10 Great Ways to Increase Average Order Value

Want to make more money from your online store? Many business owners focus most of their attention on finding new customers, but what if we told you there’s a much easier to boost your sales that’s often overlooked? We’re talking about utilising ways to increase average order value – or selling more items to the people shopping in your store.

In short, it’s one of THE easiest ways to increase the profitability of your site, and it’s actually pretty simple to do once you know a few strategies that work.

10 Ways to Increase Average Order Value (AOV)

1. Set a minimum order for free shipping

Customers love free shipping – and many people will be willing to spend a little more to get it. After all, if your basket comes to £42 but you spot that the store offers free shipping when you spend £50, it’s very tempting to add a couple more items to your order.

The trick is to set the threshold at a level that seems attainable to most customers. For example, you might set it at 30% above the current average spend. Make it too high and you might find that more people abandon their cart, so it’s important to find the right balance.

Get it right and it’s a win-win for both you and the customer

2. Order discounts

Another simple idea is to offer a discount when the customer spends a certain amount – like £5 off when you spend £50, and £10 off when you spend £80.

You could also offer a percentage discount – or introduce a fixed minimum spend, like £5 off when you spend £40 or more.

Again, this is a fantastic way to offer people even better value for money while also providing an incentive for them to make a bigger order.

3. Gift cards

The great thing about gift cards is that they can encourage a higher spend, while also increasing the likelihood of the customer returning to your store again in the future.

For example, you might offer a free £5 voucher when the customer spends £60, or a free £10 voucher when they spend £100.

Just be sure to calculate the viability of the offer in terms of profitability – and always provide transparent rules on how long the voucher is valid for, how it can be spent, etc.

4. Product bundles

Another easy way to increase average order value is to bundle together some of your most popular products, perhaps with a slight discount on what it would otherwise cost to buy them separately.

This is both convenient for the customer and increases the perceived value, providing everything they need in one great value package. The chances are the customer wouldn’t otherwise purchase every single item in the bundle, meaning more money for you.

As well as putting together pre-packaged bundles, you might also consider allow your customers to create their own packages.

5. Upsells and cross-sells

When you go to McDonalds, you’re probably familiar with being asked: “would you like fries with that?”

In the same way, you can offer complimentary products to go with the item the customer is already buying (cross-sell), or an upgraded version of the same item (upsell).

How about some nice cushions to go with that new sofa? 

If it’s a computer, would they like to upgrade the RAM or hard drive?

Amazon once claimed that 35% of its revenue comes from such tactics, so it’s easy to see why this can be so beneficial to the success of your store.

6. Special promotions

Supermarkets do this all the time…

‘3 for 2 on all chilled party food.’

‘Buy any 3 for £10’

You can use the same tactics in your online store to increase average spend and drive sales. Many retailers use seasonal mix and match offers to incentivise sales, like at Christmas or during the summer holidays.

7. New customer discounts

Offering exclusive discounts to new customers is an effective way to encourage first time visitors to actually make an order AND spend more at the same time. 

As an example, you might offer 10% off their first order, etc.

The more they spend, the bigger the discount they receive, so there’s a real incentive to make a sizeable order. 

You can also combine this with follow-up offers to encourage them to come back again and again.

8. Time-sensitive offers

Time-sensitive promotions are another brilliant way to increase average order value – and they can also boost conversions, too.

Why do flash sales and other time-limited offers work so well? They force us into action and incentivise a larger order to make the most of the discount. After all, we all hate to miss out on a special offer!

9. Loyalty schemes

Loyalty schemes give people a reason to shop with you over time – and they’re also great for increasing average spend.

For example, you might offer customers the chance to earn points when they spend, or member-only discounts when they meet an order threshold.

Rewards or loyalty programs work especially well for stores that sell consumable products where customers typically repurchase often, but they can also be useful for other stores, too.

10. Live chat

Adding a live chat feature to your store allows customers to quickly and easily get their questions answered, meaning they’ll be more likely to hit that ‘buy’ button and gain confidence in your company.

You can even use live chat to present upsell or cross-sell offers, thereby helping further increase average spend.

Want to learn more about how to increase average order value and maximise the profitability of your store? Get in touch with our expert team today.