Did you
know Free Shipping Day is Friday, December 14? This commercial holiday was
introduced in 2008 as a way to extend the online shopping season, that for many
e-commerce retailers starts to diminish following Cyber Monday at the end of November.
Last
December, Freeshipping.com attracted 500,000 consumers looking to save on holiday gifts. If you already have an e-commerce site, participating in Free
Shipping Day could help your business gain exposure and entice new consumers to
discover your products.
Before
jumping on the bandwagon, we highly recommend doing your research to ensure
you don’t get burned by low profit margins or unexpected demand. You will find that many companies require a minimum
spend (or threshold) for shoppers to qualify for free shipping, while others restrict qualifying purchases
to best-selling products with the highest profit margins. Another idea may be to limit your free shipping promo code to only new or loyal customers or create your own free shipping day at a time when sales are slower, and forget
signing up with Freeshipping.com until you have a better grasp on what to expect
for the holiday.
If you’re
looking to increase your website’s conversion rate, this is almost guaranteed
to do the trick, however, it is important that you also understand this kind of
promotion comes with risks, especially during the busy holiday season. RCI
member, Rheo Thompson Candies, had great past success generating early Easter orders
with a free shipping promotion, however, they later concluded the
promotion was conditioning their customers to wait for free shipping to place
their holiday orders. If this is a route you wish to explore, consider limitations to help avoid customers abusing the promotion. Perhaps limit free
shipping within a certain radius of your store to reduce shipping expenses.
A free
shipping promotion can be a great way to attract new customers or thank loyal
customers, but as with any successful promotion it requires careful preparation
and planning to ensure the result is worth the investment. To learn more and get involved, visit freeshipping.com. Here, retailers are invited to fill out a form on their website to be listed as one of the over a thousand participating businesses. Have you
participated in Free Shipping Day in the past? If so, tell us about your experience
in the comment section below.
Not a member? Click here to learn how RCI can help you build your sweet business.
