How to Make Your Products Look More Expensive

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One of my favorite places to shop is Bendon Lingerie. When you buy there, everything comes gorgeously wrapped in pastel pink tissue paper, and inside a shiny carry bag. It makes the Bendon brand more appealing and it makes me OK with the fact that I'm spending $89 on a single bra (TMI? Sorry!). 

Anyway, when we buy online, sometimes the magic is removed: There's no carry bag and tissue paper and the glow of buying something new is dimmed a little. 

I've got a little formula, however, that give buyers back that joy and excitement of buying something new. Better yet, my little formula makes my products look more expensive which means I can up my prices make better profits on every sale. 

It's pretty simple and doesn't cost a lot. I just repackage my items a little. Here's what my little baby banana suit looks like when it arrives from my supplier in China. 

Bound with plastic packaging...

... and a cheap-looking swing tag.

Most buyers dislike seeing Chinese symbols on their purchases because it reminds them that the product was made in China. Maybe it's a subconscious reminder that they are buying something that I bought at a wholesale price? Regardless of the reasoning, the swing tag has got to go, as does that tacky plastic packaging. 

To replace it, I use my own swing tag that has my logo and company colors. Below you can see the back and front of one I had custom made:

Using my nifty little tagging gun, I add my swing tag. I got my tagging gun off eBay for less than $20. It does the job, but has a mean needle that I've pricked myself with many times!

Make sure you get one like mine that has a cap on it so that you can cover up the needle. I use the needle to punch a hole in the swing tag, then pull the trigger to attach the tag. Voila! Instant branding and instantly more valuable to buyers. 

The next thing I add is a flyer that thanks buyers for their purchase and gives them a coupon code to get a 20% discount on their next purchase. here's the back and front of the flyers. They're A5 size (8.3 x 5.8 in). Sorry the photo is a little blurry. 

There are two reasons why I use this flyer: 

1. Firstly, because it simply looks nice and adds a personal touch. Brand consistency is important to me because I know building a brand earns you more money now and especially in the future. As I sell baby clothing, part of my brand is being warm and personal: Most of my customers are moms who love getting a little thank you note. 

2. Repeat customers make a business and by giving them an incentive to purchase again by giving them a discount, it encourages them to do so.

Also, it's proven that 20% is an optimal discount to offer. 20% meets the "Just Noticeable Difference" threshold which means the discount is enough for customers to actually recognise it as a benefit. Generally, anything less than 20% doesn't appeal to customers. Oh, unless of course you are Apple and you can offer a 5% discount and get the world tweeting about it! 

I don't like to offer too much more than 20% off my products, but that's a whole other blog post! 

Finally, I wrap it all up in some blue tissue paper. Admittedly, I don't do this every time, mostly because some of my products are too big, but I know my buyers love it, so I try to remain consistent. 

Wondering what product I was playing with? A cute little baby banana suit. They're a popular seller and they're pretty accessible in the wholesale world if you want to check them out. 

Now, I know what you're thinking, the swing tags, the flyers and the tissue paper must have cost me a fortune, right? Well, it wasn't exactly free, but you can easily setup something like this on the cheap. 

All swing tags need is your logo and tagline if you have one, then get them printed through a cut price printer like Vista Print. I haven't used Vista Print myself but I know it's very cheap (just watch the shipping costs). 

Flyers might need to be designed unless you're handy with Adobe InDesign or other graphic design software. Working with a student from a local design school could be a great option. Just remember, you only need to get these designed once and then you can use it as much as you like. You can print 100 flyers through Vista Print for $24.99 in the US. Check out their deals here

Warning: If you go away and use Microsoft Word or Paint and create something yourself... something like the image below, you have completely missed my point I'm getting across in this blog post and you're probably better off not including any flyer at all. 

And you can purchase tissue paper in bulk like I did and it works out at a few cents a sheet. Of course, not all products are suited to using tissue paper... or swing tags for that matter, but I hope this has give you some inspiration for how to add some value to your products. If you have any questions, leave me a comment below. I always love hearing from you. 

