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<p>The posts also reference comScore stats showing that, perhaps due to harsher economic conditions, more customers are looking for sites that offer free shipping this year.</p>
<p>In the survey 72% of respondents said that, if an etailer stopped offering free shipping, they would shop at a competitor with the offer instead.</p>
<p>A quick look at <a href="http://www.google.com/trends?q=free+shipping&ctab=0&geo=all&date=all&sort=0">Google Trends stats for 'free shipping' </a>shows that searches for the term follow a seasonal pattern, suggesting that it is a big potential differentiator at Christmas:</p>
<p>
<img alt="Google Trends - free shipping" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3136/3022275986_63b3f2c166_o.jpg" />
</p>
<p>I've noticed plenty of UK retailers are now offering free delivery for the Christmas shopping season. <a href="/blog/2868-amazon-lures-shoppers-with-new-free-delivery-scheme">Amazon introduced free shipping</a> for orders over £5 recently, and others have followed suit since then.</p>
<p>Some, like Waterstones and John Lewis offer it regardless of spend, and plenty more, Tesco and Borders included, for orders over a certain threshold.</p>
<p>I searched on <a href="http://www.google.com/trends?q=free+delivery">Google Trends for 'free delivery'</a>, a predominantly UK search term, and a similar pattern emerges: </p>
<p>
<img alt="Google Trends free delivery UK" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3065/3022275984_770522033d_o.jpg" />
</p>
<p>I also <a href="http://www.google.co.uk/search?source=ig&hl=en&rlz=&q=free+delivery&meta=">searched Google UK for 'free delivery'</a>, to see which UK retailers are ranking well for the term:</p>
<p>
<img alt="Google UK search results for 'free delivery'" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3145/3021590705_7eb24d921d_o.jpg" />
</p>
<p>A big win here for John Lewis, Game and Play.com, which have all included the term in the title tag, ensuring both a prominent ranking on such searches, as well as communicating the offer to customers before they have to even click on the site.</p>
<p>So, free delivery offers, as well as being an effective promotional device, can also be a <strong>useful SEO tool</strong>.</p>
<p>
<strong>My Twitter page can be found <a href="http://twitter.com/home">here</a></strong>
</p>
<p>
<strong>Related articles:</strong>
<br />
<a href="/blog/2869-offering-free-delivery-then-shout-about-it">Offering free delivery? Then shout about it...</a>
<br />
<a href="/blog/2473-e-commerce-delivery-options-five-key-tips">E-commerce delivery options - five key tips</a>
</p>
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<Paragraph>The posts also reference comScore stats showing that, perhaps due to harsher economic conditions, more customers are looking for sites that offer free shipping this year.</Paragraph>
<Paragraph>In the survey 72% of respondents said that, if an etailer stopped offering free shipping, they would shop at a competitor with the offer instead.</Paragraph>
<Paragraph>A quick look at <Link URL="http://www.google.com/trends?q=free+shipping&ctab=0&geo=all&date=all&sort=0" Window="Self">Google Trends stats for 'free shipping' </Link>shows that searches for the term follow a seasonal pattern, suggesting that it is a big potential differentiator at Christmas:</Paragraph>
<Paragraph>
<Image AlternateText="Google Trends - free shipping" Source="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3136/3022275986_63b3f2c166_o.jpg">
</Image>
</Paragraph>
<Paragraph>I've noticed plenty of UK retailers are now offering free delivery for the Christmas shopping season. <Link URL="/blog/2868-amazon-lures-shoppers-with-new-free-delivery-scheme" Window="Self">Amazon introduced free shipping</Link> for orders over £5 recently, and others have followed suit since then.</Paragraph>
<Paragraph>Some, like Waterstones and John Lewis offer it regardless of spend, and plenty more, Tesco and Borders included, for orders over a certain threshold.</Paragraph>
<Paragraph>I searched on <Link URL="http://www.google.com/trends?q=free+delivery" Window="Self">Google Trends for 'free delivery'</Link>, a predominantly UK search term, and a similar pattern emerges: </Paragraph>
<Paragraph>
<Image AlternateText="Google Trends free delivery UK" Source="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3065/3022275984_770522033d_o.jpg">
</Image>
</Paragraph>
<Paragraph>I also <Link URL="http://www.google.co.uk/search?source=ig&hl=en&rlz=&q=free+delivery&meta=" Window="Self">searched Google UK for 'free delivery'</Link>, to see which UK retailers are ranking well for the term:</Paragraph>
<Paragraph>
<Image AlternateText="Google UK search results for 'free delivery'" Source="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3145/3021590705_7eb24d921d_o.jpg">
</Image>
</Paragraph>
<Paragraph>A big win here for John Lewis, Game and Play.com, which have all included the term in the title tag, ensuring both a prominent ranking on such searches, as well as communicating the offer to customers before they have to even click on the site.</Paragraph>
<Paragraph>So, free delivery offers, as well as being an effective promotional device, can also be a <Emphasis>useful SEO tool</Emphasis>.</Paragraph>
<Paragraph>
<Emphasis>My Twitter page can be found <Link URL="http://twitter.com/home" Window="Self">here</Link></Emphasis>
</Paragraph>
<Paragraph>
<Emphasis>Related articles:</Emphasis>
<LineBreak />
<Link URL="/blog/2869-offering-free-delivery-then-shout-about-it" Window="Self">Offering free delivery? Then shout about it...</Link>
<LineBreak />
<Link URL="/blog/2473-e-commerce-delivery-options-five-key-tips" Window="Self">E-commerce delivery options - five key tips</Link>
</Paragraph>
</FormattedContent>
2008-11-11T14:10:00+00:00
0
1
econsultancy_xml
<p>
<strong>We've blogged about the benefits of <a href="/blog/2163-free-shipping-lots-of-sales">free delivery as an effective sales driver</a>, and it seems that more retailers are offering it this year. </strong>
</p>
<p>According to a post on This Week in Etail, the <a href="http://thisweekinetail.blogspot.com/2008/11/more-retailers-offering-free-shipping.html">number of US retailers offering free shipping </a>has jumped from 31% to 41% over the past couple of weeks as they attempt to appeal to holiday shoppers.</p>
<p>Judging by some of the emails I've been getting recently, more UK retailers are also offering the incentive this Christmas.</p>
<FormattedContent xmlns="http://www.e-consultancy.com/schema/formattedContent/">
<Paragraph>
<Emphasis>We've blogged about the benefits of <Link URL="/blog/2163-free-shipping-lots-of-sales" Window="Self">free delivery as an effective sales driver</Link>, and it seems that more retailers are offering it this year. </Emphasis>
</Paragraph>
<Paragraph>According to a post on This Week in Etail, the <Link URL="http://thisweekinetail.blogspot.com/2008/11/more-retailers-offering-free-shipping.html" Window="Self">number of US retailers offering free shipping </Link>has jumped from 31% to 41% over the past couple of weeks as they attempt to appeal to holiday shoppers.</Paragraph>
<Paragraph>Judging by some of the emails I've been getting recently, more UK retailers are also offering the incentive this Christmas.</Paragraph>
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2008-11-12T10:00:00+00:00
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