11 Ways to Increase Your Average Order Value

Average order value (AOV) is a vital metric in ecommerce, representing the average amount customers spend per purchase within a specific timeframe. Having a clear understanding of AOV is crucial for making informed decisions about pricing, customer service strategies, and overall business operations in the ecommerce industry.

By focusing on increasing AOV, you can drive significant improvements in other key performance indicators such as conversions and customer lifetime value. Let's explore 11 effective strategies to enhance your ecommerce business's average order value:

1. Cross-Selling

Offer complementary products or services that align with customers' purchase intent. For instance, if a customer is buying a laptop, recommend laptop bags or accessories. Implement this strategy on your ecommerce website by suggesting related items or showcasing "Frequently Bought Together" bundles.

2. Upselling

Encourage customers to upgrade to higher-value products by highlighting the benefits and features of premium options. Upselling should provide genuine value to customers rather than pushing unnecessary upgrades.

3. Related Product Placement

Display related or complementary products together to facilitate cross-selling. Utilize your ecommerce website's product placement and recommendation features to showcase items that customers often buy together, such as presenting phone cases alongside smartphones.

4. Create Product Bundles

Identify products frequently purchased together and offer them as bundled packages. Combine complementary items or create themed sets to encourage customers to add multiple products to their carts.

5. Loyalty Points Program

Implement a loyalty points system that rewards customers with bonus points for reaching a certain order value threshold. This incentive encourages customers to spend more and reinforces their loyalty to your ecommerce brand.

6. Promotions and Special Offers

Utilise promotions and special offers to entice customers to increase their order values. Whether it's "Buy Two, Get One 50% Off" or other compelling combinations, ensure the offers align with customer preferences and encourage larger purchases.

7. Optimise Website Layout

Design your ecommerce website's layout to encourage extended browsing and higher order values. Implement features that improve the overall user experience and make it easy for customers to explore more products, similar to how Amazon creates many opportunities for customers to find new products.

8. Showcase Recommended Products

Display recommended products strategically, especially during the checkout process. Leverage pop-ups or dedicated sections to suggest additional items that complement the customer's chosen products, thereby increasing the likelihood of upselling and cross-selling.

9. Free Shipping Thresholds

Offer free shipping for orders that exceed a specific value. Display a pop-up notification to inform customers about the free shipping threshold, encouraging them to add more items to their cart to qualify.

10. Flexible Payment Options

Provide flexible payment options, such as buy now pay later services, to ease customers' financial burden and potentially increase their spending. Offering instalment plans can make larger purchases more manageable and appealing.

11. Identify Peak AOV Periods

Analyse your data to identify periods when AOV is highest. Determine the underlying factors contributing to this increase and replicate successful strategies. For example, if a particular marketing campaign or sales team member consistently drives higher AOV, leverage that knowledge to train and empower.

There you have it, 11 ways to increase your average order value. As we mentioned earlier, it's important to look at your business as a whole when adjusting your growth levers. Every change you make in one area, will have an impact on another area. Check out our Growth Calculator which will help you to determine what changes you can make to grow your business.