The number of shoppers turning to the internet for their shopping has been going up year after year. At the same time, online retailers have been working hard to come up with ways to turn those browsers into buyers. One tactic that both retailers and consumers seem to like is free shipping offers. There are several types of these offers to choose from, and once a retailer decides to try one of them, they need to promote that shipping offer to their customers. The purpose of this article is to inform online retailers about the potential benefits of including free shipping as part of their online marketing strategy.

It has been shown with website statistics and opinion polls that more than half of all consumers are more likely to shop online with a retailer that offers free shipping than one that doesnt. There used to be a time when online shoppers didnt really factor in the price of shipping into their purchasing decisions. With the recent rise in shipping cost, and more experienced online shoppers, the cost of shipping now plays a major role in consumers deciding which website to shop at, and whether to shop online at all. It is now common to see online retailers who arent even charging for shipping on large items like big screen TVs. As a retailer, when you dont charge your customers for shipping, there is a downside, you are stuck picking up the bill. This is what led internet retailers to develop several different types of free shipping offer.