If you're looking for a hassle-free online shopping experience, free shipping websites are the way to go. Free shipping websites offer a wide range of benefits, including free shipping on orders over a certain amount.
Some popular free shipping websites include Amazon, Walmart, and Target, which offer free shipping on orders over $25, $35, and $35 respectively. This means you can shop without worrying about extra shipping costs.
Free shipping websites often have a minimum purchase requirement, which can vary from site to site. For example, Amazon requires a minimum purchase of $25, while Walmart requires $35.
Free Shipping Websites
If you're looking for free shipping websites, you're in luck because there are many options available.
Amazon offers free shipping on millions of eligible items, including books, electronics, and household essentials.
Walmart's free shipping policy applies to orders over $35, making it a great option for those who want to avoid shipping costs.
Target offers free two-day shipping on orders over $35 for RedCard holders, and free standard shipping on orders over $35 for non-members.
Overstock offers free shipping on all orders over $45, making it a great option for those who want to avoid shipping costs.
Calculating Business Costs
To offer free shipping, you need to calculate your average shipping cost per order, which will differ based on your preferred shipping carrier. Compare rates between FedEx, UPS, and USPS to see who has the most affordable option.
Your average shipping cost will also depend on the products you sell and their weights. Compile the shipping costs for every product you sell, from the smallest and lightest to the largest and bulkiest, to all four corners of the US and anywhere you ship internationally.
To determine your free shipping limit, calculate your average shipping cost per order and multiply it by the average number of orders you get in one month. This will give you a ballpark number to compare with your monthly revenue.
Here's a formula to calculate your free shipping threshold: Free shipping threshold = (Average shipping cost per order / gross profit margin percentage as a decimal) + average value of an order. For example, if your average shipping cost is $10 and your gross profit margin is 30%, your free shipping threshold would be $83.33.
You can also limit free shipping to certain items, customers, or locations, such as shoppers who reach a designated spend threshold or members of a loyalty program. This can help you offer free shipping without losing money on most transactions.
By calculating your business costs and setting a free shipping threshold, you can create a program that's enticing to online shoppers without destroying your bottom line.
Ecommerce Tracking
Ecommerce tracking is a must-have for any online store, especially for those offering free shipping. Up to 30% of incoming customer service tickets are shipping status requests, which can be a huge burden on support teams. By providing real-time order tracking, you can empower customers to make these queries on their own.
This can be achieved through self-service order management, which adds buttons to the chat widget to automatically track an order, return an order, or cancel an order. Quick service with chat automation provides quick, responsive customer service, leading to a better customer experience and a positive impact on revenue.
Real-time order tracking also benefits customers by increasing their sense of security, creating customer loyalty, and reducing returns. By integrating your order tracking system with your Helpdesk, you can link shipping data with customer data for faster response and resolution times.
To make tracking information easily accessible, you can add order management Flows in your chat or Help Center. This way, customers can find the information they need without having to contact support. Deflect repetitive WISMO tickets with automation by letting your AI Agent answer repetitive "Where is my order?" requests.
Here are some benefits of tracking customer orders:
- Increases customer satisfaction
- Creates customer loyalty
- Reduces returns
- Improves customer experience
- Reduces support tickets
Service and Support
Responding to customer inquiries in a timely manner is crucial for a free shipping website. Responding to customer service emails in the shortest amount of time possible can lead to increased revenue.
Faster responses can lead to quicker resolutions, which can result in more sales and retained revenue. For instance, responding quickly to a customer's question about a product can lead to a sale that might not have been made otherwise.
Here are some ways to speed up response times:
- Use quick answer flows in chat widgets to automate frequently asked questions
- Combine automation with human interaction for a stronger customer experience
- Use Macros to scale the human touch on your support team
Combining automation and human interaction can result in a 12% increase in conversion rate.
Security for Shoppers and Business Owners
Security for Shoppers and Business Owners is crucial in today's fast-paced online shopping world.
43% of shoppers agree that real-time tracking improves their delivery experience.
As a business, being able to follow along and ensure orders are getting where they need to go can be a huge relief.
60% of global shoppers said that delivery speed was not as important as end-to-end tracking.
Real-time tracking can reduce stress and anxiety for both shoppers and business owners, giving everyone a sense of security and control.
Improving Service Response Times
Responding to customer inquiries in a timely manner is crucial for customer satisfaction and revenue growth. Nearly half of customers expect an email response from businesses in less than four hours.
A fast response time can lead to quicker resolutions, which can increase revenue. If a customer has a question about your product, responding quickly can lead to a sale you might not otherwise make.
Meeting customer expectations regarding response time can be challenging, but there are effective ways to shorten your response times without hiring a new team. You can use automation and human interaction to provide the strongest customer experience.
Combining automation and human interaction can help you scale the human touch on your support team. This can lead to a stronger and faster customer experience, which can increase your conversion rate by as much as 12%.
Responding to customer service emails in the shortest amount of time possible is ideal. This can help you retain customers and reduce the number of returns you can expect.
Reducing returns positively impacts your business’s revenue. With detailed order tracking and a simple returns policy, customers can better expect when their product will arrive, making it less likely that they will return the package.
Automating Ticket Deflection for Service Teams
Responding to customer service emails in a timely manner is crucial, but it's not always possible with a high volume of tickets. Thankfully, there are methods to speed up response times without breaking the bank.
