Free Shipping Experiment

[Former_Member]

Free Shipping Experiment

Who would like to join me?


Im starting today - Im changing all my items to have Free US Shipping to see if it makes a difference in sales. Someone was on here the other day making a post about how people who just add more money to the price of the item and offer free shipping make more sales.

This is what big businesses do as well, we like the word free and hearing we can sit at home in the comfort of our PJs and order whatever we want and "get it shipped to our house for free" is enticing enough to spend a little more than what you could get it for in stores.



So Im going to see how this works - If anyone would care to join me - post here - check back often and update your progress.


As of now I have 18 items up for Free Shipping , which is my whole Lotion section. Im testing it out with those items first, though I may continue to keep adding more items to the Free Shipping experiment.

as of 1:20 est on Friday:
18 Items ( Free Shipping Items)
16 shop views
12 listing views

[SudsNSuch]

Did you raise the price of the items or keep them the same? I feel dishonest saying "free" shipping when the cost is just moved elsewhere. Not to mention we pay more in Etsy fees that way. Keeping my items the same and changing shipping to zero wouldn't work for me unless it really increased sales. I just have a feeling that everyone would only buy 1 or 2 items and I'd spend all my profit on shipping.

[Former_Member]

I hope you get tons of sales!
I have been offering free shipping since i opened my shop, but i sell very light weight items, so I do not lose a lot there.

Do not forget to tag Free shipping either in the title, tags, or both! Good Luck!

[Former_Member]

Angie - I responded in the other thread.


Euguin and America - I hope so too - Do you add some of the shipping costs into your items price to balance out giving away free shipping? I know it does help to have lightweight items - but you also have to pay for packing tape, packages, printer ink, bringing them to the post office...etc. When I get a chance, I will have to add free shipping to my tags - do you find that people search and find your item with the tag "free shipping?"

[Former_Member]

I've read this recently, too - however, when I first started selling from my shop (11/2009) I listed all of my items with $0 shipping, I tried to accommodate for shipping costs in the prices of my items but found I really wasn't making enough ...SO around May of last year I decided to add shipping costs, and adjusted the prices of my items accordingly. Oddly enough, I started making more sales.

I also streamlined my shop down to a few categories, took new pictures, started offering prints and re-tagged/titled, etc. so I can't necessarily attribute the sales to the shipping, but I do feel better knowing I'm not losing $$ on shipping (also, keep in mind Etsy commission fees don't come out of your shipping prices).

[Former_Member]

I offered free shipping in November and it didn't get me any sales. I did notice that a couple of people had found my products by searching for "free shipping"

[LittleBitsOFaith]

This is interesting....i have wondered if there would be more sales with no ship costs or lower pricing on items...seems split from what i have read...Best wishes, either way!!

[GoTo]

