Free + Shipping

Today I'd like to talk about Free+Shipping patterns. This is a sales/conversion integration pattern reported to bring very good results. It's one of the foundation stones in Russell Brunson's "Micro-Continuity" integration pattern that he calls a "System".

Enjoy.

To Internet profits!
--Ely

Summary:

Free+Shipping pattern is about free offer of some physical object (normally CD or DVD) for a nominal shipping and handling fee loaded with a "free trial" forced continuity and upsells on the order page.

Name of the pattern:

Free+Shipping
Free plus Shipping

When to use the pattern:

When you want to get prospects into any sort of continuity, where you can offer a free trial, and you really need to increase conversions. It's normally also combined with an upsell pattern.

How to use the pattern:

First you need some continuity program in place, that's from where payoffs come. It's also very beneficial to have an upsell offer in place.

Then you create a separate product on a physical media that you can give away for free. If your continuity is educational in any form (Internet course, club, etc.) you can just put some good samples on that CD. Have the CD duplicated and have a simple 2-3 steps sales flow:

Screen #1: "I want to give you a free CD (DVD, MP3 player,...) And you will also get free one month trial of my club/program/... Under no obligations to stay, just ... to cancel any time even before your first trial month is over. Enter your name and email address and click SUBMIT" (yes, you also getting them on your mailing list)

Screen #2: Payment details, Order button

Screen #3: After payment processing. Order details. Instructions how to cancel. Upsell offer. Order button.

Screen #4, 5... may be developed if you want to implement a Order Tree / Launch Tree pattern.

Mailing list opt-in is iptional, but highly recommended. Upsell is also optional and also is HIGHLY recommended. Upsell offer is usually done as an OTO / One Time Offer pattern.

S&H is usually set to $7.75 or $9.95. It's a normal practice to have it slightly profitable and not at loss. Essentially, your free CD or other item is a SLO / Self Liquidating Offer pattern.

Attribution:

This is well-known traditional marketing pattern a little enhanced on the Internet.

Related patterns:

Free Offer, Free Bonus, Free Trial, Upsell, One Time Offer, Self-Liquidating Offer, Order Tree, Continuity

Related anti-patterns:

Forced Continuity

Details and comments:

The pattern is really old and comes from Direct Marketing times, when the direct sales letter will promise you next miracle pill for FREE, "you just pay small S&H fee", but then you are stuck with monthly shipments at the full price. Most notorious with that were "clubs" like BMG Music CD Club or Gevalia Caffe. As usual, the secret of good Internet marketing is to use properly what worked in a normal marketing.

A really important moment is paid shipping & handling. Most importantly, S&H charge justifies entering their payment information in the first place, which you need for the continuity. It's much harder if you'd ask for it for continuity. Also, because the prospects have to take the credit card out and pay a nominal fee, somehow they become much more willing to continue on the upsell transaction. If you just give the free product away electronically, without any fee at all, you may get better download rate but you will really hurt your upsell offer.

There is another reason for the trial to be one month, because as a part of the order process you get their phone number and if they cancel, you can pass it to the calling center. However, you have to do that within the legal limit time. When they ordered your free item, you did business, and makes "an established business relationship" that allows you to call. However, be careful and check with your attorney for details, the laws vary by state, and although a month since the order is normally considered ok, your state may differ.