'Free shipping over $75!' above the shop button: +90% orders
Commentary byLiftArchiveOur analysis, not theirsAdding the line 'Free shipping over $75!' right above the Shop NuFace button lifted orders by 90% and average order value by 7.32%.
Red Door Interactive ran this test for NuFACE, a skincare device brand, and it was published as a VWO case study.
Note that the test introduced a new free-shipping offer, so it tested the incentive itself as much as the message.
- Orders: +90% versus the original, reported at 96% confidence.
- Average order value: +7.32%, which suggests some shoppers added items to reach the $75 threshold.
- Traffic was split 50/50. Sample size and test length were not shared.
The change
A free-shipping-over-$75 line added directly above the shop button
Simplified mockup drawn by LiftArchive from the shared screenshots.
Control
The original page had a Shop NuFace button with no shipping incentive shown.
Variant
The text 'Free shipping over $75!' was placed directly above the Shop NuFace button.
Why it likely won
Our reading of the result, not the practitioner's claim.
- Shipping cost is a common reason people drop out late. Removing it ahead of time takes away a surprise at checkout.
- Placing the offer next to the main button meant visitors saw it at the moment they decided whether to shop.
- A clear threshold gives shoppers a target, which can nudge them to add one more item and raises order value.
- The 90% figure is very large. Part of it may come from the offer being new rather than from how it was shown.
Caveats: This test changed the offer, not just the page design: visitors in the variant were promised free shipping on orders over $75. Sample size and duration were not shared, and the results are vendor-reported.
Who ran it
Red Door Interactive ran this test for NuFACE and published the results (VWO case study). The numbers are theirs; the summary and commentary on this page are ours.
Read the original case study on Red Door Interactive →
How to run this test on your store
- Hypothesis
- If we show a free-shipping threshold right above the main shop button, then more visitors will place an order because the shipping cost worry is removed before they start browsing.
- Primary metric
- Orders per visitor
- Guardrails
- Average order value
- Gross margin after shipping costs
- Share of orders just above the threshold
- Who should test it
- Stores that charge for shipping today and have products priced near a sensible threshold. If you already offer free shipping on everything, or your margins can't absorb shipping, the offer itself is the decision, not the message.
Questions
Does showing a free shipping threshold increase sales?
It often helps because shipping costs are a common reason shoppers leave.
In this test, orders rose 90%, but the offer was new, so the gain reflects the incentive as well as the message.
How do I set a free shipping threshold?
A common starting point is a bit above your current average order value, so some shoppers add an item to qualify.
Check that the extra order value covers the shipping you give away.
Where should a free shipping message go?
Put it where shoppers make the decision to buy, such as near the main button or in the cart.
In this test it sat right above the shop button.
Similar tests
@oliverkenyon
@DaveDiederen@DaveDiederen
Blend Commerce@DaveDiederen