Do you know what is the best way to encourage shoppers to place orders?
It’s free shipping!
There are multiple ways to offer free shipping in WooCommerce. This blog post will mostly talk about the free shipping coupon. So once the shoppers add this coupon code, they will be able to enjoy free shipping.
Why Offer Free Shipping Via Coupons In WooCommerce Stores
Before going into the in-depth tutorial, I would like to explain the reason behind offering free shipping via coupon codes. So you can explore if you don’t know the reason. Otherwise, you can skip this section.
Increases Conversions
The average abandoned cart rate is 70% for eCommerce stores. One of the notable reasons for this is high shipping costs. So, you can offer free shipping to reduce your abandoned cart rates and eventually increase conversion.
Increase Order Value
Offering shipping free of cost can also increase your order value. If you set a minimum spending threshold as a condition, most of the buyers will add more products to the cart. Eventually, you can get more revenue from the same number of customers.
Boosts Customer Loyalty
Offering free shipping coupons will also increase the loyal customer base. As a result, your online store’s repeat customer rates will increase.
Stand Out from the Competition
Sometimes, a small edge over the competitors may bring better results for the business. And you can do exactly that by offering free shipping with or without coupons.
Improves Marketing Performance
You can also use the coupon to level up your marketing efforts. For example, if you send the coupons via a personalized newsletter, potential buyers will tend to place an order as they may think the offer is only for them. However, you can also use it for Google and Facebook ads.
Enhances Customer Satisfaction
Customers don’t like surprise costs, but they face it every time they shop online. So they will surely be impressed and satisfied when they are able to remove it via coupons.
Step By Step Guide on Creating Free Shipping Coupons in WooCommerce
Now comes the main part of this blog post. To create a free shipping coupon for your WooCommerce store, follow the below steps.
Step 1: Configure Free Shipping Based on Coupon
First, we need to configure a free shipping method for the coupon requirements. For that, we need to go to WooCommerce >> Settings >> Shipping.
Now, we need to create a new shipping zone. To do so, click on the “Add Zone” button. Then, add a zone name and select the zone region. Either we can choose a specific region or all counties at once. For now, let’s select the USA region.
Now, we can configure a shipping method. To do so, we need to click on the “Add shipping method” button.
Then, click on the “Free Shipping” option and hit the “Continue” button.
No, we need to select the requirement from the following options:
No requirement: Customers will get free shipping without any conditions.
A valid free shipping coupon: Free shipping can be availed using the coupon code.
A minimum order amount: Set a minimum spending amount for the free shipping eligibility.
A minimum order amount or coupon: Either customers need to meet the minimum order amount or use a coupon code.
A minimum order amount and coupon: Customers need to meet the minimum spending amount and also use the coupon code.
As we want to configure a free shipping coupon, we need to select the “A Valid Free Shipping Coupon” option. Finally, we need to click on the “Create and Save” button.
Step 2: Create a Coupon for Free Shipping
After properly configuring the shipping method, we need to create a coupon code. To do so, we need to go to the WooCommerce marketing area and click on the “Coupon” option.
Now, we need to click on the “Add New Coupon” button and start configuring it. Then write our desired coupon code. We can also add a description. It will help us to remember the purpose of this coupon code.
Moreover, we can set an end date for this coupon. So, it will not be usable once the time is over.
Now, we need to allow this coupon to be used for free shipping by clicking on the checkbox. Finally, click on the “Publish” button to apply the configuration.
That’s all about the basic configuration. Now, if anyone uses this coupon code, they will receive free shipping. However, there are more advanced settings that you might like to explore.
Step 3: Advanced Coupon Settings
We can set usage restrictions and usage limits for the free shipping coupon. Let’s explore the available options:
Usage Restrictions
By default, WooCommerce offers multiple restriction options. Let me explain each of them. So you can understand and decide which one to use and which not.
- Minimum spend: This will restrict customers from using the coupon until they meet the minimum spending threshold.
- Maximum spend: It will restrict the shoppers from using the coupon if they exceed the maximum spending limit.
- Individual use only: Clicking on this checkbox will limit the shoppers from using this coupon if any other coupon is already in use.
- Exclude sale items: Click on this option will restrict shoppers from using this coupon if they add any sale items to the cart.
- Products: Here, you can select your desired products. So, the coupon will be applicable only to the selected products.
- Exclude products: Excluding products will ensure the coupon will not be applicable for these products.
- Product categories: From this section, you can select your desired categories. So the coupon will only be applicable for the products from your selected categories.
- Exclude categories: Ensure that the coupon is applicable to all the products except the products from the excluded categories.
