How to Make Art Shipping Costs Painless

by Carolyn Edlund

Do you cringe when you think of the response customers have to your shipping costs? Consider these solutions.

A customer likes your art or handmade work, and decides to make a purchase. Midway through the process, while in the shopping cart, they are faced with the cost of shipping the item they are buying. But then, they change their mind—it happens all the time. In fact, 56% of shopping cart abandonment is caused when customers are faced with higher-than-expected shipping expense.

Thus, shipping costs become a major barrier to making a sale, and are an objection that sellers have to deal with. How can you as the seller make these costs less painful for your valuable collectors? Consider these three options, and evaluate whether they can become a part of your sales strategy:

Offer free shipping

Depending on what you sell, this might be the best choice. Free shipping completely removes this obstacle and captures more sales. If your work is lightweight or can be shipped affordably, look into how you can afford to offer free freight. If needed, roll the average shipping cost into your price to begin with. Then, add value to your creative work for a higher perceived value and higher perceived price.

Free shipping over a certain dollar amount

This second option has a free shipping element. It encourages the shopper to add another item to get to the threshold where there is no cost to receive their order. This works especially well if your collection has items in it that can easily be bundled together, or where an upsell can move the customer to the necessary purchase level.

Flat shipping rates 

One price shipping is another choice that may work well for you. This offer also encourages multiple purchases, since additional items will have no effect on the total shipping cost. If you use USPS flat rate shipping, they will provide free boxes for this purpose, as well as giving Priority Mail delivery service. And, heavy items can be accommodated as long as they fit within the box.

Take a look at where your business may be leaking money. Could shopping cart abandonment be an issue for you? Then determine whether making a change to your shipping policy will overcome objections to the sale and earn you more orders.

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