Gearing up for the holidays? Free shipping can help get customers to buy and boost the size of their orders. Here’s how to make sure they’re aware of your offer.
Dave Gilboa was an MBA student at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School when he and three of his classmates realised they could use free shipping to shake up the eCommerce eyeglass industry.
In 2010, they launched Warby Parker with not just free shipping and free returns on all products, but a promotion called the Home Try On Program that lets consumers receive up to five frames and choose the ones they like best. Then, they ship all of them back and the frames they selected are fitted with prescription lenses and redelivered – all with no shipping expenses. The program has proven popular, and the New York-based company has grown to 100 employees. The company declined to disclose financial results.
While shipping is a significant cost, Gilboa views it as a marketing expense. “We really rely on customers to do our marketing for us,” he says referring to word-of-mouth promotion and the buzz the company gets on Facebook and other social media sites.
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