There are multiple ways to grow your business and increase your sales. However, many brands get caught up in trying to increase the number of customers, instead of trying to maximize the value from current customers. By squeezing extra value out of your current customers, you can reallocate funds into acquiring new customers and continue to grow your business. Below, we’ve outlined 5 effective ways to boost your average order value (AOV).

What is the Average Order Value (AOV)?

The average order value is the average amount of money customers spend when ordering from your store. This information is key to understanding your customer’s behavior and will give you an insight into popular products, purchase behavior, and what methods of increasing AOV would be most effective for your business.

Average Order Value is calculated by:

AOV= Total Revenue / Total Number of Orders

5 Effective Ways to Boost Average Order Value (AOV)

Upselling or Cross-Selling

One of the most powerful ways to increase AOV is through upselling and cross-selling. Upselling encourages customers to purchase a higher-priced product or upgrade, while cross-selling suggests related or complementary items to accompany their current selection. Implement these strategies by showcasing relevant products on product pages, during the checkout process, or via personalized product recommendations.

For example, if a customer buys a smartphone, you can suggest a premium protective case or high-quality headphones. When executed correctly, upselling and cross-selling not only increase AOV, but also enhance the customer’s shopping experience by making their purchase more comprehensive and valuable.

Our friends over at Apricoat have used a “Frequently Bought Together” section, allowing customers to quickly shop for products that are relevant to them.

In addition, you can set up algorithms to analyze behavior and track preferences to automatically push more of the products and services your customers prefer. However, it’s important to appear helpful, friendly, and genuine as nobody likes to feel overwhelmed.

Finally, be strategic with your upsells. When spending $1200 on a new iPhone, it’s a no-brainer to spend another $60 – $100 on a case to protect it. Keep this in mind for your own store. If someone is purchasing $100 in products, it would be easy to convince them to spend another $20 on products that complement their order, as opposed to another $80 – $100.

Bundling and Discount Tiers

Following on from above, offering bundled products or creating discount tiers based on the total purchase amount can entice customers to spend more. For instance, you can promote a “Buy 2, Get 1 Free” deal, a “Spend $100 and get 20% off” promotion, or a “Complete Your Set” bundle with multiple related products. These strategies create an incentive for customers to buy more than they originally intended, directly increasing AOV. Be sure to promote these deals prominently on your website and within your marketing materials to make customers aware of these cost-saving opportunities.

This can also be applied to courses and services. For example, when selling a camera, you could bundle it with a photography course at a lower price than if the customer bought it individually. Bundles are also a great option for customers in a hurry or nearing site exit, as it removes the overwhelm of choice and allows them to purchase everything they want (or need) in just one click.

Additionally, you can also offer discounts for buying in bulk. Whether it’s cosmetics, dog food, or hair care, when a customer sees the savings that come with purchasing more than one of the same items, it encourages them to add more to their cart.

Subscriptions

Similarly, subscription programs are ideal for customers who regularly purchase your products or would like to. As with the bundles, it’s key to make the price and convenience attractive so the customer will sign up and continue with the subscription.

Fresh Roasted Coffee offers the above with their one-time purchase price and auto-delivery price, which allows you to select how frequently you want your delivery and the quantity you want each time.

Reward Customers with Free Shipping and Gifts

“Spend just $6 more for free shipping”. We’ve all seen this or something similar at the checkout and it’s one of the most effective ways to increase AOV. Especially as one of the main reasons customers abandon their carts is due to shipping costs.

The goal here is to make the free shipping threshold feel achievable for most of your customers. Therefore it’s important to take into account your current average order value. For example, if your current AOV is at $25, offering free shipping at $50 would probably cause most customers to abandon their carts.

In addition to free shipping, you can also offer free gifts and discounts when customers reach an order value threshold. And remember, you can set more than one threshold to cater to customers spending smaller and larger amounts.

Customer Reviews

Finally, customer reviews and feedback can also hugely impact a buying decision. Therefore, if you have great reviews for your business and product, make sure you display them clearly throughout your website and social channels. To encourage more reviews, you can email customers after their order has arrived thanking them for their business and asking for their feedback. As this is an extra step, a great way to entice customers to leave a review is to reward them with a gift or discount.

Personalize the User Experience

With shopping switching heavily over to the digital world, consumers still love the feeling of having a personal shopper by their side. This we can achieve through a personalized user experience. By reviewing order history, you can target certain audiences with products and campaigns. The more personalized it feels, the more likely customers are to spend more. In addition, having live chat support for any questions is also a great way to make the experience feel more personal. This can also help to reduce abandoned items and carts as customers can immediately get answers to any questions they may have. Made By Mary has a small pop-up question box on the side, so it feels like an assistant is on standby at all times.

Another great way to personalize their experience and increase AOV is to start a loyalty program. Reward loyal customers for their repeated business with discounts, exclusive offers, or early access to products. Encourage customers to spend more by offering points or rewards for reaching specific spending thresholds. Loyalty programs create a sense of appreciation and exclusivity for customers, making them more likely to spend more on your site. An engaged and satisfied customer is more likely to increase their average order value in the long run.

Limited-Time Offers and Scarcity Tactics

Creating a sense of urgency and scarcity can drive customers to spend more. Use tactics like limited-time offers, flash sales, and countdown timers to encourage immediate purchases. When customers feel that they might miss out on a great deal or a unique product, they are more likely to add additional items to their cart. However, it’s important to maintain transparency and honesty in your marketing efforts. Overusing scarcity tactics can erode trust, so use them judiciously and always deliver on your promises.

In Conclusion

Increasing your Average Order Value (AOV) is a key element of growing your e-commerce business and improving your bottom line. However, it’s equally important to prioritize the customer experience (CX) while implementing these strategies. By enhancing the CX, you not only increase AOV but also build trust and loyalty, ensuring that customers return for repeat purchases. Carefully select and implement these strategies, and monitor their effectiveness to create a winning formula for your online store’s success.

Any questions? Let us know in the comments below.