I have just returned from the WooConference 2014 in San Francisco, and came away with lots of ideas and information.
With a host of great speakers, we didn’t know what to expect, and the interesting thing is they all offered great new ideas, and reiterated some of the concepts we know we should all be offering.
One of the things all store owners must be thinking about at this time of year is Free Shipping, and is it really worth it? Well the answer is, a big YES!
Speaker after speaker mentioned the value of having free shipping available in your online store.
One speaker stated that 73% will shop with Free shipping offered, and that 90% will buy more from your store if free shipping is offered.
Another speaker said that research showed 44% of shoppers will drop out without free shipping, and go elsewhere.
So how can you make free shipping work for your store?
If you can’t sell all your products with free shipping, try offering free shipping on the total value of an order over a given amount, such as $100. This not only attracts shoppers, but entices them to spend over the $100 amount in order to benefit from the shipping offer.
Another way is to offer free shipping on products that you are planning to mark down in the next few days / weeks. You may sell them at full price, simply because you are offering free shipping.
Try offering free shipping on combined purchases in a certain category or categories.
Set up an email campaign offering free shipping to those who buy a product / products before a certain date. This way you will benefit from receiving revenue quicker.
Show a FREE SHIPPING label on your home page, so shoppers know it is available as soon as they land on your store. If possible, have free shipping in your header, so it appears on every page.
There is no question that competition is stiff in the online marketplace, but free shipping is here to stay and it is what shoppers have come to expect, not just from the big box stores, but from any online store or marketplace.
So don’t despair – in the long run, the more you sell, the better rates you can negotiate with your shipping service, so figuring out how to get started is crucial to your ongoing success.
Why not start by talking to your local shipping store? By passing more work their way, you may be able to solve your own shipping problems as well.