Shopify Upselling: Apps & Best Practices
You’ve probably been doing everything possible to get your business in front of the right people. Then, more work goes into moving browsers down the sales funnel so they become actual customers.
But once they’ve moved through the customer journey and are finally persuaded to part with their hard-earned cash, how do you get them to buy more?
The answer lies in upselling. Upscribe understands the importance of upselling in your business. As leading experts in the industry, we’re going to take you through what upselling is and how to do it successfully. We’ll also provide actionable advice using Shopify apps you can use right after reading this guide.
What Is Upselling?
Upselling is the process of selling an additional product or service to a customer. So, if a customer initially comes to your online store to buy one product, and ends up checking out with more than one, you’ve successfully upsold them!
It doesn’t matter if you actively dance the products in front of them, or dangle an understated 3-for-2 offer in the corner of the page, the upsell still stands.
Upselling can help you increase your average order value (AOV) and improve the profitability of your store.
What is to Upsell in Shopify?
To upsell in Shopify refers to a sales technique where a retailer encourages a customer to purchase a higher-end or more expensive product, add-ons, or upgrades in addition to or instead of the initially considered product. The goal of upselling is to increase the average order value (AOV) by convincing customers to spend more than they originally intended.
In Shopify, upselling can be implemented through various methods, such as suggesting related or complementary products on the product page, offering discounts for purchasing a higher-tier product or showcasing bundles that provide additional value.
The platform often provides merchants with tools and apps that facilitate the implementation of upselling strategies to boost revenue and enhance the overall shopping experience.
Upsell Vs Cross-Sell
Upselling is a way to increase the value of a customer’s purchase. The goal here is to drive up the average order value. This can be done by persuading the customer to buy more than one of their current product choices or related items. Anything goes, as long as the $ number goes up!
Cross-selling is a way to increase the number of items sold. This is different from upselling, as it’s not just about how much the customer spends. If you sell hair care products and a customer buys your hair oil, cross-selling would involve showing them the matching shampoo and conditioner to go with it.
Upselling is usually done on an individual product page, while cross-selling tends to happen across multiple product pages.
Why Is Upselling Important
Upselling is a great way to increase your revenue and increase your average order value, which means you’ll also save money on customer acquisition costs. When you upsell correctly, it can increase customer lifetime value and help you meet your goals.
How to Upsell Products and the Tools You Can Use
As we’ve learned so far, upselling is key to increasing your average order value. Upselling is a skill that doesn’t come naturally.
However, you can use many sales tools to make your job easier.
1. Make the most of upselling apps for Shopify
Upselling apps make the whole process easier. They automate the entire process so you can sit back, relax and let technology take the wheel. Here are the three types of apps that you can have to create a robust Shopify upselling strategy: subscription management, product bundling and conversion rate optimization
Upscribe – for subscription management
Why? Product subscriptions allow you to upsell complementary products together.
Specializing in the subscriber experience, the Upscribe app helps users upsell by creating a branded experience that offers customers subscriptions, upsells and discounts.
Upscribe has helped generate over $500 million worth of subscription revenue for Shopify businesses, and we know subscriptions are a great way to get consistent revenue from your customers.
Compiling the Subscriber Experience feature, Growth Tools, Reorder and much more, Upscribe has helped process over $500 million in subscription revenue for businesses worldwide.
Through Upscribe, Ready, Set, Food increased their profit margins by 35% and Four Sigmatic grew their active subscribers by 50% by reducing churn rates and encouraging upsells with subscriptions.
Powerful built-in subscription analytics helps you understand your customers deeper and find out exactly when they’re ready to be targeted with offers. Learn who is more likely to churn out of the subscription process and send them an automatic incentive to stay with you.
Complete with email and SMS marketing, keep in touch with customers to let them know they’re appreciated. Customers can even manage their own subscriptions via email or text, giving them the customer service experience they deserve.
Sitting at $300 per month, with no additional fees as well as free and easy migration from another subscription management platform, it’s a great option for businesses who want to take their customer experience to the next level.
Bundling Together or Suggesting Frequently Bought Together
Why? People want to see and buy what others paired their purchases with.
Frequently Bought Together lets users create relevant product bundles to offer customers. At checkout, they’re introduced to new items they might not have known they wanted to add. It helps increase conversion rates, get more of your products seen and increases the Average Order Value per customer.
Frequently Bought Together offers a level of prices, starting at a free version for the basics and scaling to $19.99 per month. Bear in mind that cheaper alternatives may not offer all the benefits you’re looking for.
Limespot Upsell & Cross-Sell
Why? People may be eager to see product recommendations based on what they’re planning to buy.
Limespot allows you to keep a consistent brand image across all stages of your online store. Create powerful product bundles and recommendations across the web, email and SMS.
Use real-time segmentation to cross-sell & dynamically personalize every website element to provide a truly targeted customer journey.
For a premium experience, Limespot prices at $400 per month. The essentials tier begins at $18 per month, however, this only gives you the very basic features.
In Cart Upsell and Cross-Sell
Increase sales and boost your conversion rates with In Cart Upsell and Cross-Sell. Customize the experience to create a seamless brand image across the customer journey.
In Cart doesn’t use pop-ups to target your customers, so you can relax knowing your customers aren’t being taken out of their shopping experience with a pop-up offer.
In Cart begins with a free plan, but that only offers 1 cross-sell or upsell. The premium option of $59.99 increases to 500 upsells, although there is still a limit on the amount of upsells you can do per month.
If you’re looking for unlimited upsells across your business, this might not be the right option for you.
