Offering free shipping is one of the most effective ways to boost sales in your WooCommerce store. It can encourage customers to purchase more and improve conversion rates. One popular strategy is to offer free shipping on orders that exceed a certain amount. This approach incentivizes customers to increase their cart value and helps you increase average order value (AOV).
In this blog, we’ll explore how to set up free shipping over a specific amount in WooCommerce and the benefits of implementing this feature.
Why Offer Free Shipping Over a Minimum Order Value?
There are several advantages to offering free shipping for orders over a certain amount. Let’s look at why this strategy is popular among WooCommerce store owners:
1. Increase Average Order Value (AOV)
By offering free shipping on orders over a set amount, you motivate customers to add more products to their cart to qualify for free shipping. This results in higher AOV and boosts sales.
2. Encourage Larger Purchases
Many customers will add additional items to their cart to avoid paying for shipping, especially when the difference between their current order total and the minimum order value is minimal. This can increase your revenue with minimal effort.
3. Improved Customer Satisfaction
Free shipping is always a great incentive for customers. Many online shoppers consider free shipping a significant advantage, and offering it can enhance their shopping experience and loyalty to your store.
4. Competitive Edge
Offering free shipping, especially on larger orders, can give your store a competitive edge in a crowded marketplace. Shoppers are likely to choose stores that offer free shipping over those that don’t.
How to Set Up WooCommerce Free Shipping Over Amount
WooCommerce allows you to set up free shipping for orders over a specific amount in a few simple steps. This feature can be configured directly from the WooCommerce settings.
Step 1: Access WooCommerce Settings
To get started, log in to your WordPress dashboard. From the sidebar, navigate to WooCommerce > Settings.
Step 2: Configure Shipping Zones
Once you’re in the settings page, go to the Shipping tab. Before you can set up free shipping, you need to make sure you have shipping zones created. A shipping zone is essentially a geographical region where a particular shipping method applies. You can have different shipping methods for different locations (e.g., local, national, international).
- Click on Shipping Zones.
- Add a new shipping zone or edit an existing one. Select the countries or regions you want this free shipping method to apply.
Step 3: Add the Free Shipping Method
Next, you’ll want to add a new shipping method within the selected shipping zone:
- Under the Shipping Zone, click on Add Shipping Method.
- From the options, select Free Shipping and click Add Shipping Method.
Step 4: Configure Free Shipping Over an Amount
Now that the free shipping method has been added to your shipping zone, it’s time to set it up to trigger when the order total exceeds a certain amount.
- Click Edit next to the newly added Free Shipping method.
- In the Free Shipping Requires section, select the option A minimum order amount.
- Enter the minimum amount for which you want to offer free shipping. For example, if you want to offer free shipping on orders over $50, enter “50” in the field.
- Optionally, you can also add a Coupon option if you want to apply free shipping using discount coupons.
Step 5: Save the Settings
Once you’ve set the minimum amount for free shipping, click Save changes to apply the settings. Your customers will now automatically receive free shipping when their order total exceeds the specified amount.
Step 6: Customize the Shipping Message (Optional)
You can add a custom message on your WooCommerce checkout page or cart to let customers know about the free shipping offer. This can be done using a plugin or custom coding. Alternatively, you can display a banner on the cart page that highlights the free shipping offer and how much more a customer needs to spend to qualify.
Additional Considerations
While setting up free shipping over a minimum order value is simple, there are a few factors you should consider to make the most out of this feature:
1. Excluding Certain Products or Categories
If you don’t want certain products or categories to qualify for free shipping, you can exclude them by using the Shipping Classes feature in WooCommerce. For example, heavy or large items may require additional shipping costs, so you might not want them to be eligible for free shipping.
2. Setting Shipping Conditions Based on User Role
If you have different customer groups (e.g., wholesale customers or VIP customers), you may want to offer free shipping based on user roles. This can be done using additional plugins like WooCommerce Role-Based Shipping or WooCommerce Advanced Shipping.
3. Multiple Shipping Methods
You can combine free shipping with other shipping methods. For example, you could offer free shipping on orders over $100 and have a flat-rate shipping option for orders below that. This provides flexibility for your customers and helps you balance shipping costs.
4. Customizing the Free Shipping Offer with Coupons
If you want to create more tailored offers, you can use the coupon feature to give free shipping for specific products or customers. WooCommerce allows you to create different types of coupons, and you can set free shipping to apply only when the coupon is used.
WooCommerce Plugins for Advanced Free Shipping Features
If you need more advanced control over your free shipping options, several plugins can enhance the native functionality of WooCommerce. Some of the most popular plugins include:
1. WooCommerce Advanced Free Shipping
This plugin provides additional options for offering free shipping based on multiple conditions, such as shipping classes, order items, customer location, and more.
2. WooCommerce Conditional Shipping and Payments
This plugin allows you to set conditions based on order totals, products, shipping classes, and even the shipping method selected. You can create complex rules that give you greater control over free shipping offers.
3. WooCommerce Dynamic Pricing and Discounts
WooCommerce Dynamic Pricing & Discounts can help you apply tiered discounts and special pricing based on the total order value. This plugin works well when combined with free shipping rules for more customized offers.
Best Practices for Using WooCommerce Free Shipping Over Amount
While offering free shipping is an excellent way to increase sales, here are a few best practices to ensure you’re getting the most out of it:
1. Promote Free Shipping on the Cart and Checkout Pages
Make sure that your customers are aware of the free shipping offer by displaying it prominently on the cart and checkout pages. Add a message showing how much more the customer needs to spend to qualify for free shipping.
2. Monitor Your Profit Margins
Free shipping can be costly, so make sure to monitor your profit margins when implementing this offer. Offering free shipping on large orders might be more profitable than offering it on small ones.
3. Combine Free Shipping with Other Promotions
Free shipping can work well alongside other promotions like discount coupons or limited-time offers. Combining free shipping with a sale can increase conversions and encourage impulse buying.
Conclusion
Offering free shipping over a certain amount is a great way to encourage larger purchases and improve customer satisfaction. By configuring free shipping in WooCommerce, you can offer a compelling incentive for customers to spend more in order to qualify for free delivery.
With easy setup steps, customization options, and the ability to add additional conditions, WooCommerce allows store owners to tailor the free shipping experience for their customers. Keep your store competitive by offering free shipping over a minimum amount, and use the right tools to ensure your shipping strategy is optimized for both your business and your customers.
