4 techniques to keep the cost of free shipping low

Our minds are conditioned to pay more attention to deals that offer us something free. That’s why free shipping makes such an impact on sales numbers. Goods which come with free shipping are most attractive to online shoppers. In fact, before placing any order a customer will compare shipping charges and the seller shipping for free usually wins the purchase.

This means goods shipped without charges receive more orders. 61% of customers cancel orders in case they have to pay for shipping. According to delivery company, Quickli, at least 80% of online customers will buy more or come back when shipping is fast and free. But, anything offered to customers for free results in expenses for you as an online seller.

Don’t fret though you can still offer free shipping and not burn holes in your pockets. You don’t necessarily need to offer free shipping on every product you sell to take advantage of the benefits it offers.

When is the best time to offer free shipping?

1. Free shipping on repeat purchases

Every time a customer makes a purchase from you can offer them a free shipping code on their next purchase. Shipping codes can be created on Amazon the same way you prepare discount codes.

These codes can be made invisible to shoppers on Amazon. This way you can offer them only to specific customers. They can be packed with the first purchase made from you so the customer can use them during their next purchase.

To create a free shipping code head to the promotions section on the Amazon seller panel. Select the free shipping option and set the code. You can add a validity period for your shipping codes or you can leave them valid for an unending period of time. You can also set a single code for your entire catalog or for selective products.

2. Free shipping for limited periods

You can offer limited period free shipping to customers as well. Providing an offer for a limited amount of time creates a sense of urgency to buyer. To do this, you can use set a timeframe for your free shipping codes. You can also offer your product with free shipping for a certain period of time after which you can add shipping costs to your listing.

When offering limited period free shipping, you will need to inform customers that your free shipping offer is available only for a limited period. You can mention this under your product features section or publicize it through your social media campaigns.

Time bound free shipping can be offered every weekend, during the festival seasons, end of the month or end of season sales.

3. Free shipping for products of specific values

As we said, free shipping doesn’t have to be offered on every single product. You can make it available for purchases of a certain amount. For example, free shipping on products worth Rs.500 and more.

There is a certain price after which customers expect to receive free ship facilities. The general rule to remember is to charge shipping on orders below Rs.500 and free shipping on commodities worth more than Rs.500. Customers will actually buy expensive products if they can get free shipping. This means closing bigger tickets for you.

4. Free shipping for more purchases

You can condition free shipping in terms of purchase quantities. This means you can offer free shipping on products when 2 or more units are purchased. This way you can encourage more purchases and bear limited shipping costs.

For example, if you sell notebooks and a customer decides to buy 3 pieces of the same notebook and the weight doesn’t exceed into the next weight slab you can offer free shipping as it will not cost you extra to ship 3 items at once.

The basic purpose behind free shipping is to compete better with your competition and encourage more customers to buy. It also helps create a favourable customer experience. So, keep these factors in mind before determining when to offer free shipping on your products. Also, play around with the pricing to see at how high a price customers are willing to pay without free shipping.

If you’d like to know more about online retail promotions and shipping for more sales on online marketplaces, reach out to us at Browntape. We are India’s largest ecommerce service providers and we are always happy to help.