Taking your eCommerce business a step further in this day and age can be quite challenging. After all, the competition is strong, and creating a good brand image takes time. If you find yourself not knowing what to do, turn to freebies!
Everyone loves to receive something for free, and you have several different options to please the consumers when it comes to your online store.
How Do Freebies Make a Difference?
You might still be unsure about the efficiency of free things you can offer in your online eCommerce shop to make a profit in the long run. However, the thing about giving something for free is that people tend to appreciate the gesture more, and look for a way to give back in return. And when it comes to an online store, freebies are the perfect way to get the users to buy from you.
In the end, rewarding the buyers with free gifts or other free incentives add value to their overall shopping experience. They feel good and appreciated as customers, which is crucial for growing your business steadily.
Best Freebies to Offer:
1. Free Samples/Trials
The most obvious freebie you can give to your buyers is free samples of the products you have on offer or free trials of your services.
Don’t make the mistake of offering free samples/trials for every single product/service your eCommerce shop carries. Only focus on a couple of products/services that have the best chance of converting your buyers again. With the right selection of free samples/trials, you could be looking into a growing base of loyal customers.
2. Free Shipping
Free shipping is everything in this day and age. The modern market seems to value this incentive a lot, and if you’re not using it already for your eCommerce store, make sure to change that ASAP.
You might think that it’s perfectly fine to offer a certain product for a lower price if it includes shipping. But, the fact of the matter is that users are more likely to opt for a product that costs $10 with free shipping than an $8 product + $2 shipping. It might seem illogical, but that’s how it is.
And if you don’t feel comfortable with offering free shipping for every single purchase, regardless of its end price, you can motivate the users to buy more by offering free shipping with every purchase over a certain amount, for example.
3. Create a Free Shopping App
Every eCommerce website has to be optimized for mobile use these days. This is crucial for ranking well in search as well as keeping the user experience at its peak. But there’s another way to boost customer service and provide a freebie at the same time.
You can create your online store app and allow it to be easily downloaded for free. This is a more convenient way to shop online via mobile devices and you’re bound to see your conversion rate increase.
4. Add a Complimentary Gift
This old-school retail practice still works wonders today. Your customers will definitely appreciate the gesture, especially if you surprise them with a niche complimentary gift.
That said, make sure that your complimentary gift matches the purchase. For instance, if you’re selling cosmetics, you could add a free pouch or applicators. If you’re selling clothes, you can throw in a free pair of socks. In this case, the thought counts immensely.
5. Discount Coupons
You can never go wrong with offering discount coupons for future purchases. Many eCommerce businesses choose to send out free discount coupons with every email subscription, for example.
That way, you’ll be engaging your customers and enticing them to come back to your store again, while building your email lead base for future marketing campaigns at the same time.
Of course, you can choose a different approach, too. You can provide a free discount coupon with a specific price point reached, number of purchases, and so on.
6. Offer Free Resources
Free eBooks and online guides are still going strong in the world of digital marketing. And depending on the industry you’re in, it’s possible to create a handful of very valuable online resources for your customers for free.
Again, this is a great way to get your prospects’ email addresses. Furthermore, you get to utilize the benefits of content marketing, which will engage your users and position you better in the search.
Even if you’re just starting out as a newbie eCommerce business, don’t shy away from offering free things in your online store. The practice itself will make your target audience trust you more, your marketing campaigns will turn more meaningful, your brand awareness will increase faster, and you’ll ultimately get to enjoy a rather nice ROI.
Michael has been working in marketing for almost a decade and has worked with a huge range of clients, which has made him knowledgeable on many different subjects. He has recently rediscovered a passion for writing and hopes to make it a daily habit. You can read more of Michael's work at Qeedle.