By deflecting WISMO tickets with automation, you can free up your customer service team to handle more complex issues. This is especially true for ecommerce companies, where 16% of tickets are typically related to customers asking, "Where is my order?"
A tracking system can proactively send email or SMS notifications, or provide access to a portal where customers can see their order status in real-time. This reduces ticket volumes and increases productivity.
Tools like Gorgias's AI Agent and Flows can automate customer order tracking through SMS, email, or chat. You can also create a self-service portal where customers can access their order status using their purchase order number.
Here are some benefits of automating ticket deflection:
- Reduces ticket volumes and increases productivity
- Free up your customer service team to handle more complex issues
- Improves customer experience with real-time order tracking
By implementing these solutions, you can streamline your customer service process and provide a better experience for your customers.
Returns and Refunds
Returns are accepted within 30 days of delivery, as stated in our website's policies.
You can initiate a return by contacting our customer service team via email or phone, and they will guide you through the process.
Online Shopping Sites
Overstock has a huge collection of furniture, decor, bed and bath, kitchen, outdoor, and lighting items, and offers free shipping for the USA (except Hawaii and Alaska) on all orders over $49.99.
DSW offers free shipping with no minimum order to customers who join its VIP loyalty program, which is also free and offers coupons throughout the year.
AbeBooks has a humongous selection of books at unbevably low prices, and thousands of them qualify for free shipping.
Free shipping isn't always an option for ecommerce stores, especially for those with small margins or where shipping is expensive for every order.
77% of respondents abandoned their cart because they were unhappy with the shipping options, according to a survey conducted by Forbes.
84% made a purchase because it qualified for free shipping.
You can also get free international shipping on fashion and beauty shopping sites, entertainment shopping sites, and online retailers with free international shipping.
Tips and Strategies
To make the most of free shipping, consider offering a "free shipping for orders over" model. This can be a powerful strategy for raising ticket value, as customers will often add more items to reach the threshold. It's also a great way to build upselling into your strategy.
To make it easy for customers to see how close they are to free shipping, add an app to your ecommerce store that shows progress visually. For example, Gorgias customer OLIPOP makes it easy for folks to see how many more packs of soda they need to purchase to get free shipping.
If you're going to offer completely free shipping, make sure you use it as a marketing tool and make it very clear to shoppers. Consider offering a free shipping plan, like Amazon Prime, where customers pay a certain amount of money to get free shipping for a set amount of time.
Here are 10 ways to offer free shipping, from offering it on everything to offering it on certain items or at specific times of the year. Some retailers even offer free shipping to specific locations, like Amazon's distributed fulfillment centers across the U.S.
Encourage Repeat Buyers
A stress-free experience, including free shipping, is key to creating loyal customers who want to shop with your business long term.
90% of consumers consider free shipping to be the primary factor driving them to shop with online retailers more frequently.
Repeat shoppers generate 300% more revenue than first-time shoppers, on average.
Free shipping plans can save you a lot of money, especially if you're a frequent customer of a website with one of these plans.
The Amazon Prime program offers unlimited free two-day shipping for an entire year for $139.
ShopRunner is a similar free, 2-day shipping service that's partnered with over 100 stores.
Target's RedCard offers free 2-day shipping on some items, plus discounts per purchase, with no annual fee.
10 Ways
Offering free shipping can be a game-changer for your online business, but did you know that it's not the only way to incentivize customers? According to Gorgias, repeat shoppers generate 300% more revenue than first-time shoppers, on average.
To encourage customers to become repeat buyers, consider offering free shipping on orders over a certain amount. For example, Amazon's not-Prime model offers free shipping once the cart reaches a certain subtotal, which can increase average transaction value and potentially total revenue per customer.
In fact, studies show that at least 84% of customers have added items to their cart to qualify for free shipping. Offering free shipping on certain items can also be a powerful strategy, but be sure to choose items that are high-margin or have a low return rate.
Here are 10 ways to offer free shipping:
- Free shipping on everything
- Free shipping with minimum thresholds
- Free shipping on certain items
- Free shipping at certain times of the year
- Free shipping to specific locations
- Member programs
- Loyalty programs
- Subscription sales
- Free shipping on returns
- Flat-rate shipping
By offering free shipping and a competitor doesn't, that single difference can pull new customers your way — and away from the competition. According to Gorgias, 90% of consumers consider free shipping their top incentive and a full 60% expect free shipping no matter what.
Don't forget to consider other ecommerce differentiators besides free shipping, such as fast delivery, unique services, and value-adds. For example, Apple's ecosystem effects make customers want to stick with their products across their catalog.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to get free shipping on any website?
To get free shipping on any website, consider using coupons, buying in bulk, or subscribing to services that often come with free shipping perks. You can also explore alternative options like picking up in person or comparing prices to find the best deals.
Is ShopRunner actually free?
ShopRunner offers a free 1-year trial, after which it costs $79/year. You can enjoy free 2-day shipping and other perks during your free trial period.
Sources
- https://www.thepennyhoarder.com/save-money/stores-with-free-shipping/
- https://www.gorgias.com/blog/how-to-offer-free-shipping
- https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/shopping-sites-free-international-shipping/
- https://www.lifewire.com/get-free-shipping-every-time-you-shop-1356419
- https://www.practicalecommerce.com/how-to-offer-free-shipping-without-going-broke
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