How to Upsell on Shopify: Complete Guide to Upselling for Higher AOV & Revenue

As the cost to acquire customers through organic and paid advertising continues to rise, so too does the need to increase AOV - or average order value. The more a customer is worth to you, the more you can spend to acquire customers profitably. And that's where upselling on Shopify comes in.

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By learning how to upsell on Shopify, you can boost AOV while adding more revenue to your bottom line. This also creates a better customer experience - everyone wins! And with the right upsell strategy in place, your performance just gets better with time.

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The key is to find the right Shopify post-purchase upsell app - and for that, look no further than AfterSell. We've helped small and large businesses alike reap the full benefits of upselling on Shopify. We can do the same for you.

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We'll talk more about how effortless building upsell offers is through our software. First, here's a brief introduction to upselling for those who are new here.

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What is Upselling, Exactly?

First - what is upselling, exactly? Upselling refers to the process of offering customers higher-priced, more profitable items while they're in the checkout process. It's a way to increase AOV without having to significantly spend more on advertising.

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For example, say you sell t-shirts at your store. At checkout (or even on the thank you page after checkout), you can offer the customer an additional t-shirt at a lower price. This can be the same t-shirt (offering additional quantities) or a different design/material (offering the same product in a different SKUU. Often times customers are excited about their purchase - and will likely convert on these offers when structured correctly.

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In summary, upselling can be incredibly effective in increasing AOV and boosting revenue. We'll get deeper into the benefits of Shopify upselling in a moment.

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First, It's worth noting that upselling and cross-selling are not the same strategy - but they do share quite a few similarities. With cross-selling, if a customer is purchasing a t-shirt, you can upsell them on an additional pair of jeans or accessories that go perfectly with their purchase.

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You can learn about the difference between cross sell vs upsell in our blog. But now let's move onto the topic of upselling specifically on Shopify - is this even possible?

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Does Shopify Allow Upselling?

Yes - Shopify does allow merchants to upsell to their customers. There are two ways you can go about doing this:

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• Custom coding: this option allows you to really fine-tune the design and functionality of your upsell offers, getting beyond the limitations of your Shopify theme. With that said, this will require you to have extensive developmental experience - or hire a dev. It can be costly and time-consuming. And frankly, there is a better way.

• Upsell apps: if you want to get started upselling today, finding an app like AfterSell is your best bet. No dev work is necessary, and there is no need to change your theme whatsoever. Simply down the app from Shopify's app store, get integrated, and start creating your offers. It's quick and easy.

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We'll talk more about upselling on Shopify with AfterSell shortly. First, we want to show you just how powerful upselling can be for your business.

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Why Should You Learn How to Upsell on Shopify?

There are many reasons store owners should take the time to learn about Shopify upselling. But the most attractive are increased AOV and revenue. In this day and age of online business, the brand that can afford to spend the most to acquire a customer will win. And the best way to justify spending more to acquire a customer is to get more revenue out of each customer. Simply raising prices isn't the answer - upselling is.

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One of the brands that use AfterSell was able to sell an additional 80,000 units, while another brand added $350k in additional revenue to their bottom line. There are hundreds of other similar success stories on our site - just take a look at the case studies and reviews we've earned.

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With that said, here are some of the most powerful benefits of optimizing your store with upsell offers:

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• Increased AOV and Revenue: we touched on how upselling can help you increase your average order value and overall revenue. To get specific, upselling with AfterSell can help you boost sales by 30%! As customers add more to their cart, they're likely to purchase at a higher price point. This means more sales for you, without having to spend extra money on advertising or marketing.
• Improved Customer Experience: upsell offers should be carefully crafted so that they enhance the customer's experience - not detract from it. If done correctly, customers will appreciate being able to find additional items to complete their shopping journey with ease.
• More Opportunities for Cross-Selling: upselling can also lead to cross-selling opportunities down the line as well - think complementary products. For example, upselling customers on jeans can lead to additional purchases of shoes and accessories.