Recommended Reading: How to Come Up with Creative Ideas for What to Sell on eBay

Note: If you go looking for my baby boutique, you won't find it (sorry!). The website is being redesigned at the moment and I'm being a bit fussy about what I want.  I decided a good time to do this blog post was now, while the site was down so that it didn't seem like I was piggy backing off SaleHoo traffic and trying to make some sales :P

 

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21 Comments
  • Booker Gattison 21st of March
    I liked you blog. Very creative and your right it doesn't cost very much to add the extra touch.
  • Sharon 21st of March
    I very much enjoyed reading your advice and seeing how you do things. Makes it so much easier for me to picture and get a grasp of. Many thanks :)
  • John Griffin 21st of March
    Hey Alice, That one blog post was worth the years price of admission! Always good stuff, thank you. John P.S. I wonder how many new baby boutiques will be popping up in the near future? wink wink
  • Lynn 21st of March
    Very Informative...I try and do the same thing, I don't sell clothing though..If you make it more like opening a nice gift or present it just enhances the whole experience.
  • Shoothigh 21st of March
    Solid advise and a value added feature that adds the personal touch that buyers like. I have ordered products on line and when a note of appreciation is added it goes a long way in building referrals and repeat desire to purchase again. Question what do you do if you are only drop shipping as not all will blind ship?
  • Maricela Fernandez 21st of March
    I have being doing that, adding the extra touch is very valuable!!! Most of customers like me love that.
  • Marketing Exec Salehoo Member 21st of March
    You have picked up an idea that in the 60's and 70's was used in retail stores. A major grocery chain in the USA would give management 2 warnings if they walked past a customer leaving the store " did you find everything you were looking for"? The third time you were fired. Customer satisfaction is exactly what your doing, well done!
  • sheryl 21st of March
    I think you are right. Just because customers are buying online, it doesn't mean it can't be something special when it arrives and if you buy your packaging accessories in bulk, it may only cost you an extra 50 cents to a $1 to give your customer a special experience.
  • Na'ven Goodkarma 22nd of March
    Very nice! Thank you for that information. I'm establishing a brand name too, instead of just buying and reselling things that are already on the market. This should help to enforce brand recognition and reputation as well.
  • chaim spitzer 22nd of March
    I love your idea thanks so much for sharing with us. New people like Tam and I need all the help we can get.
  • Alice Delore 22nd of March
    Thanks guys! I'm so pleased you all liked my blog post. I'm even more pleased that you've found it useful and might be able to adapt something like it in your own business.

    @hpygolkyone your comment made my day :)

    Haha, yes there is always a risk in sharing too much information, especially when you get watched by others but I'm confident in my business, my marketing and my supply chain, and I know it would be hard to replicate, so I'm happy to share. I just hope it helps others.
  • Brenda 22nd of March
    This is a brilliant tactic - tiny changes that turn a cute item into a boutique purchasing experience for the end buyer. Wonderful way to add value and promote your brand!
  • Seyi Olaleye 22nd of March
    Beautiful idea so simply but effectively explained! Thanks for sharing this. I shall employ this in my marketing activities too. Well Done!
  • DANA PERILLO STANGO 22nd of March
    Keep em comin', Alice. I read all your blogs word for word. They are so informative, helpful & right on point. Thanks for sharing!
  • Island Air 22nd of March
    Hey this was a great idea it got my attention. Love it :)
  • Ami Elsius 22nd of March
    i am new to salehoo how do i find wholesale suppliers from china
  • Ali McFadden 23rd of March
    HI Alice I like the idea. I buy from China a lot also and i buy the small net bags and use for Jewelry, watches and include a gift box on more expensive watches. Because I can buy so cheaply i purchase items from China like earrings, bracelets, pens, little screwdriver sets, keyring s and other items usually under 30 cents and just include with their purchase. I had Vistaprint do some little cards for me saying this is a gift for you and also print a little calender on the back. I get the occasion emails and often in the feedback about what I have sent and it has also lead to sales of these items as customers want more
  • guy gibson 23rd of March
    I am grateful for useful advice.
  • Jeff 24th of March
    Nice one- you have given me an idea for an upsell/ cross-sell of a product i market currently- i will action this in the coming week Thanks and keep up the good work !
  • Alice Delore 24th of March
    @Orient_Express

    Good point! It can really help your feedback score/DSRs when you add little touches which definitely helps to increase your sales. I love your thank you card idea :) Thanks for sharing.
  • Julia 24th of March
    I agree with the former post from John aswell. This was the best advive which pertains to anyone selling anything online. Since becoming a member, in the last year, there has been little advice like this blog. I'm not interested in finding niche markets and resale Chinese goods. My online business is in the crafts and I sell on Etsy creating custom made decoraive items. This blog, Alice, is tremendous to help me become a better online retailer. You deserve congratulations for it. Cheers, Julia