- Allowed emails: You can add the emails of your existing or potential customers. So the coupon will only be applicable for those email holders.
- Product brands: Assign the coupon for the products of specific brands only. So, the coupon will be applicable to the products from other selected brands.
- Exclude brands: Exclude brands will ensure the coupon is not applicable for the products from these brands.
Usage Limits
In the usage limit section, you have two options where you can add specific numbers to set:
- How many times can it be used?
- How many times can it be used by a specific user?
Once the configuration is done, we need to update or publish it to check whether it is working or not. Here, you can see that at first, there is only a flat rate shipping method available. But I have a free shipping option after adding the coupon code.
You may also like to read about:
- WooCommerce Shipping Setup
- WooCommerce Flat Rate Shipping
- WooCommerce Role-Based Shipping
- WooCommerce Shipping Taxes
Alternate Method: Offer Free Shipping Using Plugins
Fortunately, WooCommerce comes with the functionality to create free shipping coupons. It is quite good to get it done and bring positive results. However, there are so many advanced ways to offer free shipping with or without coupons.
If you are just starting your WooCommerce journey, then you may not consider using a shipping plugin. However, you should consider using the following plugins if you really want to grow your business.
Advanced Coupons
As we are talking about coupons, I can’t avoid mentioning Advanced Coupons. It is one of the best plugins to offer discounts via coupon codes. And, of course, it also has the functionality to create coupons for free shipping. However, if possible, consider using it as a complete coupon solution for your WooCommerce store.
Key Features:
- Free Shipping Coupon
- Loyalty Program
- Gift Cards
- URL Coupon Codes
- Usage Restrictions
- Coupon Reports
- Usage Limits
WholesaleX
Wholesale is a dynamic pricing & discount management plugin suitable for both B2B and B2C stores. However, it can help you manage shipping efficiently. As WholesaleX has a user role feature, you can set free shipping and flat rate shipping for a specific group of users separately. So, if you are considering trying, make sure to explore other interesting features as well.
Key Features:
- Dynamic Pricing & Discount
- Bulk Order Form
- Tiered Pricing
- Digital Wallet
- Request a Quote
- Cart Conditional Discount
- Payment Method Discount
WowRevenue
WowRevenue is a collection of effective discount campaigns for increasing revenue. Along with multiple campaigns, it also has a free shipping bar. It allows us to set a spending goal to get free shipping and show it in a way that shoppers get attracted. You can also showcase some upselling products along with a free shipping bar. So shoppers can instantly add the products to their carts and enjoy free shipping.
Key Features:
- Product Bundle Discount
- Mix and Match Products
- Free Shipping Bar
- Bulk Discount
- Frequently Bought Together
- Buy X Get Y
Best Practices for Free Shipping Coupons
Offering discounts or giveaways is beneficial for all eCommerce businesses. But to get the best results, you have to give the right offer in the right way. You can find out exactly that from the below practices.
Set a Minimum Purchase Amount
Offering free shipping with or without coupons is a great idea. However, if you set minimum spending as a requirement, you can increase the order value.
Limited Time Offers
An evergreen offer will not be able to make the buyers take immediate action. So, make sure to add a countdown time while promoting the coupon on your website or in the newsletter.
Convert New Visitors
Repeat customer rates depend on the overall quality of products, services, and branding. However, discounts or giveaways work best for new visitors. So you should create and promote some coupons, especially for the new visitors.
Promote Strategically
Only creating exclusive offers or coupons can’t bring positive results. The potential buyers must know about it. First of all, you should write and highlight the offer promptly on your website’s important pages. You can also spread the news by retargeting ads using Google and Facebook ads.
Optimize for International and Domestic Orders
Not all regions have the same shipping costs. For example, if you want to ship outside of the country, it will cost a lot. Fortunately, you can offer free shipping based only on specific regions. So you should only offer free shipping only to the regions that have low costs.
Make It Easy to Redeem
If possible, it is good to auto-apply the coupon code at checkout. Because we shouldn’t let the shoppers spend too much time. If we do so, the buyers may not convert instantly.
Track Performance
We should monitor the performance of the free shipping offer. So that we can understand whether we are getting the expected results or not. If not, we should rethink our strategy and make necessary adjustments accordingly.
Conclusion
That’s all about the free shipping coupon. I hope you have got all of your answers. Now it’s your turn to act and start growing your WooCommerce store. Feel free to comment below if I miss anything or have any feedback. I will be happy to see your feedback and suggestions. Also, let us know how the free shipping strategy impacts your business.
