Look, we get it - as an eCommerce business owner, those hard-earned site visitors feel like tiny miracles. You've invested heavily in ads, SEO, social media...the whole nine yards to earn those eyeballs. So when shoppers bail without buying, it can sting like a punch in the gut.
But before resorting to pricing your merchandise at fire sale prices (please don't do this!), have you fully optimized your store experience? We're talking about creative tactics that empower customers to maximize cart spending while delighting them throughout.
Implementing savvy strategies boosting average order value is one of the biggest levers you have for dramatic revenue growth. Without acquiring even ONE additional visitor, small uplifts can translate into game-changing income boosts over time.
Take a look at these tips for squeezing more revenue from your existing traffic:
Offer Free Shipping Thresholds
Shipping costs frequently trigger abandoned carts faster than you can say, "Mehh, never mind." But by promoting a reasonable free shipping threshold like $100, you incentivize shoppers to increase order size, covering those fees. Make it worthwhile to qualify!
Some free shipping threshold tips:
- Prominently display the amount needed for free shipping
- Use a progress bar to show how close they are
- Offer recommendations for items to add to qualify
Bundle Products Into Package Deals
Rather than piecemeal product grabs, packaging related items together delivers built-in convenience to customers. Not only does this bump overall order size, but thoughtfully curating collections reduces guesswork around complementary items.
For example, if you sell camping gear, you could bundle a tent, sleeping bag, and air mattress together for a discounted price. This not only makes it easier for customers to find what they need but also encourages them to buy more than one item at once.
Be strategic about bundling for popular use cases, gifting, trendy aesthetics, or other logical groupings. Seeing unified value immediately boosts impulse purchases of entire sets.
Leverage Cross-Selling and Recommendation Engines
While manual product bundling represents one effective merchandising strategy, implementing advanced recommendation engines takes your upselling efforts to the next level through data-driven personalization.
Cross-selling recommendations that dynamically surface complementary products based on what's already in a customer's cart have been shown to increase average order values by up to 30%. These "Customers Also Bought" style prompts make it effortless to discover logical add-on purchases.
Don't stop at checkout either - weave personalized product recommendations throughout your entire customer journey, including:
- Your website's navigation menus
- Post-purchase emails
- Retargeting ad campaigns
- Loyalty program interfaces
Deploy Post-Purchase Promotions
So a customer hits "order," but you know there's potential to sell more. Prompt them with post-purchase BOGO offers, single-use discount codes, or promos highlighting hot sellers related to their recent purchase.
This ensures the selling cycle doesn't end once a single transaction clears. Extend engagement through personalized upsell sequences matching demonstrated interests.
Beyond just driving traffic, it's important to implement solid eCommerce merchandising principles on your site to elevate the shopping experience and convert more browsers into buyers. You can read more on ecommerce merchandising here.
Suggest Accessories With Every Product
You may sell product lineups independently, but bundling companion accessories creates easy upsell opportunities.
For example, with every laptop sold, recommend complementary cases, mice, external display accessories, software, and more. This accessory attachment approach promotes customer loyalty as customers return repeatedly for a one-stop product ecosystem tailored to their needs.
Simple upsells like these raise total order value while providing customers with additional value-adds tailored to their purchase. Don't sleep on aftermarket add-ons! Strategically merchandising product connections boosts AOV and customer lifetime value substantially.
Incorporate Volume Pricing
Why not reward larger single purchases with discounted price breaks? Volume pricing motivates bundle buys from shoppers who have already demonstrated the intention to purchase multiple items. Present volume incentives clearly to attract bargain hunters who spread word-of-mouth about your generous offers.
Configure automatic discounts kicking in at desired quantity thresholds. Customers feel treated for maximizing order value, and you secure a larger upfront transaction value. Communicate these stackable savings transparently throughout the shopping journey for maximum conversion impact.
Get Creative With Subscription Models
For products with recurring consumable components, subscriptions provide ongoing revenue streams while simplifying replenishing for customers. Encourage shoppers to "subscribe and save" through regular deliveries matching typical use intervals.
Subscription model ideas:
- Replenishment subscriptions (supplements, food, hygiene)
- Access/membership subscriptions (software, streaming)
- Curation subscriptions (books, clothing, meal kits)
Build subscription tracks with bundling and incentives, tailoring pricing for various frequencies and quantities to encourage maximum sustained spending over time.
Conclusion
Winning average order value improvements ultimately stems from thoughtfully merchandising your store's products and overall experience. Look for gaps in how your customer journey could better facilitate spend before kick-starting shiny marketing initiatives.
By testing incremental improvements across ordering flows, deals, urgency prompts, and optimized product bundling, you'd be amazed at how much more revenue you can extract from current site traffic alone.
With persistent adjustments catered to customer purchasing behavior insights, growing lifetime value and loyalty follow soon after. Now get out there and delight shoppers while massively boosting revenues!