SudsNSuch says

Did you raise the price of the items or keep them the same? I feel dishonest saying "free" shipping when the cost is just moved elsewhere....


~~~While I understand and agree with those feelings myself, it's also the 'free shipping norm' to just include the shipping in the price and I don't think handmade sellers should be considered any more deceptive for doing it than other retailers. :)


LillyQueenBath--Good luck! Free shipping works for some and not for others, here's hoping you have lots of sales.

[Former_Member]

Elizabeth - Yeah Im seeing this go both ways - I guess it really depends on what people are more concerned about - Making the MOST off each item they sell - or if they have items that are a little more pricy when it comes to shipping - or people who could out an expense each item so they know where every penny is going.

Fortunately or maybe Unfortunately - I don't go crazy on prices. I know what I need to ask per item - but I keep one bank account for this stuff - I can only spend the money I actually make by selling items - Nothing sells, I buy nothing new ..... It just keeps the hobby going - it doesn't pay the bills. But thats OK with me, that may not be OK with other people...

[Former_Member]

We ALL know nothing is ever FREE.

But if someone sees $6.88 for a handmade jar of lotion and then says hey, I can get it shipped to me for free so ALL i have to pay is one price of 6.88 -- so people go for it.

I sometimes hate seeing shipping costs - and just seeing free shipping alone motivates me more to buy.

but thats me...

[GoTo]

I'm just the opposite--as a temporary promotion that doesn't bump the item price I can accept it, as a shop policy, I don't like it.

If it costs me $4.00 to ship a sun catcher in box, and $4.75 to ship two, my customer should benefit from discounted shipping for the second item. When I don't get that as a buyer, I think I'm paying more than I should.

[Former_Member]

But Im sure if you just offered it for your necklaces GoTo --- it wouldnt be as bad... right?

[GoTo]

My objection isn't as a seller, it's as a buyer. :)

If I can ship 1 necklace for $3.95-covers shipping, box, mailer, label, etc, and a second one for another $1.50, then the buyer gets a discount buying 2:

$3.95
$1.50
-----------
$5.45


If I were to include the shipping in the item price instead, in order to cover my costs I'd have to include $3.95 in each item in case someone only bought one:


$3.95
$3.95
----------
$7.90


As a buyer, I'd prefer to spend $5.45 on separately stated shipping than $7.90 on free ("in the price of the item") shipping.

[Former_Member]

For those of us outside the US it's a hard choice, our postal system is expensive in comparison to yours, so if I was to ship "free" our prices would have to be raised. I charge what AusPost tells me and that's it, no more, no less.

[birdmom9726]

When I was pondering what to do about "free" shipping, I read somewhere (can't remember where, but it was a reputable source because I remember thinking, hmm, maybe they've got something there) that people spend an average of 30% more when you offer Free Shipping. I know, as a buyer, that when I purchase something, I absolutely hate having to pay shipping costs, unless it's just a dollar or two. There are some places (Coldwater Creek, and Fire Mountain Gems) that charge outrageous shipping prices and for that reason I 1) don't buy things at Fire Mountain, and 2) wait until I can get free shipping at Coldwater Creek before I'll buy anything from them. Fire Mountain is especially obnoxious because, on top of shipping, they charge a $2.65 "handling fee" on every order. Oops, sorry, guess I shouldn't have used brand names in my comments, oh well. Anyway, I think it's a mental thing - if I buy something that has "free shipping" I feel like I'm getting a deal because all my bucks are going towards what I want. I know it's goofy, because nothing is "free" these days!

[Former_Member]

I have offered free shipping....no sales on both occasions...

[PangaeaDesigns]

People say a lot of things. That doesn't necessarily make it true.

And just remember that when you add the shipping cost to the price you pay the Etsy fee on it. (Etsy doesn't charge a transaction fee on shipping.)

[Former_Member]

Personally. I am more likely to buy if there is free shipping just because of the way my decision process goes. The last thing I look at, that makes or breaks my decision to buy, is shipping cost. So if I see $6.88, decide that the price is worth the product to me at that time (which depends on my financial situation, more than the product), and then see free shipping, I will usually buy instantly. If I see decide $4 is worth it and then see $2.88 shipping I might change my mind.

Personally I'm always a little turned off if shipping is more than a third of the price, but that's just me.

But the point is, if I'm expecting to pay an extra couple bucks for shipping and then find out that I don't have to, I'm happy and will mostly likely buy.

[Former_Member]

Oh, also, I'm curious. For those of you who have purchased items from Amazon, how many of you try to find things you "need" or "want" to buy anyways to get your shopping cart up to $25 so you can get free shipping?

That is one i might start to do. Free shipping on orders of $25 or more. Of course I would need to get rid of the couple Items I have that are over $25

[Former_Member]

This is funny because I spent all morning doing this before I read anything abouut it. haha I was an accountant for an ecommerce company that offered free shipping. There were huge and able to do so because of a killer deal with FedEx. They had something like the 5th best shipping rates in the country. I don't have that deal, but I did make all of my items free shipping for the US and Canada today (not including duties and taxes). I did raise my prices some, but I split the cost. The customer is actually saving a couple of bucks and I can absorb that cost so I think it will work out fine for me. I guess we will see. :)

I definately agree that a seller shouldn't be defensive about it. It is a standard business practice that does not involve any hidden fees or charges. The buyer knows up front what they are paying and if they are okay with the price they will buy. My items tend to be a little higher on the price scale anyway so a couple of bucks doesn't make much of a difference. Good luck to everyone!