In the world of online shopping, it pays to be ahead of the curve. FreeShipping.org was built in 2007 as a singular database for free shipping codes.
Nearly four years after the site went live, it is now home to free shipping codes and coupons from over 4,000 of the most coveted online merchants, from department stores like JCPenney and Bloomingdale's to specialty shops like Sierra Trading Post and Victoria’s Secret. Online shoppers flock to the site for its simple interface and unbeatable inventory.
FreeShipping.org is visited by over 6 million shoppers every year.
Along with a vast selection of codes hand-picked and tested for reliability, FreeShipping.org has built a reputation on ethical business practices.
Visitors are never asked to pay for codes, register for junk-mail lists, or visit partner sites in order to reap hundreds of dollars in savings. Every day, the staff at FreeShipping.org work to streamline the user experience by adding new categories and search functions, including one-of-a-kind options like stores with free shipping on any order or delivery to Hawaii and Alaska.
This dedication to every aspect of the free shipping universe has paid off in spades, not only for shoppers who already seek out offers, but for online merchants as well.
According to numbers gathered in-house during 2011, nearly a quarter of all shoppers won't make a purchase if hit with high shipping fees, while almost 90 percent are likely to spend more if armed with a free shipping code. Buyers demanded deals and merchants delivered.
No single day highlights this new trend more than Free Shipping Day, a one-day holiday shopping event sponsored by FreeShipping.org. The day holds a simple premise: all registered stores offer free shipping with guaranteed delivery by Dec. 24, no questions asked.
Before it was founded in December 2008, online shopping peaked around December 10. Last year, Free Shipping Day on December 17 - a full week after the previous cutoff - racked in nearly $1 billion in online sales, becoming the third heaviest day of online shopping in history and solidifying a place alongside heavyweights like Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
The official FreeShippingDay.com site saw over 300,000 unique visitors on December 17 alone, attracted by offers from 1,750 stores and spurred by nearly 17,000 Facebook shares.
Other features of FreeShipping.org include:
- A custom search bar for stores, product categories, offer types and more
An e-mail alert function for frequent visitors - The “Go Frugal” blog for trusted consumer advice
- A Free Shipping eBook for merchants
Dedicated sites for shoppers in the UK and Canada
History
When FreeShipping.org was founded in early 2007, influential stores such as Lands' End, Kohl's and Target were just beginning to understand the lucrative draw of free shipping. The deals were a simple way to entice shoppers to browse more often, select higher-priced items and, most importantly, complete orders by not abandoning their carts.
The founders of FreeShipping.org, Luke and Maisie Knowles, saw the potential of free shipping, but for a much different reason: they were frustrated to find a good deal or sale, only to lose all potential savings with ungainly shipping fees.
For online shoppers like the husband-and-wife entrepreneurial team - folks who enjoy the convenience of buying at home, without a need to visit the mall - such outrageous extras were enough to discourage them from buying altogether.
More than Free Shipping
FreeShipping.org is more than free shipping codes and coupons for online shoppers. Knowles and his staff make sure the site is a go-to forum for money-savers of every shade.
The “Go Frugal” blog, FreeShipping.org’s dedicated source for frugal-living advice, is maintained by a cadre of experts in fields from affordable weddings to college savings.
Knowles, who regularly contributes to the blog, also authored a comprehensive “Free Shipping eBook,” available for free (like everything else) through FreeShipping.org.
The 30-page manual is targeted specifically at online retailers and goes into detail about all aspects of successful marketing, including the seven types of free shipping, tips on increasing market share, how to implement a cost-effective program, and much more.
It also includes case studies on the free shipping programs at Amazon and Zappos, two of the most lauded in all of cyberspace. The eBook is available through the “Press” section of the website.
Taking Free Shipping Global
Originally from Canada, Knowles is building off the success of FreeShipping.org in the U.S. by confidently expanding the brand to countries where online shopping is quickly taking hold.
In the past two years, Kinoli has launched FreeShipping.ca for Canadian shoppers and FreeDelivery.org for UK residents. Both are quickly growing and now house over 1,000 merchants combined.