WebProNews

During the holiday season, more online retailers are offering free shipping to attract customers by way of offsetting gas prices. Though free shopping may squeeze profit margins a bit, four out of five shoppers say free shipping can be the deciding factor on where to buy their stocking stuffers.

Four out five is the same proportion of online retailers offering free shipping, says E-Commerce Times.

"I think [free shipping] the most effective marketing that retailers are using," said Rob Solomon, general manager of Yahoo Shopping.

The article goes on to express the importance of an effective website search tool. Frustrated visitors are often last-time visitors.

Gas prices as well as the ease of comparison shopping online are driving more and more consumers, who will spend an estimated $26 billion online, to shop from home. Adding free shipping and other incentives will prove to be a good way to secure a chunk of that spending.