2. Create relevant product groups
The key to success is creating relevant product groups with a clear call to action. Product groups should be organized into relevant themes, such as “Toys for Kids” or “Home Decor.” Here’s an example from Kohl’s:
Use your best-selling products as part of these groups and try using colors or images to stand out from other items on your shop page!
3. Bundle products
Bundling is an easy way to upsell without being pushy. You could bundle an item with a complementary product or service from your store or create a bundle that includes several different items at a discounted price. For instance, one of our clients, Four Sigmatic, provides a start bundle for their wellness products, allowing customers to purchase complementary products together and eliminating the need for deliberation.
Bundle related items together in one offer. For example, if you’re selling cameras and camera lenses separately, consider creating an “all-in-one package” that gives buyers everything they need in one place (and at a discount).
4. Provide subscriptions
Subscriptions are a great way to upsell. You can use subscriptions to sell multiple products, not just one. You can also use them to sell multiple people on the same product or service and offer recurring payments for your products! Beekeeper’s Naturals provides single-product subscriptions at a cheaper rate than the one-time purchase option to encourage people to pick the former.
5. Build a “suggested products” section on your product page
Build a “suggested products” section on your product page. This is where you show products related to the one the customer is viewing, but they don’t always have to be exactly the same. So if they are looking at a t-shirt, you might want to show them other types of clothing and accessories that would go well with it.
6. Suggest items pre-checkout
Use a pop-up to suggest items. A pop-up that appears when someone is about to check out can be used to remind them of other products they might like, which may lead them to purchase more.
7. Create urgency
Creating a sense of urgency is one of the best ways to convert customers on your site.
A featured countdown timer will show how much time is left until an offer ends or expires, creating a sense that they need to act quickly if they want to take advantage of the deal.
8. Use email marketing
Email marketing is an excellent tool for upselling. You can use it to offer discounts, cross-sell related products, and remind customers about their orders.
You can also use email marketing to convert your email subscribers into buyers. Send out an email asking them to make a purchase or just remind them about their outstanding orders by sending out a coupon code for free delivery or something similar that will encourage them to buy from you again!
9. Implement tiered discounts
Offer tiered discounts based on the total purchase amount. For example, provide a percentage discount or a fixed amount off when customers spend above a certain threshold. This encourages customers to add more items to their cart to reach the next discount tier.
10. Leverage social proof
Incorporate social proof, such as customer reviews or testimonials, to highlight the value of the upsell. Demonstrating how others have benefited from similar upgrades or additional products can instill confidence in customers and increase the likelihood of upsell acceptance.
11. Loyalty programs
Implement loyalty programs that reward customers for making additional purchases. Offer points, discounts, or exclusive perks for customers who consistently choose upsell options, fostering repeat business.
12. Dynamic discounts
Use dynamic discounting based on the customer’s cart value. Offer percentage discounts that increase with higher order totals, providing an incentive for customers to add more items to their cart.
13. Gamification
Introduce gamification elements to your upselling strategy. Consider incorporating elements like “unlocking” exclusive offers or rewards when customers reach certain milestones in their shopping journey.
14. Seasonal promotions
Tailor your upselling efforts to seasonal trends and holidays. Create special promotions or bundles tied to specific occasions, encouraging customers to capitalize on unique offers available during that time.
15. Educational content
Provide educational content about the benefits and features of upsell products. Use product descriptions, blog posts, or videos to inform customers about how these additions can enhance their overall experience, making them more inclined to accept upsell suggestions.
Best Practices for Shopify Upselling
When considering Shopify upselling, here are some of the best practices that you should try:
Know your customers
Understanding your target customers’ preferences, buying behavior, and needs is crucial. Tailor your upselling strategies based on this knowledge to offer products or upgrades that genuinely resonate with your customers.
Upscribe offers Shopify businesses easy access to all the subscription analytics data they need to fine-tune product offerings for your customers.
Relevance is the key
Ensure that the upsell offers are relevant to the customer’s initial purchase. Recommending products that complement or enhance the original item increases the likelihood of a successful upsell.
Highlight value, not just price
Emphasize the value of the upsell rather than solely focusing on the price. Communicate how the additional product or feature enhances the customer’s experience, making it a worthwhile investment.
Strategic placement
Position your upsell suggestions at strategic points in the customer journey, such as on product pages, in the shopping cart, or during the checkout process. Ensure the upsell prompts are visible without being intrusive.
Bundle offers
Package related products together as bundles, offering customers a discount when purchasing the bundle. This not only encourages upsells but also provides customers with added value and convenience.
Personalized recommendations
Leverage data and analytics to provide personalized upsell recommendations. Use customer purchase history, preferences, and browsing behavior to suggest products that align with their interests.
Clear communication
Clearly communicate the benefits of the upsell, explaining how it addresses the customer’s needs or enhances their experience. Transparency builds trust and increases the likelihood of customers accepting the upsell.
A/B testing
Experiment with different upsell strategies through A/B testing. Analyze the performance of various upsell offers to identify the most effective approaches and continuously refine your upselling tactics.
Post-purchase upsells
Implement post-purchase upsells by suggesting additional products after the customer has completed their initial purchase. This approach takes advantage of the customer’s commitment and can lead to incremental sales.
Increase revenue with upselling
Upselling can be a really powerful tool for increasing profits, but it’s important that you only offer products that complement each other and don’t confuse customers with too many options.
The tips and tricks you learn here can help you with your upselling and create a customer experience for which people keep coming back.
