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Does free shipping help sales?
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Jpatti



Posts: 7

PostPosted: Thu Mar 08, 2012 10:20 am    Post subject: Does free shipping help sales? Reply with quote

Does offering free shipping help sales? Or is it best to list a lower selling price and add shipping to that? Just wondering what you think?
I am still working on my store and haven't had any sales yet.
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theartsandlettersofmaggiethecat



Posts: 2099

PostPosted: Thu Mar 08, 2012 1:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I think if your item can ship for very little (as sports cards, earrings, a lipstick, postcards) it can make your item more interesting if shipping is free.

Contrarily if your item is not terribly expensive and shipping is for 1 pound or more, adding postage, insurance and tracking into the price might make you non-competitive because your item will look so much more expensive than the rest that they won't look to see that you have included the price of shipping in the cost.
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FoxAndFish



Posts: 1585

PostPosted: Thu Mar 08, 2012 1:22 pm    Post subject: Re: Does free shipping help sales? Reply with quote

Jpatti wrote:
Does offering free shipping help sales?

Many factors go into a buying decision. Free shipping may be one of them, depending on the item. There is no way to determine that without doing a side-by-side test of the same item with and without shipping cost...which cannot be done on eCrater, and which, regardless, requires volume to test. That said, many customers are savvy enough to realize that shipping does cost money, and that cost is usually added to the item.

Jpatti wrote:
I am still working on my store and haven't had any sales yet.

While you're working on your store, it might be a good idea to think about whether your photos...which are often dark, blurry, and awkwardly cropped...represent your items in an appealing way, and whether your titles and descriptions are enough to bring a customer into your store and get them to buy your product.

For example, in your Glass Ware category, you have a product entitled "Blue Ceramic Pitcher." Ceramic is not glass...and you still have 80 characters left in the title (100 max) to define the product. The only description is: "GLAZED POTTERY ~CHIP FREE~ PRE-OWNED GOOD CONDITION." There is nothing about size, shape, capacity, color, age, maker (if known), etc...the description doesn't even say it's a pitcher.

While free shipping may seem like an attractive come-on to some customers, showcasing products with clear, accurate, revealing, enticing photos and descriptions is important regardless of shipping cost.
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RustyFarmall



Posts: 1300

PostPosted: Thu Mar 08, 2012 1:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Several ebay sellers have already educated the on-line buying public to the fact there is NO such thing as FREE shipping.

Offer a quality product at a fair price, coupled with GOOD customer service and quick shipping, and the buyers WILL come.
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MoonwishesStore
moderator


Posts: 17389

PostPosted: Thu Mar 08, 2012 3:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
UK AND AUSTRAILA ADD SHIPPING COST Contact me before ordering for shipping cost


Is on both your terms and about us page. You realize that no one is going to pay attention to that don't you? I noticed one item you did have a price attached to it (an American wooden bowl 8")--and I don't think the amount you are asking for shipping to the UK will cover it.

Absolutely you need much better descriptions and titles especially since you state that you sell things 'as is' but if something is misrepresented you will give a refund. I could buy and receive your stuff and ask for and legitimately get a refund on just about everything you are selling since your descriptions are so brief.

My opinion on Free shipping is it is a gimmick that works for some and not for others. We all know that somehow the S&H has to be paid for either in the cost of the product or as a separate line item. I would rather have the two separate (although I do like Amazon's free shipping for over $25 orders but that only works if you buy from them and not their private sellers). Ebay is pretty much forcing most of their sellers into using free shipping. I think that if someone knows what they want and compare prices, they will be looking at more than free shipping, like feedback, photos, descriptions, etc. to see if this seller seems to know what they are doing.

You have one item that I saw - Barbie Doll with the description 'pre-owned'. Three words to try to sell something?! Anyhow, you have google ads on your listing because your picture isn't the right size, so you may want to fix photos and sizes that need it. Otherwise buyers will see the google ads before they see your other things. You have another 'collectible Barbie doll' listed with double the price of the others. Now I don't know much about Barbies dolls anymore, but to charge double for a Barbie that is out of it's box and from the picture looks as if it has been played with by a little kid, the hair is messy and with no extra pictures, the dress looks messy but maybe that is how it is made, but I think that it no longer is in the collectible catagory anymore. Total of 6 Barbie dolls listed and all with short brief descriptions that they are pre-owned and nothing special about them or what they are wearing, etc. Please don't take this the wrong way, but selling on line is work and part of that work is thinking up good titles and descriptions to sell your stuff. I think that thinking that shipping costs are a reason that your stuff isn't selling isn't what you need to look at, you have to get the listings themselves right so that others can find them.
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Jpatti



Posts: 7

PostPosted: Fri Mar 09, 2012 6:36 am    Post subject: Thank you Reply with quote

Thanks a lot for all of your imput. It really helps to know what I am doing wrong. I may not be able to correct everything right away but I can be working on it. I do have trouble taking pictures and making things look good.
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thecheapskirt



Posts: 2123

PostPosted: Tue Mar 13, 2012 11:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I read an article and ensuing comments on Facebook from hundreds of people saying they refuse to buy ANYTHING that doesn't have "free" shipping. They even admitted they would pay MORE for an item labeled as "free" shipping than something that had shipping costs broken out. It must be a psychological thing.

