It behooves most ecommerce sites to maximize their bottom line. Some attack this with a top-down approach; trying to boost overall traffic and make sure it doesn't decline. Others look to increase the value of each order that a customer makes. Both methods have their place, but today's post is all about making good on what you already have.
Increasing the Average Order Value (AOV) wherever possible ensures continued growth and an expanded budget to build upon in the future. The goal is always to make more money per order, and increase the Live Time Value (LTV) of each customer.
How do you affect a consumer's mindset in order to boost the average value of your orders? It's difficult to target customers in such a way that improves your bottom line across the board.
Let's examine some strategies to increase your AOV and cite some well know examples as we go.
1.Thank You Pages
Our first method is frequently overlooked.
Everyone appreciates being appreciated, and the easiest way to show your customers you appreciate them is by simply saying thank you. Of course, this isn't a completely selfless and altruistic gesture. Thank you pages increase not just AOV, but also:
- Engagement
- Loyalty
- And revenue per customer
This also allows a little space to give customers additional options. Offering a next step, for example, a "get started" prompt if you're selling SaaS, or a list of similar/related/suggested products if it's a traditional ecommerce site.
Either way, you've got real estate to fill, and with a highlighted benediction up top, you can be sure you've garnered some goodwill on which you can capitalize.
Here are some examples of effective thank you pages:
2.Upsells
Upsells are a powerful revenue increasing strategy. You already know your customer is in a mood to shop, so upselling capitalizes on a state of mind and the momentum that a completed purchase carries with it.
To properly upsell, you need to make sure your products/service offerings are:
- Highly relevant to the user-research their needs and provide personalized solutions.
- Still reasonably priced- you are trying to make a little more money, but don't make your premium option so much higher that the customer can't afford it.
- Not too aggressive-be selective about the quantity of the upsells you attempt. Too much too soon can send a customer running.
Here are some examples of well-executed upsells:
3.Product bundling
Offering a product that a customer has shown interest in as part of a bundle is another fantastic way to increase your AOV. It's vital that these products be:
- Complimentary-aiding and abetting one another toward a greater purpose
- Priced properly- that is, in such a way that makes them cheaper than if you bought them all separately
- Tracked for performance- bundling is a finicky strategy, you have to check and see what works before you find a winning combination.
Alternatively, you can allow customers to create their own bundle. This adds an element of interactivity to your offering, and ensures that they'll pick out a bundle that is unique to their needs.
Here are some examples of product bundling executed perfectly:
4.Optimizing related products
Cross selling related products is an oft-cited AOV increasing strategy, but there are a few maxims to keep in mind if you want to optimize your efforts:
- Be timely in your offers- people crave novelty. If the latest and greatest product has just become available, it's a good bet that its desirability is at an all time high.
- Use your user data-determine customer location, demographic, etc. to personalize related product offers.
- Keep it minimalist- don't sacrifice your site's aesthetic in order to cram in extra offers. Presentation is still important, so keep the interface clean.
No one has more data about their customers shopping habits than Amazon.com. As such, it's no surprise that they are the masters of the cross-sell.
5.Free Shipping
Delivery charges are often responsible for last minute cart abandonment. And sometimes offering free shipping is cost prohibitive. But adding additional shipping charges late in the checkout process leads to cart abandonment and lower AOV. You have a few choices here to circumvent the extra costs:
- Fold shipping fees into your price- find out costs and pass them to the customer.
- Set a free shipping threshold- If your AOV is $25, offer free shipping on purchases over $35.
- Offer free delivery as a product-Take another cue from Amazon and their Prime membership package: offer free shipping as a benefit for subscription.
There are plenty more ways to increase the average value of your ecommerce orders. Share some of your favorites in the comments.
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