How to increase Average Order Value on Shopify stores?

By
Luke Mondora
May 15, 2023
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Running an online store can be a challenging venture, especially when it comes to increasing sales and revenue. One of the key metrics that can significantly impact your profits is the average order value (AOV). In simple terms, AOV refers to the average amount of money each customer spends per order on your Shopify store.

Understanding Average Order Value (AOV)

What is Average Order Value?

AOV is an essential metric that can help you determine the health of your online store. Calculating your store's AOV involves dividing the total revenue generated by the number of orders received over a specific period. For instance, if your store generated $10,000 from 200 orders, your AOV would be $50.

But what does this number really mean? Essentially, AOV tells you how much, on average, each customer is spending when they make a purchase from your store. This can be an indicator of how well your store is performing overall, as well as how effective your marketing and sales strategies are at encouraging customers to spend more.

It's important to note that AOV can vary widely between different industries and types of products. For example, a store that sells high-end luxury items may have a much higher AOV than a store that sells inexpensive everyday items. Understanding the benchmark for your industry can help you set realistic goals for improving your AOV over time.

Why is AOV important for your Shopify store?

Incorporating strategies to increase your AOV can have a significant impact on your store's revenue and profits. This is because increasing AOV can help to offset customer acquisition costs and boost profits without having to invest in attracting new customers.

One effective way to increase AOV is to offer upsells and cross-sells during the checkout process. This means suggesting additional products that complement or enhance the item(s) the customer is already purchasing. For example, if a customer is buying a new camera, you might suggest a camera case or extra memory card to go with it.

Another strategy is to offer free shipping or a discount for orders that meet a certain minimum threshold. This can encourage customers to add more items to their cart in order to qualify for the offer, increasing their overall spend.

Finally, improving the overall customer experience on your website can also lead to higher AOV. This could include making it easier to navigate and find products, offering personalized recommendations based on past purchases, or providing excellent customer service throughout the buying process.

By focusing on increasing your store's AOV, you can not only boost your revenue and profits, but also improve the overall health and success of your Shopify store.

Analyzing your current AOV

As an online retailer, understanding your store's average order value (AOV) is crucial to your success. AOV is the average amount of money a customer spends in a single transaction on your website. A high AOV means that customers are spending more money per order, which can increase your revenue and profitability.

How to calculate your store's AOV

Calculating your store's AOV is relatively straightforward. Divide the total revenue generated by the number of orders processed over a specific period. This will give you your store's average order value. For example, if your store generated $10,000 in revenue from 100 orders in a month, your AOV would be $100.

It is essential to note that AOV can vary depending on the time period you choose to analyze. It is recommended to calculate AOV over a more extended period, such as a quarter or a year, to get a more accurate picture of your store's performance.

Identifying trends and patterns in your AOV

Monitoring your AOV closely can help you identify any trends or patterns that could inform your strategy. For instance, you may notice that your AOV is lower during specific periods or for particular products/categories. This information can help you develop targeted strategies to increase AOV.

For example, if you notice that your AOV is lower during the holiday season, you may want to offer bundle deals or free shipping on orders over a certain amount to encourage customers to spend more. Alternatively, if you notice that your AOV is lower for a particular product category, you may want to consider offering discounts or promotions to incentivize customers to purchase more items from that category.

By analyzing your AOV and identifying trends and patterns, you can develop effective strategies to increase your store's revenue and profitability.

Strategies to increase AOV

Increasing the average order value (AOV) is a crucial aspect of any successful e-commerce business. A higher AOV means more revenue and better profitability. Here are some effective strategies to increase AOV:

Upselling and cross-selling techniques

One of the most effective ways of increasing AOV is by utilizing upselling and cross-selling techniques. Upselling involves offering customers higher-end products that align with their purchasing history and preferences. For instance, if a customer frequently purchases running shoes, you can offer them an upgraded version of the same shoe with additional features such as better cushioning or improved traction. Cross-selling, on the other hand, involves suggesting complementary products to the ones the customer is interested in. For example, if a customer is purchasing a camera, you can suggest a camera bag or memory card to go with it. These techniques are highly effective in increasing AOV as they prompt customers to add more items to their cart.

Creating product bundles and packages

Another effective strategy for increasing AOV is by creating product bundles and packages. Bundling products together and offering them at a reduced price can incentivize customers to buy more. This works particularly well for complementary products or products that are frequently bought together. For example, if you sell skincare products, you can bundle a cleanser, toner, and moisturizer together at a discounted price.

