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In ecommerce, we all hope that our customers will arrive on our site ready to make multi-item purchases. However, this isn’t something we can leave up to chance—it’s our job to compel them to buy more than one item at a time. Whether you’re recommending complementary products to help them build a full outfit, or you’re running a “spend more, save more promotion”, there are many ways you can help your customer add more to their cart and, in turn, boost your average order value (AOV). AOV is a critical metric for any ecommerce business to measure as it tells you the average amount a customer spends on any given purchase.
Let’s dive into 3 optimization tactics you can implement to increase your AOV.
1. Cross-sell items that pair well together
Just about every ecommerce company has items that go hand-in-hand with one another. Whether you’re a low-SKU fitness retailer or big box store, you should recommend products that pair well with each specific item to create a unique package deal for your customers. Target, for example, recommends items that are frequently bought together on their PDP, giving customers the subtotal for all 4 items together, so there are no surprises, as well as the option to add them all to cart with one click.
While cross-selling is a great tactic to implement on your PDP, there’s one other place you should consider recommending complementary items to your customers: your cart page. This is not only your last chance to boost your AOV but, more importantly, to add a personalized touch to your website experience at a critical moment in the customer journey. Adding these personalized product recommendations can help you beat another dreaded cart abandonment and secure a new customer.
2. Encourage customers to meet your free shipping threshold
Let’s face it: paying for shipping can be a huge deterrent when shopping online, even when you’re prepared to spend hundreds of dollars on your purchase. A whopping 49% of people abandon their carts when extra costs (shipping, taxes, and other fees) are too high, so if you offer a free shipping threshold, it’s imperative to promote it widely on your site. Add messaging on your homepage and PDP about your free shipping threshold, and let customers know how close they are to reaching the threshold on your cart page. When they can see they’re just an item away from saving money on shipping, they’ll be more inclined to add that extra item to their cart.
3. Allow customers to save more when they spend more
Everyone loves a sale, especially when they have the opportunity to get better savings as they spend more. This is why tiered promotions like the American Eagle one below are such a great option for ecommerce customers and brands alike. They not only put the customer in control of selecting their own personalized deal, but they’re a huge driver for your AOV. If a customer was on the fence about adding another item or two to their cart, a tiered promotion can help solidify their purchase decision so they can save more money overall. Who wouldn’t want to get more items and save more money on their purchase?
Additional Resources
It’s no secret that AOV is one of the most important metrics for any ecommerce marketer to continuously measure and improve. Check out these additional resources for even more best practices to optimize your website and boost AOV.
- 5 Optimization Tips to Convert More Browsers to Buyers
- 7 Ecommerce Website Mistakes You Could Be Making (and How to Avoid Them)
- 4 Tips to Optimize Your Ecommerce Homepage
