Conversion Boosting Tip #1,548: Free Shipping
June 17th, 2008. Posted by Ken Daniels
Research by e-Tailing Group shows that 84% of online shoppers think free shipping offers are “very to most influential” when shopping online.
Free shipping may be the perfect way to tip an unsure customer over the edge, but unless this offer is communicated effectively, any persuasive advantage is lost.
Take Real Groovy for example, who offer free shipping to New Zealand customers. A banner at the top of their website is a pretty stock-standard way of promoting the offer:
A worthy attempt, however such a powerful message must be communicated when a customer is close to making a buying decision.
A better location for the incentive would be within the primary call to action area on product pages, near the add to cart button and the price.
Real Groovy’s purchase area looks like this:
Great, the product ships the next day, but at what cost?
This is exactly what most customers ask when buying online, as too often customers are burnt by freight and tax charges not communicated until much later in the buying process.
Simply adding “Free New Zealand Shipping” and even “Includes GST” would ensure the customer knows it is unlikely there will be any surprises later on.
Woolrest BioMag nail the add to cart area on their product pages, security is assured and the free shipping offer is presented strongly and close to the primary call to action:
Persuasive momentum is vital to any buying process. Make sure your persuasive elements are clear, concise and well positioned.