Ramp up Online Shopping with Free Shipping
Recession does not translate to doom and gloom for all retailers in 2009, FreeShipping.org founder believes
Luke Knowles, founder of the site that links consumers to online retailers that offer free shipping deals, says in his 2009 online retailing forecast that merchants that focus on online sales will have a much better year than bricks-and-mortar retailers.
Knowles sees a ray of light for online retailers in 2009 because of what his site, www.freeshipping.org, encountered in 2008, its first full year of business. In December 2007, Knowles and his wife, Maisie, launched the site, which is a one-stop destination for consumers to find online retailers that offer free shipping deals. FreeShipping.org includes more than 850 name-brand stores, allows visitors to search by brand or category.
Numbers show that there is a clear interest in consumers looking for online retailers that offer free shipping, which translates into a willingness to spend money if the price is right. Traffic has increased steadily since the site debuted, as has sales generated for retailers. FreeShipping.org attracted 205,000 visitors last October, 365,000 in November and over 500,000 in December. On Black Friday, the traditional shopping holiday one day after Thanksgiving, the site had over 30,000 visitors.
Free shipping and deep discounts are leading many consumers to shop online, Knowles says. Knowles spearheaded what will become an annual holiday shopping marketing event in Free Shipping Day (www.freeshippingday.com), which is a day late in December when merchants offer free shipping with delivery by Christmas Eve day. More than 250 merchants participated, and FreeShippingDay.com attracted 100,000 visitors on the day itself, which was December 18.
Despite the grim news facing many bricks-and-mortar retailers, Knowles believes that online retailers, and bricks-and-mortar retailers that increase their presence on the Internet, will have a more favorable outcome on their bottom line.
### free e-book on this site that's worth checking out:
http://www.freeshipping.org/free-shipping-ebook.pdf
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