OK, so we all know that there's no such thing as a free lunch, right?
Background: There are several ways to charge for shipping when you're operating an online store.
1. Weight and distance-based shipping, where you charge everyone actual shipping charges. This means you have to overestimate a lot of orders and end up adjusting charges down when you ship, because you have to account for packaging weights, which vary based on the amount of product ordered. Stores that do this tend to have higher free-shipping limits, but small orders have very low shipping charges for the customer.
2. Flat rate shipping, where you charge shipping according to the amount purchased. Example: 0-10 dollars = $3.95 for shipping, 10-20, $4.95, etc. This is more predictable for the customer and you probably lose fewer orders due to high shipping quotes for first-time customers. Stores that do this also tend to have lower free-shipping limits. The little secret is that the larger, free shipping orders are being subsidized by the masses of smaller orders that are being overcharged for shipping. It's all in the math, and believe me, everyone who is shipping product looks at the math and analyzes their order stream when setting their shipping policies.
So, my questions, for you online fabric shoppers are:
a. Do lower free shipping limits entice you to buy more, or less?
b. Is predictability of shipping costs in your ordering important to you, or would you rather be surprised when your shipping cost is lower than quoted?
c. Do you walk away from an order if shipping costs are quoted too high, or do you take the time to check the store's shipping policy?
d. Does having a lower free shipping limit compensate you for paying too much for shipping on smaller orders?
I have a lot more questions, but these are probably enough for one post.
Thanks in advance for your help in my research!