By ShipTimeWhen you hear the words ‘free shipping’, a rush of happiness might overcome you, especially if you’re an avid online shopper.
But, if you’re a business owner, you might be wondering how this can be viable and beneficial for you.
The Allure of Free Shipping
The promise of free shipping has a psychological impact on shoppers. It often feels like getting an extra perk or saving money, making the overall shopping experience more appealing. Therefore, businesses that offer free shipping often witness a surge in conversions and customer retention.
Why Should Businesses Offer Free Shipping?
Increased Sales: Offering free shipping can lead to a higher conversion rate. Shoppers are more likely to complete their purchase when they know they aren’t incurring additional costs.
Competitive Edge: With many businesses offering free shipping, not offering it can put you at a disadvantage. It can be the factor that tips the scale in favor of a competitor.
Reduced Cart Abandonment: One of the top reasons shoppers abandon their carts is high shipping costs. By eliminating this barrier, businesses can see a decrease in cart abandonment rates.
Strategies to Offer Free Shipping
While free shipping sounds great for consumers, it’s not always feasible for businesses due to the costs involved. However, with some smart strategies, businesses can offer free shipping and still maintain profitability:
Increase Product Prices: One of the simplest ways is to slightly raise product prices to cover shipping costs. This way, the cost of shipping is essentially embedded in the product price, allowing you to offer ‘free’ shipping to customers.
Minimum Purchase Requirement: Offer free shipping on orders over a certain amount. This encourages customers to buy more, increasing your average order value.
Selective Free Shipping: Offer it on select items, within specific locations, or during promotional periods. This allows you to control when and where you’re incurring the additional expense.
Include it in the Membership/Subscription Fee: If you offer a membership or subscription service, include free shipping as a part of the package. The recurring revenue can help offset the shipping costs.
Promote it as a Special Offer: Use free shipping as a limited-time marketing strategy to attract customers during sales or holiday seasons.
Consider the Real Cost
Before diving in, calculate the real cost of offering free shipping. Determine the average shipping cost you bear per product and evaluate how it impacts your profit margins when offering it for free. This will give you a clearer picture and help in deciding which strategy to adopt.
The ShipTime Advantage
Now, if you’re pondering over how to offer the best shipping rates and still remain competitive, look no further than ShipTime. Here’s how ShipTime can be a valuable asset for your business:
Branded Tracking Pages:
ShipTime allows businesses to create branded tracking pages that showcase their logo, website, and social media URLs. This feature helps maintain brand consistency and keeps customers engaged within the business ecosystem.
eCommerce Integration:
ShipTime seamlessly integrates with popular eCommerce platforms such as Shopify, WooCommerce, Ecwid, and BigCommerce. This integration simplifies the shipping process for online businesses, enabling them to manage their shipments efficiently.
Real-Time Rates at Checkout:
ShipTime provides customers with discounted shipping rates during the checkout process. This ensures that you never overcharge or undercharge for shipping by offering a flat rate. Accurate rates at checkout enhance customer satisfaction and prevent any unexpected costs.
ShipTime Insurance:
In addition to savings on shipping rates, ShipTime also offers savings of up to 50% on insurance. With the ability to submit claims online and enjoy a faster resolution time of approximately two weeks, ShipTime simplifies the insurance process, providing peace of mind and added value to your shipments.
Heroic Support™
ShipTime prides itself on offering best-in-class customer care. Their bilingual support team is available by phone, live chat, or email from Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 8 PM EST. With their Heroic Support™, you can rely on their assistance for any shipping-related queries or concerns, ensuring a smooth and hassle-free experience.
ShipTime is a no-cost service that empowers businesses to compare shipping rates from all major couriers including FedEx, UPS, Purolator, Canada Post, DHL, Canpar, Loomis, GLS and Nationex while saving up to 76% every time you ship.
Ship Smarter – with ShipTime, we are a true partner beyond just discounted rates. We provide a best in class platform packed with features and backed by our legendary Heroic Support™ team.
You can sleep easy with ShipTime’s best-in-class customer care. Our bilingual team is available by phone, live chat, or email Monday – Friday from 8:30AM to 8PM EST
