To offer free shipping or not to offer free shipping. That may not have been a concern in Shakespeare’s time, but today it’s an issue that all eCommerce companies have to consider. Our fulfillment company experts share some tips for making it work for your business.
1. Not everything has to ship for free.
Some products are just too heavy or too bulky to make free shipping a reasonable perk, and consumers understand this. Do a careful evaluation of your product lines and determine if any of them fall under this category.
2. Protect your margins.
How do you make money? Do you sell primarily high-ticket items, or do you earn on low-margin items with a high volume of repeat customers? The answer to this question will help guide you.
3. Leverage free shipping to boost customer loyalty.
Here are some successful methods that companies have used to link free shipping to other programs:
- Provide free shipping on subscriptions, where products auto-ship at regular intervals.
- Create a program that rewards loyal customers with free shipping. You could also take a page from Amazon and charge a nominal fee for a customer membership.
- Offering free shipping on returns can tip the scales for shoppers who are buying items such as clothing and footwear.
4. Conduct testing.
Nothing has to be set in stone. Review your average orders and shipping costs, then check out what your competition is doing. Choose free shipping options that make the most sense for you and test them out to see which one(s) generate the best response.
A Fulfillment Company That Makes Shipping a Breeze
Medallion Fulfillment & Logistics has favorable relationships with UPS, FedEx and most common carriers. Contact us to learn how our full selection of services can be a valuable solution for your eCommerce company.