers or deter them. Businesses do not need to have a presence on all social media platforms. Instead, they should focus on 3–4 platforms that are popular among the businesses’ target audiences. Being active on these platforms means posting regularly and creating innovative campaigns that can strike a chord with the target group. 2. Not responding to comments and reviews It is not enough to have a dedicated space for customers to share opinions online regarding a company’s products and services. The company should also respond to as many of these reviews and comments as possible, as this shows that the stakeholders are genuinely interested in their customers and their feedback. If the comment or review is negative, the brand should immediately get the issue addressed and leave a comment with an apology and what initiatives it has taken to resolve the problem. Potential customers tend to focus on negative comments and their replies, so the more genuine and proactive a company is, the better chance it has to improve its online reputation. 3. Excluding it from digital marketing plans Often, small businesses consider reputation management an additional task, so it is not specifically assigned to someone in the digital marketing team. However, then online reputation management activities are not organized and employees may not prioritize them. So, online reputation management should be an active part of the digital marketing plans. The digital marketing team of a business should brainstorm on different ways to uphold the company’s reputation online, assigning tasks like replying to comments, dealing with negative reviews, posting on social media, etc., to different people in the team. 4. Leaving automated responses Many companies automate their responses online to save time and effort while making their customers happy. However customers can usually differentiate between a personalized and a generic reply. Also, if they post multiple comments and receive the same response for all, they would be able to tell these are autogenerated responses. This is why businesses need to prioritize manually replying to individual comments. If responses are customized, customers will notice the personal touch in them and are more likely to perceive the brand positively. 5. Uploading fake reviews When a business doesn’t get enough responses or reviews online, the easy way out is to post a few fake positive reviews to garner positive attention. But this may actually be the most destructive strategy. For starters, search engines can blacklist those posting fake reviews. Also, if there are no negative or neutral reviews and only positive ones, it is sure to leave website visitors skeptical about the brand, stopping them from converting into customers. Finally, if this act is ever confirmed online, the business’s reputation can be tarnished permanently. It is better for businesses to be patient when it comes to being active on social media platforms. Further, spending some time trying to understand the target group and providing top-notch products or services will yield results. 6. Reacting negatively to unfair reviews It is common for businesses to be attacked on online platforms once in a while. Sometimes, these reviews may also use fake details to target brands, such as unwarranted claims that the company has closed down partially or completely. While the natural reaction here may be to quickly refute such claims, it is important to be cautious and avoid sending furious replies or being excessively sarcastic. This is because the original review, as well as the company’s responses to it, are visible to everyone online, and an aggressive response is likely to reflect negatively on the company’s ability to deal with difficult situations. Instead, the reply should have a calm, neutral tone that presents all the facts clearly while still exhibiting politeness and professionalism. Ideally, content professionals should be asked to draft such responses. 7. Ignoring email marketing Even with the popularity of social media, good old emails are still relevant. Also, they offer a means of direct communication. What’s more? There is a chance of potential customers opening emails even when they are on a break from social media. So, it is a great idea to send out emails regarding upcoming product launches, features and benefits of specific products, and deals and discounts. Also, businesses should reply promptly to any post-purchase emails from customers, thanking them for the feedback.

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8 mistakes to avoid when using accounting software

Accounting software has completely transformed the field of finance, making it easier for companies to maintain their records without the need to hold on to a tedious number of files. However, not everyone has adapted well to this change, leading to errors and blunders that cost companies time and money and impact their credibility. To avoid these, learn about some basic mistakes people make when using accounting software and ways to minimize them. 1. Making data entry errors Even with accounting software, it is important to be wary of errors during manual data entry. Some common examples of such errors include items entered into the incorrect account, number transposition, misplacing the decimal, duplicating or missing entries, slotting them in the wrong category, etc. The software is trained to process the dataset precisely as it is entered, and these mistakes could skew the results. This can be avoided by completely automating the system and reducing the manual data entry workload and the errors that accompany it. Additionally, a double-check system should be implemented to validate the data by two or more employees to reduce the risk of faulty data entry. 2. Forgetting to delegate With accounting software, many companies need to lay off their accounting team. Working with a skeletal team could spell disaster when it comes to record-keeping. While this software can automate the process, it is still prone to errors. Avoid running into these issues by ensuring the team has enough capable bookkeepers and accountants to monitor the system and ensure everything is in order. 3. Ignoring bookkeeping throughout the year While the need to deal with endless paperwork for expense filing is gone, it is still important to maintain a clear record of one’s income and expenses annually. This work is generally managed using accounting software. With digital transactions on the rise, many people ignore regular bookkeeping, which can be dangerous. Not only does this practice add to work at the last minute, but it could also result in misbalanced records, which could complicate the taxation process. Avoid this mistake by using a receipt-capturing app and accounting software to document these activities daily. 4. Not having consistent processes for changes Every company follows its own closing process, which could be monthly, quarterly, or yearly. At the end of each cycle, the transactions are reviewed and finalized, and the period is closed. After this, no changes should be made to the data. However, many companies do not have these stringent procedures in place, which could lead to troubles when filing financial statements for tax purposes. Avoid this mistake by creating and enforcing a clear closing procedure for the company. Fortify this by adding passwords or two-factor authentication to this system, preventing changes in closed files. 5. Skipping reconciliation Even when using automated accounting systems, the data still needs to be reconciled with the bank statements. Simply put, the entries on the sheets must be cross-checked with one’s bank statements to ensure that they tally. However, many think this is a wasted effort, often skipping the process. This could result in issues with cash flow and even impede one’s ability to catch and rectify errors early. Consolidate the statements with the records at least once a month. Establish a schedule so any errors can be caught and corrected quickly. 6. Overstating revenue If a company has not established a proper system of checks and balances for its data, it is more likely to make mistakes, such as overstating revenue. This could increase owed taxes, severely impacting the company’s profits. This tends to occur when frequent data entry errors, improper revenue recognition, inadequate return processing, a lack of internal controls, system errors, and miscategorized expenses occur. Keep these issues in check to avoid running into taxation problems in the future. 7. Classifying expenses wrong There are many expenses associated with a business, such as employee salaries, office expenses, the cost of raw materials, marketing and sales expenses, facilities and equipment, etc. Some of these can sometimes be ambiguous or overlap with another category, causing confusion. Modern accounting systems easily prevent this by developing guidelines with clear category demarcations. This exercise can help ensure smooth and consistent reporting throughout the year. 8. Not backing up financial data Most modern accounting software uses the cloud to create data backups. However, this is not foolproof, and the data is still at risk for theft or ransomware attacks. In such an incident, companies can stand to lose all their data. Avoid this by creating a backup of all the financial data in the cloud. Create more copies of this data on an external hard drive or a network-attached storage (NAS) device. Keep copies of this off-site in case of any physical or natural disasters that may hit the office. No company is immune to making accounting mistakes, whether big or small. Establishing proper controls, giving adequate importance to bookkeeping and accounting, and setting up stringent processes can help minimize the risk of errors and ensure quality record maintenance throughout the year.