I’m a sucker for packaging, and I’ve brought this habit over to the online world.

When I first got my Apple iBook in 2006 I was so in love with the beautiful packaging that I kept all the boxes. The same happened when I bought my iPhone in 2008. Apple Computer have obviously mastered the art of packaging, and it’s something we can all learn in our blogging and Internet marketing efforts.

When you talk about digital products like e-books, white papers, software and even website advertising, people tend to think:

“But it’s digital and I don’t ship it, so why should I create packaging?”

In marketing, good packaging adds the final touch to a great product.

Even when you’re selling intangible or digital goods, nothing ads realism more than “E-cover” packaging. It’s true that there isn’t any real cover or package, but make it seem like it does and your conversion rates will improve. E-covers add the “feel” to your product and lets your customers visualize it clearly.

In fact I would say a good e-cover is as important to a product as a good WordPress theme is to a blog. There are 3 ways you can create e-covers:

1. Hire a web graphics designer to create a single cover or a complete package, and pay them
2. Do it yourself manually in Photoshop – which isn’t really that difficult if you’re a design expert
3. Get Photoshop “action scripts” that eliminate the know-how and learning curve, and do it yourself

I’ve hired people before, but after I got my own Photoshop action scripts, I never went back to them. In fact I created all these covers myself:

You can almost see the transition in design I’ve made for all my e-covers. Initially I designed my e-covers the same way the regular e-cover designers do, but more recently I’m trying to move to simpler, web 2.0-ish designs.

And you can do this yourself too:

1. Get the Photoshop action scripts and install them on your PC (make sure you have Photoshop)
2. Test out the scripts and see which type of cover (ebook, box, membership card etc) that you want to use
3. Compare your designs with other e-cover designs that you fancy, and research their color combination and techniques
4. Over time your designs will improve and you’ll save yourself a few thousand dollars in e-cover design, while creating a branding effect for your products

If you’re just after one cover, then don’t bother getting it. But if you’re in the business of creating and selling digital products, this is a must-have in your marketing arsenal.

More Info: E-cover Design Package