How to Upsell on Shopify: Proven Tips to Increase AOV Easily

If you want to grow your Shopify store without spending more on ads, learning how to upsell on Shopify is one of the best moves you can make. I’ll show you how simple upsell strategies can help you boost your revenue, increase order value, and build stronger customer relationships.

In this guide, you and I will cover the essentials to set up upsells that feel natural and drive results. You don’t need a big budget; you just need a smart, customer-first approach.

Start upselling on Shopify today and watch your sales grow!

1. Upselling meaning and why should you use it on Shopify?

Upselling encourages buyers to consider buying a product that is slightly more expensive or advanced than the one they are thinking about. Shopify cross-sell, in contrast, sells suggestions for items that are complementary and related to one another.

So, instead of cross-selling phone cases to customers buying the phone, upselling would suggest an upgraded version of the phone with a larger memory capacity.

This will help you directly increase your AOV (average order value) and earn from the same customers without extra traffic and ads.

Some classic upselling examples on Shopify are:

• Upgrading to a more expensive product (from basic to premium plan)
• Offering a bundle deal (buy 3, save 10%)
• Recommending accessory or add-on recommendations (lens filter with the camera)

Before you dive into upselling, it is essential that you launch a successful Shopify store in the correct manner. New entrants can also use the Shopify 1 dollar offer provided by Shopify to kick-start their journey at a very low price.

Now, let’s explore how you can start setting up upsells effectively on your Shopify store!

2. How to upsell on Shopify?

You really don’t need to be an expert to set up upsells on Shopify. I’ll show you how to create offers that feel natural from product pages to Shopify upsell at checkout.

📌 Choose your upsell strategy

Stay consistent with product relevance. Only suggest upgrades or add-ons that really fit with what the customer is buying.

📌 Pick your upsell tool

You have an option to build in a upsell application of Shopify, or you can find and install an upsell app, or you can create manual offers. (Optional: If help is required to pick one, refer to this guide for the best upsell app for Shopify.)

📌 Customize your offer

Be specific in describing your offer, include eye-catching images, and entice with added discounts.

📌 Test and track results

Keep track of how well your upsells are performing. Keep testing and improving based on what works best for your customers.

Consider purchasing premade Shopify stores and minimizing setup time for faster setup, but focus on building upsell offers.

3. What are the best upsell tactics for your Shopify store?

There are many spots across your Shopify store where you can set up upsell offers to increase sales. The following are the most popular:

• Product page (perfect for upgrades, bundles, and add-ons)
• Cart page or cart drawer
• Checkout page
• Post-purchase pages (thank you page, order confirmation)
• Email follow-ups

Each of these forms a stage in the Shopify sales funnel, where you can highly recommend some added value without pressuring much.

3.1. Product page upsells

Customers always decide what to buy on the product page. Hence, one of the best places to introduce upsell offers is just before they click on the “Add to Cart”. It increases your chances a lot. Here’re some tactics to employ:

🔶 Product upgrades:

Encourage the customer to go for a premium version of the product with enhanced features or quality. 

Example: “Upgrade to the deluxe edition of the planner with bonus pages.”

🔶 Frequently bought together:

Present items that are frequently bought together with the primary one, thereby aiding the buyers in completing their set.

Example: “Complete your laptop order with a matching bag and wireless mouse for extra convenience.”

🔶 Bundle offers:

Give discounts on multiple related products to encourage customers to buy more and increase the average cart size naturally.

Example: “Buy 2 shirts and save 15%.”

🔶 Volume discounts:

Offer categorized discounts based on quality to encourage customers to actually buy more items.

Example: “Buy 2, receive 10% off. Buy 3, receive 15% off.”

🔶 Limited-time add-ons:

Offer accessory or bonus products shortly available after the main purchase, create urgency, and encourage impulse buys by instilling in shoppers the fear of missing out.

Example: “Add a matching wallet for just $15 more — offer valid only for the next 24 hours!”

🔶 Customize your product:

Offer personalization, such as by engraving, using monograms, or custom packaging, to enhance perceived value. 

Example: “Personalize a mug with your name for just $5.”

🔶 Variant upsells:

Promote upgraded or enhanced variations of the product to steer buyers to higher-margin options. 

Example: “Upgrade from a standard cotton T-shirt to an organic cotton version.”

To get more ideas, check out how to set up upsells on your Shopify product page.

