How free is 'free shipping'

The shipping strategy for more turnover and loyal customers

Shipping plays a fundamental role in the way a brand is perceived by the customer, with the power of free shipping increasing all the time. The so-called 'pain' that consumers experience with shipping costs is mainly due to the fact that they do not get any visible value in return, so it feels like a loss. Free shipping is therefore a top priority for online shoppers, which makes webshops a difficult choice. For many webshops, shipping is often one of the biggest cost items, so offering free shipping feels like taking away their own margin. Still, there is a good chance that not offering free shipping will cost you more than it will save you.

The power of free shipping

In the world where we are flooded with competition, offering free shipping is a must for almost every webshop. To make a free shipping strategy profitable, it is important to keep the costs associated with shipping your products as low as possible. As soon as online shoppers discover that shipping costs have to be paid, they often leave the shopping cart and roam the entire internet to see if the product is being sent elsewhere for free. In fact, research shows that over 50% do not want to shop at all at webshops that do not use free shipping. All the more reason to take a closer look at the shipment.

The increasing willingness to pay for fast delivery

By big players like Amazon en Bol.com, consumers have been aroused the desire to receive their order on the doormat as soon as possible. The willingness to pay has increased considerably in recent years, which webshops can take advantage of. A recent international survey by BigCommerce shows that 33% of American consumers are willing to pay $ 10 for a fast overnight delivery, with the UK even reaching 38%. It is striking that the willingness to pay drops sharply when the delivery time increases, for example, 40% of American consumers refuse to pay for shipping when they have to wait more than one day for their order.

Increase your sales with 'free shipping with conditions'

Fortunately, there is also something like a happy medium that can even cause consumers to spend more money in your webshop. The power of the word 'free' is often so great for consumers that it immediately catches their attention, making them secretly willing to pay more. The solution is closer than you might think, namely: 'free shipping with conditions'. Offering free shipping when purchasing special products, when purchasing a membership or from a certain amount ensures that you do not lose any margin on small orders and prevents your customers from shopping with the competitor. Various studies have shown that free shipping when a certain amount is spent is labeled by web shops as their most successful marketing tool. The numbers don't lie, over 84% of consumers have added items to their shopping cart in the past 12 months to get free shipping, with 33% always adopting this strategy. The idea of ​​'free' feels like online shoppers getting a special deal, even if it means spending more money.

Implement a profitable shipping strategy

Claim your market value and increase the number of sales by offering your customers the best choices at checkout. We help you to alleviate the pain associated with shipping and make your shipping strategy profitable. Whether you want to ship your products cheaply, efficiently or quickly, with our wide range of national and international carriers you always have the best shipping and delivery options at your fingertips. Combine your favorite carriers with flexible delivery options such as collection points and prevent customers from dropping out early during checkout due to a limited range of shipping options or a poor shipping experience with a carrier.

Curious how Wuunder can help you generate more turnover? Please contact us without any obligation.