Implementing tiered pricing and volume discounts

Tiered pricing and volume discounts are strategies that offer discounts based on the quantity of products purchased. For example, offering a 10% discount for orders above $100 or a 20% discount for orders above $200. This strategy can encourage customers to buy more items to receive the discount, thereby increasing AOV. Additionally, you can offer tiered pricing based on the customer's loyalty status or purchase history.

Offering free shipping with minimum order value

Offering free shipping with a minimum order value is a powerful incentive to encourage customers to buy more products. This strategy works by setting a minimum amount that customers have to spend before qualifying for free shipping. For example, you can offer free shipping for orders above $50. This can significantly increase AOV as customers are more likely to add more items to their cart to reach the minimum order value.

Personalizing product recommendations

Personalization is essential in e-commerce, and it can also help increase AOV. By analyzing a customer's browsing history and purchasing behavior, you can offer personalized product recommendations that align with their preferences, encouraging them to add more items to their cart. For example, if a customer frequently purchases organic skincare products, you can recommend other organic skincare products that they may be interested in.

Implementing these strategies can help increase AOV and boost your e-commerce business's profitability. It is important to analyze the effectiveness of each strategy and adjust accordingly to ensure maximum results.

Optimizing your Shopify store for higher AOV

As an online retailer, increasing your average order value (AOV) is crucial to the success of your business. A higher AOV means that customers are spending more money per transaction, which ultimately leads to increased revenue and profitability. There are several strategies that you can implement to optimize your Shopify store for higher AOV.

Improving product pages and descriptions

One of the most critical aspects of increasing AOV is ensuring that your product pages and descriptions are optimized. This involves providing high-quality product images, detailed product descriptions, and including customer reviews and ratings that can help build customer trust and influence purchase decisions.

It's important to note that your product descriptions should not just be a list of features and specifications. Instead, they should be written in a way that highlights the benefits of your products and how they can solve your customers' problems. This can help create an emotional connection with your customers and make them more likely to make a purchase.

In addition to product descriptions, you can also include related products and accessories on your product pages. This can encourage customers to add more items to their carts and increase their overall order value.

Streamlining the checkout process

An overly complicated and confusing checkout process can lead to cart abandonment, which can negatively impact your AOV. Ensure that your checkout process is streamlined, efficient, and easy to navigate. This includes simplifying the checkout form and offering multiple payment options.

You can also offer free shipping or a discount on the customer's next purchase if they spend a certain amount. This can incentivize customers to add more items to their cart and increase their overall order value.

Utilizing email marketing and retargeting campaigns

Email marketing and retargeting campaigns are effective in keeping your brand top of mind with your customers and encouraging repeat purchases. This can be achieved through offering personalized product recommendations, exclusive discounts, and offers that encourage customers to return to your store and add more items to their carts.

You can also segment your email list based on customer behavior, such as customers who have abandoned their carts or customers who have made multiple purchases. This allows you to tailor your messaging and offers to each customer segment and increase the likelihood of a purchase.

Retargeting campaigns can also be used to show ads to customers who have visited your store but have not made a purchase. This can help remind them of your brand and encourage them to return to your store and make a purchase.

By implementing these strategies, you can optimize your Shopify store for higher AOV and increase your revenue and profitability.

Measuring the impact of your AOV strategies

Tracking AOV changes over time

It is crucial to monitor your AOV closely and track any changes that result from implementing AOV strategies. This can be achieved through setting up A/B tests for various strategies and measuring their impact on AOV over time.

Analyzing customer feedback and behavior

Customer feedback and behavior can also provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of your AOV strategies. This includes monitoring customer reviews, responses to email campaigns, and feedback through customer support channels.

Adjusting strategies based on results and insights

Finally, adjusting your AOV strategies based on results and insights can help optimize your Shopify store for increased AOV continually. This involves identifying the most successful strategies and scaling them while also abandoning those that are not effective.

Conclusion

Key takeaways for increasing AOV on Shopify stores

Increasing AOV is fundamental to the success of your Shopify store. Understanding AOV, analyzing your current AOV, and implementing effective strategies will significantly impact your revenue and profits. By utilizing upselling and cross-selling techniques, creating product bundles and packages, offering tiered pricing and volume discounts, and personalizing product recommendations, you can encourage customers to add more items to their carts. Optimizing your Shopify store for higher AOV through improving product pages and descriptions, streamlining the checkout process, and utilizing email marketing and retargeting campaigns can further increase AOV. Finally, continually tracking and analyzing the impact of your AOV strategies and adjusting them based on results and insights will ensure long-term success.

Continuing to optimize and grow your online store

By implementing these strategies and continually analyzing and adapting your approach, you can optimize and grow your Shopify store, increasing AOV and driving long-term revenue and profits.

Luke Mondora
Chief Experiment Officer, Adaptiv Media