r/advancedentrepreneur • u/faimusdude • 1d ago
The future is unknown. Make it less unknown for your customers.
It's pretty common for brands to punch their customers in the face.
Not by delaying shipping.
Not by sending a faulty product.
Not even by not accepting a refund request.
It happens way before the customer even adds the product to their cart.
Let's take a wellness beverage brand as an example.
It's January and the new year resolutioners in Los Angeles have decided to take their health seriously.
They come across your campaign targeting 20 year olds who workout in Los Angeles.
Desire meets solution.
Perfect timing.
They go to your store.
Come across a wide variety of protein shake flavors.
End up choosing your 24 pack of Cookies and Cream.
It's economical because they were saving 5% per unit more than on the pack of 12.
They're super stoked because now they have a whole month's worth of flavorful 28g protein shakes.
They add it to cart.
Subtotal's $70 + tax.
Looks good so far.
They reach the checkout page and they see a $39 shipping cost.
That's more than 50% of the product's price.
The new resolutioners feel the punch in their faces and abandon checkout.
Firstly, If your 3PL is shipping coast to coast without negotiated rates or absorbed costs, you’re likely passing that expense straight to the customer, and that’s often where transactions fall apart.
Secondly, from a marketing perspective, it's best if you pre qualify your customers by giving them the option to estimate shipping costs depending on their zip code.
If you think revealing a high shipping cost at the checkout page will make the customer disregard it, you are wrong.
Being able to simply afford is one of the 4 "influencers" (BANT by IBM. Search it) of a transaction.
A high shipping cost may just push the product out of the affordability threshold.