Lately, everyone has an opinion about shipping…and that’s because free shipping has been all the buzz on Etsy since they released their Etsy SEO guide revealing that free and low-cost shipping are favored in search results. Some folks say it makes a difference, other folks beg to differ. But at the end of the day, Marmalead is about making sure you have the information you need to guide you through your Etsy journey. So…what’s this ship all about?? <— See what I did there?!

What’s the deal?

From the horse’s mouth and straight out of their guide, “High shipping costs may turn off buyers and keep them from completing their purchase. Etsy search factors shipping price into search ranking to make it easier for shoppers to find items with competitive shipping prices, including items that ship for free.”

Okay, Etsy…thanks for the info. Now, what does that mean for the sellers? How are the sellers supposed to adjust to the free and low-cost shipping landscape- especially sellers using a cost-plus formula for calculating prices?!

Good news!! The goal remains the same. Be the best option available for an interested shopper!

You see, we know that shipping costs have always played a big role in online purchasing decisions. But the market landscape for shipping is now moving faster than ever because so many sellers are experimenting to find the sweet spot for their markets.

So, you might be wondering how we (Marmalead) are going to help! What’s the best way for you (a seller with a great product that wants to be sure shipping doesn’t break the deal) to navigate toward a shipping price solution?

Marmalead now has Shipping Analysis tools so you’ve got a compass to guide you through the sea of information.

How’s about a quick example?

Let’s say you sell gnome houses (because who wouldn’t want to sell those?!) and you need to figure out what shipping options your customers will have in front of them.

You’ll go into Marmalead, search your target keyword, in this case, “gnome house”.

And you’ll see: (in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2)

Fig. 1.

• Minimum shipping -> This is the lowest price (aside from free) that shoppers will see.

• Average shipping -> This is the shipping price on average that shoppers will see.

• Maximum shipping -> This is the highest price that shoppers will see.

• Shipping prices donut chart -> This shows a breakdown of shipping price ranges, including free, that shoppers will see.

• Minimum shipping days -> This is the quickest days to ship a shopper will see.

• Average shipping days -> This is the average days to ship a shopper will see.

• Maximum shipping days -> This is the longest days to ship a shopper will see.

• Days to ship donut chart -> This shows a breakdown of days to ship ranges that shoppers will see.

Fig. 2

• Shipping price spread chart -> This shows Shipping Price on the X-Axis and the number of listings at that shipping price on the Y-Axis.

But wait, there’s more!

So for the sellers who are offering free shipping, how are they covering the cost? Are they building it into their listing prices? Maybe they’re paying those costs themselves? Are they splitting it 50/50? This section clearly shows how listings with free shipping compare to ones with paid shipping so you can see what the sellers with free shipping are doing in YOUR market!

Final thoughts

With this information in hand, you’re all set to make sure your shipping prices and days to ship are in line with customer expectations and therefore more likely to sell. Remember, information is key and Marmalead is always working to hand you the keys!

Happy selling, everyone!

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