Boost Your Sales on Shopify Through Free Shipping

Online shopping is now a worldwide phenomenon, where people order things they want by tapping on a phone. While shipping is necessary to profit, getting rid of it may help your sales skyrocket. Indeed, delivering parcels to distant places takes a long time and a lot of money. 

When other eCommerce companies like Shopify introduced free shipping, it may or may not have helped sellers profit significantly. There are products that may offer free shipping, but their total cost is still infused with shipping fees. 

Free Shipping vs. Discount 

Shoppers, or people who don't shop, prefer hearing the word "free" over "discount." To see for yourself, would you want 50% off or purchase two items for free shipping?

Along with the rise of eCommerce, free shipping has become a more effective marketing tool to attract customers to shopping online vs. using discounts as a marketing tool. 

Most of us would prefer free shipping to a 50% shipping discount because we don't process percentages the same way we process the word "free." It requires effort for our brains to process things such as fractions. 

Several psychological methods are projected to promote Shopify and attract more customers to ensure effectiveness rather than a sound marketing plan. 

Still, they are primarily ineffective due to changes in the current market. 

Shopify's Effective Marketing

Applying this marketing strategy, especially with conditions, is compelling. Customers who see your offer will know they save up a lot. Psychological methods are often used in marketing to boost sales on Shopify; they could also apply to any business.

Loss Aversion 

  • Some sellers on Shopify advertise their free shipping with the term "Don't miss out!" along with the percentage deducted from the actual price.

Anchoring

  • This is a widespread effect that occurs in many shoppers. An example is where your rival seller sells something for $15, but you sell the same product for a higher price, like $20. 
  • You will want to introduce a sale to attract customers, thinking they will save more money when they just spent the same amount of what they should have.

Mere Exposure Effect

  • To promote your Shopify shop and free shipping, you need to be active on social media
  • This way, shoppers will be able to become familiar with you, and when they see you while shopping, they will instantly buy from your shop solely because they know you. 

Halo Effect

  • Reviews come into a pivotal role with this effect, especially in shipping. If your customers give out good feedback regarding your free shipping, more customers are engaged because of the positive outcome of what you offered to them.

These methods seem to work effectively even for marketing experts because consumers generally process "free" more quickly than complex computations with discounts.

Pros and Cons of Free Shipping

Because of the rise of eCommerce, almost any products available for a bargain have begun to go online since the pandemic struck. Because of this culture, consumers are slowly becoming used to shopping on eCommerce platforms

While shipping is essential for most sellers, offering it for free could be beneficial because some products are generally cheaper than the shipping fee. That is why free shipping attracts customers quickly, and you could be a potential competitor to a prominent business owner on Shopify.

Of course, every situation has advantages and disadvantages, which is why it is essential to take into account every benefit and drawback you may gain from whatever you do, and in this case, free shipping.

To learn more, thoroughly read the items below to help you make a sound decision in using free shipping to boost your sales on Shopify.

Pros

  • Customers are engaged in buying because they know they will not pay for anything upon delivery.
  • Friendly shipping policies pave an easier way to attract more customers considering that the majority look for the cost and not the quality.
  • Proper shipping retains customers. Though it may be hard to attract customers, it is easy to maintain your concurrent ones. 
  • You are in charge of shipping costs. You can set up shipping fees depending on the size and weight of your product.

Cons

  • Your product will be more expensive than it is. Free shipping isn't actually free; if it is, you must make your money elsewhere. 
  • Shipping rates increase sometimes, and when they do, you have to increase the cost of your product. 
  • Shipping internationally might be tricky. It might require international branches, or if you run a small business in Shopify, it is needed to require shipping fees.
  • You are limited in controlling your shipping; you will lose an incredible amount of profit if all of your products include free shipping.
  • You, as a seller, pay for the shipping cost because it isn't really free.

Although free shipping has negative impacts, most sellers recommend applying it in Shopify business to boost your sales. 

There may be situations where shipping can't be free because of bulky and massive products that need payment; it's understandable. 

Sales Revenue Increase With Free Shipping 

We all know it is very engaging when you see something for free; take shipping, for example. It is a waste when you don't get something for free. 

According to researchers, a 10% increase in sales happens when shops like Shopify, would have more engagement than the usual count. People would pay for faster shipping than free shipping, but most shoppers in the United States prefer free shipping in eCommerce, making it very popular.

Something popular would sell out quickly, which is perfect for your business. It is your opportunity to turn this popularity into a perk. 

Efficient Marketing Planning for Free Shipping 

It is very normalized in the eCommerce world to pay for shipping; thus, people love it more when it is offered free. If you intend to make your shipping accessible, it is essential to plan for it.

For starters, you need to determine the average price of the product you sell and how much you could profit from it. If you are confident about the results, you can try experimenting with free shipping and see if you have any significant losses in sales. 

Another option is to raise the prices of your products as a disguise for the shipping fee. Whether you do it or don't do it, it is still profitable.

Customers are more likely to cancel orders for products with higher shipping costs than the product itself. Look at your current costs to see if free shipping is reasonable for that product. Keep in mind that the whole point of free shipping in Shopify is to sell more products, so be aware of setting prices so as not to lose any profit.

Promoting Your Product Alongside Its Free Shipping 

Now that you have planned what you will do, it is time to think of a marketing strategy to promote free shipping better on Shopify. Remember that the whole point of free shipping is to sell more products. 

  • Take this as an example, you have a product that costs $10, and your free shipping applies at a minimum of $15 of total orders. This method allows customers to buy twice the product, so they don't have to pay anything upon delivery.
  • You can compare sales records from previous sales as an advertisement to draw more customers and purchase your product.
  • Participating in days where people expect a sale and free shipping with most of your products. 
  • Place a time limit on free shipping deals. This way, shoppers have a choice whenever they are doubtful. This is also ideal if you have slow sales. 

That being said, you can also develop better strategies to promote your free shipping.

The Effectiveness of eCommerce

Ecommerce happens worldwide, and it basically means doing business through the internet. 

Since the 90s, online shopping has helped us a lot, especially during this pandemic, and it saves us a lot of time from going to the mall and going home to get one thing. As they say, time is of the essence, meaning something should be done before something else happens.  

Customers also find eCommerce very convenient, as they can usually be busy with jobs or life in general. Most of the research and compare products before buying them if they are satisfied. 

In short, the online shopping system on Shopify helps us a lot in these modern times and saves a lot of time for busy people.

Conclusion

With the rise of eCommerce and how it is rapidly evolving, people have adapted this way to shop easily for their essential needs and everyday use. 

The application of free shipping will help improve your business on Shopify. This application will be evident, and so will your consumers' experience, along with easy accessibility to the internet and everyday routines.

Whether you are a seller or a buyer on Shopify, free shipping has many benefits because it attracts consumers more effectively than any other marketing tool.