FREE Shipping as an Ecommerce Conversion Tactic You or your company may or already offer free shipping OR you may have the ability to offer FREE SHIPPING but are you using it? Or more importantly, are you using it correctly?! If your business does not have the ability to offer FREE Shipping - this tactic might not be for you - BUT be sure to get on the tips and tactics mailing list so that as I release these FREE Conversion tactics and other tips and tactics from my eBooks you will get them in your inbox and you will be able to promptly take advantage of the conversion increases waiting for you on your site. This article will show you

1. How to Use the Free Shipping Conversion Tactic2. Why to Use the Free Shipping Conversion Tactic3. When to use the Free Shipping Conversion Tactic4. What to do when you are NOT using the Free Shipping Conversion

Tactic5. And best of all what to do as soon as you are done reading this.

So let’s get started.

What is the FREE Shipping as an Ecommerce Conversion Tactic?As Google Trends shows (very clearly) the number of people searching for “FREE SHIPPING” as part of their searches increases almost parabolically from October to December!

This fact or trend that “web searchers” are using the terms “free shipping” as part of their searches from Oct-Dec by itself may not seem like earth shattering news, as you are very likely one of those people who search for “Free Shipping” around the holidays for gifts for yourself - or gifts being sent to family or friends.

But what is worth noting (and implementing as a conversion tactic) is that the online stores and retailers who DO USE FREE SHIPPING as a conversion tactic are converting more visitors into customers during these 3 months. And depending on the Lifetime Value (LTV) of a customer to you and your business, this means not only increased conversions, but it gives you a tactic that you can pull out and execute every year to the point that you will soon almost be able to predict the amount of increased sales/conversions thanks to the Free Shipping Conversion Tactic. [NOTE] A nice side effect of the Free Shipping Conversion Tactic is not only the immediate impact of increased conversions, but the increased long term revenue if you continue to stay in touch with and market value to the life or experience of that customer...but increasing Lifetime Value (LTV) is a post for a different time :)

How to use the FREE Shipping as an Ecommerce Conversion TacticWhen a visitor enters a search term and hits “Search” they see search engine results page (SERP). If that user clicks on link that takes them to a page the DOES NOT HAVE the terms they typed into their search, then abandonment rate for that page/site is sky high. In other words, if I search for “ipad case free shipping” and I land on a page that doesn’t very clearly show me that the iPad cases are going to offer FREE SHIPPING - then I am going to abandon that page, and go back to the list of results and click another link - this lost opportunity is very easy to overcome simply by adding a “FREE SHIPPING” Graphic to your product and category pages. See an example below.

Why it needs to be usedThe absolute easiest way to explain WHY this tactic needs to be used is this -

“People spent 45% more if they did not have to pay for the shipping”

(http://thefik.com/) Apart from completing their initial purchase, customers are likely to buy more products because of free shipping. A study conducted by Compete stated that 93% of online buyers are encouraged to buy more products if free shipping is included. Customers who received free shipping also ended up being more satisfied than those who had to pay additional fees.

“93% of online buyers are encouraged to buy more products if free shipping is included.

Customers who received free shipping also ended up being more satisfied than those who

had to pay additional fees.”

When Use itSo the obvious (but not so accurate) reaction is to offer FREE Shipping all the time - year round. No. Some stores do this - some are successful by doing this year round, but if there was a single recipe that worked for every online store, then you wouldn’t be reading this - you would be taking a bath in all the money you made from copying the exact recipe you saw on another site. But you already know this isn’t quite how it works. Each business, each store is a bit different, so while this tactic WILL work seasonally - based on Google trends data - it is a BETTER practice to take this Free Shipping Conversion Tactic down after the holidays and run a separate conversion tactic in it’s place. And even MORE smoking hot conversion tactic to employ is to A/B Test what conversion tactics work for your site right after the holidays!! I think you are starting to see..or it is at least my hope that you will see...that as you implement and keep track of these tactics and their results that you will be developing your OWN secret conversion sauce that so you will know from one month to the next (or from one season to the next) what works and what doesn't work for increasing your conversions and when to use the tactics that work best for your site.

What to use when you are NOT using the FREE Shipping tactic (or what to alternate or test it with)The Tactic that I am going to give away for free deserves it’s own post, and it is one of the tactics in the The OptimalEcommerce Conversion ebook but it is the First Time Visitor (FTV) Conversion Tactic. This tactic shows you how to speak to and what First Time Visitors look for and respond to the best. I could go on for 10 more pages about the First Time Visitor (FTV) tactic, but to learn more about the First Time Visitor (FTV) tactics and to see examples - and many many others get your copy here

What to do NextSo we’ve looked at the items below - if it makes sense - GET YOUR FREE SHIPPING ELEMENTS IN PLACE TODAY, if you want to get your entire site optimized, get a copy of the OptimalEcommerce ebook and get all 37 conversion tips and tactics in place.

1. What is the Tactic.2. Why it needs to be used.3. When Use it.4. What To use when you are NOT using this tactic, or what to test it with.5. What to do Next.

Also - be sure to get on the mailing list to get tips like this in your inbox as I release them.