BTW, although I offer free shipping in this store, I don't in my other one that has MANY more sales.
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RustyFarmall



Posts: 1300

PostPosted: Tue Mar 13, 2012 11:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

thecheapskirt wrote:
I read an article and ensuing comments on Facebook from hundreds of people saying they refuse to buy ANYTHING that doesn't have "free" shipping. They even admitted they would pay MORE for an item labeled as "free" shipping than something that had shipping costs broken out. It must be a psychological thing.

BTW, although I offer free shipping in this store, I don't in my other one that has MANY more sales.


That only serves to prove just how gullible some folks are.

All things being equal, I also would choose the one with free shipping, but free shipping will NOT win me over if other things raise red flags.
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Jpatti



Posts: 7

PostPosted: Tue Mar 13, 2012 12:30 pm    Post subject: Free shipping? Reply with quote

I offer free shipping mostly because I have a hard time with figuring out what I should charge for shipping and how to use the charts. Some times the shipping costs gets any profit that might be made on an item.
I have so much to learn.
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MaggietheCatsMeows



Posts: 2853

PostPosted: Tue Mar 13, 2012 5:46 pm    Post subject: Re: Free shipping? Reply with quote

Jpatti wrote:
I offer free shipping mostly because I have a hard time with figuring out what I should charge for shipping and how to use the charts. Some times the shipping costs gets any profit that might be made on an item.
I have so much to learn.


This is a very dangerous position in which to put yourself. The USPS website is very easy to use. Even if you continue to offer free shipping on everything you need to know how much it will cost you to mail each item so you can build that into your item prices. If you are selling internationally, you also need to know how much extra to add over the item price for the shipping matrix. You can offer free shipping across the board for the US and add the difference in the international spots of the matrix.

And don't forget to add the packaged shipping rate into your prices. Packaging can easily add a pound or more to your item shipping. If you don't have a digital scale, you need to invest in one. They aren't expensive. A fraction of an ounce over what you think an item weighs can cost you $5 or so in the next shipping category. A 1 pound package may cost $6 to mail in the US but a 1 pound .05 ounce package could cost you $8-10.
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tigercreekgifts



Posts: 6293

PostPosted: Wed Mar 14, 2012 1:29 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

With me, whenever I first started selling on ecrater and had to learn how to price shipping on my own, I didn't have a scale. I knew I'd probably make a few mistakes and miscalculate the s/h and end up losing money on my first dozen or so sales until I got the hang of it. Luckily, I only guessed wrong one time. Pure luck!!! And it was only by about 20 cents. My mother was using the USPS calculator which I found to be absolutely horrid as far as my own shipping needs (my mother used to own my store and I took it over for her). I started charting down what type of item I sold, the weight of the item as listed on my postal receipt, and how much it actually cost to ship that item.

Then I started noticing a pattern and noted which items can ship for $2.95, $3.95, and so on, and which items would make more sense to be shipped in a flat rate box/envelope as opposed to using my own boxes. Eventually, I noticed a pattern and in just a few short weeks, I had it down. I stick strictly to the matrix now. It can be more difficult for some to figure out but, once you get the hang of it, it's so much easier to use. Not saying my method will work for you, just sharing my experience. I think my mother tried something similar to this but it didn't work out so well which is why she switched to the USPS calculator.
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MoonwishesStore
moderator


Posts: 17389

PostPosted: Wed Mar 14, 2012 8:24 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
I offer free shipping mostly because I have a hard time with figuring out what I should charge for shipping and how to use the charts.


As the other posters said, you NEED to know your shipping costs to add them into the price of your goods if you are going to offer 'free' shipping. Free shipping doesn't mean you don't have to get postage figured out. You can figure out US shipping for an item and put in into the cost, but that takes away the potential for any international shipping, since the shipping alone could take all of what you collect for the item PLUS. Giving refunds to those who buy when you find out that the postage is more than the price isn't a good way to do business (not saying you are doing this but you may be running into the problem as others have).

I guess what I'm trying to say is, from what you said you are offering 'free' shipping as your work around for not knowing how to figure out actual shipping costs. It may be hard, but you do have to buckle down and get this figured out to run a profitable business. If you are doing this as a hobby, please ignore our advice unless you want a profitable hobby. You should only be offering free shipping if your numbers tell you it is the best way to get customers and better profits, not because you can't figure out the matrix or calculated shipping.
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zenden



Posts: 76

PostPosted: Sun Mar 18, 2012 7:01 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I sell mostly jewelry that is lightweight so I do free shipping on just jewelry or things under one pound and then add the ship price to my item. I have lost a few dollars in a couple of sales and probably will still as I am getting the hang of this. I can't get the global editor to work to make my jewelry category free shipping, tried four times it didn't work so i just put zero in the matrix for one pound.

The matrix is confusing for me because figuring out international ship rates of varying weighted items can be a challenge, especially on the ones I am not direclty shipping (I use drop ship for most items) I requested weight lists from the company but then adding packing materials to that ?? It does get confusing for me.
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zenden



Posts: 76

PostPosted: Sun Mar 18, 2012 3:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Can someone help with google attributes?? I followed instructions, went to the listing, it said i needed to add 'color' .. so i add' pink as the color and it come back telling me to add name and value...what's up with that?
what am doing wrong?
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zenden



Posts: 76

PostPosted: Sun Mar 18, 2012 3:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

attribute name and value?? what is that on a butterfly charm bracelet?
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