3.2. Cart page or drawer upsells

A cart page or cart drawer is ideal for adding last-minute additions before going into the final checkout phase. Customers are currently looking through their orders. It is now possible to suggest small and meaningful extras without disturbing their buying path using a cart upsell Shopify app. Here’re some tactics to employ:

🔶 Complementary add-ons via pop-up:

Have a pop-up appear once a customer has added an item to the cart, recommending to the customer which supporting product they may need to have or add to their cart. It’s pretty effective because it feels helpful instead of feeling uncomfortable.

Example: A pop-up that says, “Would you like to add this charger to your order?”

🔶 Free shipping threshold upsell:

Encourage customers to spend just a bit more to reach a free shipping amount by showing those last few ones on the threshold. It gives them an obvious reason to go add one or two extra items.

Example: “Spend just $10 more to unlock free shipping!”

🔶 Frequently bought together reminders:

At this point, the additional items are included as typically purchased with the visitor’s product to tap on social proof and indirectly push the customer to buy more.

Example: “Most customers also added a screen protector.”

🔶 Time-limited offer with countdown:

This creates a sense of urgency as a free gift or discount that the customer must redeem immediately. Putting a visible countdown is also found to be very effective in boosting conversions. 

Example: “Add this item within 5 minutes to get a 20% discount.”

🔶 Buy more, save more:

Remind them that the savings get bigger the more of the same product they buy. This works especially well for everyday or consumable items.

Example: “Buy two more and save 15%.”

3.3. Checkout upsells

Stores using Shopify Plus or apps that support checkout upsells have the checkout page as a significant area to target customers with high intent. Since the customer is in the last minute preparing to make the payment, some small incentives that are strategically placed would aid exceptionally in increasing their final spend. Here’re some tactics to employ:

🔶 Last-minute add-ons:

At checkout, the customer is suggested to add a small product related to their purchase, which they can easily do almost without hesitation. This is a low-friction upsell that captures impulse purchases.

Example: “Add a care kit for $5.99.”

🔶 Order protection or insurance:

Offer a low-cost protection plan that covers damages, loss, or theft. This builds trust while slightly increasing your average order value.

Example: “Protect your order for $2.99.”

🔶 Priority shipping upsell:

Let shoppers upgrade their order delivery to be faster at a small fee. This really attracts excitement and urgent shoppers. 

Example: “Get express shipping for just $7 more!”

🔶 Gift wrapping option:

Give customers an easy way to send gifts by providing gift wrapping services at checkout. Enhances a customer’s experience and yields high margins for you.

Example: “Add gift wrapping for $4.99.”

🔶 Express fulfillment or VIP processing:

Allow customers to give you an extra fee to expedite their order so it gets packed and shipped sooner than it would have in the regular queue. 

Example: “Priority processing available at $3.99.”

3.4. Post-purchase upsells (thank you page or order confirmation)

One-click-upsells set a perfect stage on the thank-you page or order confirmation page. Since customers have already completed their purchase, they are more likely to say yes to a small additive, without second-guessing. Here’re tactics to employ:

🔶 One-click add-ons:

Offer related accessories, refills, or supportive products that may be added to the cart in one click, usually at a small discount. This keeps the purchase momentum going smoothly.

Example: “Add a phone case for 20 percent off—one click!”

🔶 Extended warranty or support package:

Let customers buy peace of mind by extending their warranty or support services at checkout for a small extra fee.

Example: “Extend your warranty for two additional years at $9.99.”

🔶 Product subscription upgrade:

Convert one-time buyers into repeat buyers via a subscription option that may offer discounts or special perks.

Example: “Sign up now and get a 15% discount on every future order.”

🔶 Priority processing or express shipping add-on:

Provide the customer one last chance to expedite handling or delivery at a nominal fee even after checkout.

Example: “Express handling is just $4.99.”

3.5. Email follow-ups

Targeted upsell emails are a mighty weapon to promote customer relations and entice customers to shop again. Apply these tactics below:

🔶 Cross-sells based on purchase history:

Suggesting and offering complementary products depending on what they bought before is kind of personal and is, thus, helpful to the buyer.

Example: “You got the running shoes; finish the kit with our new sports socks!”

🔶 Related product bundles:

Bundle some products with an enticing offer that is relevant to their current or past purchase, which would increase the cart value organically. 

Example: “Complete your living room set with a 10% discount.”

