Product Labels: 5 Tips for Putting these Silent Salesmen to Work for You

You could be overlooking an important sales tool if you haven’t put much thought into your product labels. Customers who say, “no thanks, I’m just looking,” and nosy friends that look in medicine cabinets, glove compartments and cupboards can learn a lot from a well-designed product label. The right label can catch the eye, inform, educate and persuade. That’s like having a tiny salesperson attached to every product!

So how do you design the perfect product label? Here are five suggestions:

Coordinate with Your Brand
This may sound obvious, but be sure to use your brand colors and logo on your label. It should be obvious to everyone who sees your website, store, brochures and/or ads that this product comes from your company. This also means prominently featuring your company name and phone number or website address. Make it easy for them to make a repeat purchase!

Differentiate with Color
Yes, I just said to use your brand colors, but you can also use coordinating colors to differentiate separate lines or versions. Just be sure that the accent colors are distinct enough to easily recognize them as a unique product line. Using varying shades of purple for every different kind of product you have will confuse customers instead of helping them identify the right product line.

Use Quality Graphics or Images
Wherever you get your product label printed (and we recommend 123Print.com, of course!) ask them what resolution they recommend. The higher the resolution, the crisper and clearer your image will appear. Working with a professional photographer or artist will help ensure that you get a quality image. Tell them what makes your product unique so they know what their visual should help communicate.

Include the Details
In addition to listing required information like ingredients, nutrition information, directions and anything that’s required by law, you should include a compelling message about the product. If you have a front and back (or top and bottom) label, the back/bottom may be where you want to feature the required info. Use the prime front or top label to showcase your brand and your key product message.

Proof Then Print
Before taking your art file to the printer (or uploading it to 123Print.com for free), be sure to print it out on regular paper and proof it. Is everything spelled correctly? Double-check the product name, addresses, telephone numbers and web URLs. Are the images crisp? Is the required information included? If you can, have someone who’s never looked at the label help you proofread it.

Following these five product label design tips will help ensure that you have the perfect product label. Do you have any more suggestions, or maybe some product label blunders to avoid? We’d love to hear about it. Leave a comment below or on Facebook, Google+ or Twitter. You can also check out our product packaging tips blog for more ideas.