🔶 Subscription offers:

Earn recurring revenue by offering subscription discounts on chosen products to one-time purchasers.

Example: “Get 10% off if you subscribe to my monthly coffees.”

🔶 Time-sensitive promotions for upsells:

Create a situation for urgent add-ons or special deals within a very tight lapse of time after a purchase.

Example: “Add a matching backpack in the next 24 hours and receive 20% off.”

🔶 Exclusive VIP upgrades for past customers:

Reward the best customers with exclusive early access to special edition items, early launches, or premium upgrades, thereby fortifying the customer connection even further.

Example: “As a valued customer, you get early access to our premium collection.”

To make your upsell emails even more powerful, you can set up Shopify marketing automation and trigger the right offers at the perfect time.

4. Best tips to maximize upsell conversions

To a number of merchants, this typically involves setting up the upsells, but the most difficult part is converting customers into accepting them. Now, I’ll show you a few effective tips proven to help you make upselling feel more natural and effective for the customer.

4.1. Keep offers simple and relevant

Simply, your upsell offer must be straightforward. It should directly show the customer the value he/she stand to gain and not be forced to think a lot about it or read long descriptions.

The offers should also always be relevantly connected. The nearer the association, the more naturally the offer feels, thus increasing your chance of acceptance.

4.2. Limit to 1–2 clear upsell options

Always, less is more with choices. Lessening the possibility of upselling may confuse customers, lead to decision fatigue, and thus end up causing cart abandonment. 

One or two probably good options would be preferable to hold on to: moving the purchase journey smoothly along, almost completely distraction-free, and seemingly a no-brainer to upgrade.

4.3. Use urgency and discounts strategically

Nothing gets a customer moving faster than the countdown clock or that fleeting instant discount and offer; however, it shouldn’t seem forced or gimmicky. 

So, it is advisable that one use urgency whenever it warrants, such as when stock is limited, during seasonal sales, or with special bundled offerings that provide extra value.

4.4. Ensure mobile-friendly design

Traffic is considerably high from mobile devices; hence, your upsells should not just function but look good on a small screen. Mobile users will be less forgiving of hard-to-read or close pop-ups. 

Also, ensure those buttons are wide, have clear text, and upsell pop-ups are not so heavy. With mobile’s seamlessness for the whole cycle, it can make a difference between having a successful upsell and a missed opportunity. 

Learn how to drive traffic to your Shopify store through simple strategies to get more people into your store.

4.5. Avoid unrelated offers or clutter

Making unrelated upsell offers can get spammy and confuse customers, thus hurting the trust customers put in your brand. Customers should immediately understand why the add-on is suggested.

On top of all that, avoid filling the page with promotions and glaring banners. Instead, use a simple layout that is unchallenged by distractions, making the upsell shine without overwhelming the shopper.

Besides optimizing your upsells, it’s crucial to focus on how to attract customers to your Shopify store to keep your sales funnel growing steadily.

Conclusion

You have now gone through a complete guide on how to upsell on Shopify, starting from selecting the appropriate strategy to testing the proven tactic at each critical stage. Upselling increases your average order value and provides customer satisfaction and meaning to every sale made.

eComStart has created the best tools and resources to move you through crafting a powerful upsell offer very easily. If applied correctly, upselling would be more natural in growing a Shopify store.

The time is now for you to never let any opportunity to roll in the revenue miss you; get started today!

FAQs

1. Can I upsell without using an app on Shopify?

Yes. You can create basic upsell offers manually by setting up product recommendations, bundles, or variant upgrades. However, the difference is that an upsell app makes everything much faster and more scalable, and gives you a better targeting option to get these conversions.

2. How do I know if my upsell is working?

Important metrics to track include average order size (AOV), upsell conversion rate, and total revenue from upsells. Moreover, Shopify has integrated analytics and specific applications that grant you clear insight into how your upsell offers are performing and where you can optimize.

3. Can I customize upsell offers based on customer behavior?

Absolutely. Several upsell apps allow you to personalize offers based on such factors as purchase history, cart contents, or browsing behavior. Consequently, these tailored upsells tend to feel even more relevant to customers, thus often leading to a higher conversion rate.

4. How many upsell offers should I show at once?

It’s best to limit upsell offers to one or two per location, such as the product page, cart, or post-purchase page. Otherwise, if there are just too many, your customer can be overwhelmed, which hurts their chances of upselling down the road.