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Pretty enticing, right? The best part is that with AfterSell, all of this can be your reality in just a few moments. It's quick, easy, and affordable. And now, it's the moment you've been waiting for. Below, we'll teach you how to upsell on Shopify with AfterSell.

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How to Upsell on Shopify With AfterSell: The #1 App for Upselling on Shopify

AfterSell is the leading app for upselling on Shopify stores. It offers the easiest and most efficient way to create custom-tailored upsell funnels based on your customer’s purchase history and preferences. Here are some of its key features:

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• Intelligent AI-based product recommendations that ensure you offer exactly what your customers are interested in purchasing.
• A simple drag-and-drop editor that enables easy funnel creation and customization.
• Direct integration with Shopify’s checkout page, so customers can take advantage of upsell offers without leaving the store.
• Analytics & A/B testing tools to help you optimize your funnels for better performance over time.

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There’s no question - this is the premier choice for any store owner looking to boost revenue and AOV effortlessly. Here’s how to Upsell on Shopify with AfterSell:

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First, Download AfterSell From the App Store

The first step is downloading AfterSell from the app store. To do that, log into your Shopify dashboard, click on “Apps” in the left-hand menu bar and search for “AfterSell: Upsell Funnel Builder” or click this link to be taken directly there. Once you find it, simply click “Add App” and follow the instructions provided for integration.

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As we touched on earlier, customer service is at the core of what we do. We're passionate about helping store owners like yourself work through this process. So - you can even request a demo right on our site. We'll show you all that's possible with AfterSell and help guide you through integration one-on-one! Once you've got the app downloaded and integrated, it's time to start building your first funnel.

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After Integration, Start Building Your First Post-Purchase or Checkout Upsell Funnel

Part of the reason our customers love using AfterSell for upselling on Shopify is the seamless user experience we've designed within our app. The drag-and-drop editor makes it easy to choose a template and make it your own - keeping things on brand for a congruent customer journey.

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The first step is determining where your offer will be presented - either on the checkout page (before the user completes purchase) or on the thank you page (post-purchase). There are pros and cons to each, and we encourage you to test both Shopify upsell at checkout and post-purchase. Over time, you’ll see which converts better for your unique store/customer base.

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Either way, building your first funnel is simple and straightforward. You can add widgets as you see fit to increase the conversation rate. You can choose between single-product or multi-product upsell offers. Of course, the specific offer you build will be dependent on your brand. You should carefully consider how much of a discount you're willing to offer - and what products make the most sense. We'll talk more about tips for successful upselling later on.

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By default, the branding of your offers will match that of your existing Shopify theme. However, you can easily adjust this in your Shopify checkout editor. Learn more about how to customize the checkout page on Shopify or how to edit the thank you page in Shopify in our complete guides.

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Launch the Funnel & Let the Additional Revenue Flow in

Once you've designed your funnel and fine-tuned your offer, it's time to hit launch and let the additional revenue flow in. At this point, most of your work is done. AfterSell will serve offers as directed in your funnel. Because it's built upon principles of personalization, it always shows the right offers to the right customers to ensure the best conversation rate possible.

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Now, you can just sit back and watch the ROI from AfterSell continue to grow. OR, you can set up A/B testing and continue to push better performance over time...

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After Collecting Data, Create A/B Tests to Push Better Performance Over Time

Part of the beauty of AfterSell is that it sends you actionable insights over time as data is collected. You can then use this data to improve your funnels. In fact, you can actually track the data that matters most to you within the app.

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Then, set up new iterations and run them against each other. After letting the A/B test run for a while and finding a clear winner, scrap the old version and create a new test. In theory, each funnel you build should get you closer and closer to the most optimized version of your store. This is how you create offers that print cash on autopilot.

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Tips for Successfully Upselling on Shopify

That's really it - as you can see, Shopify upselling is quite simple with a solution like AfterSell. However, we do want to provide you with a few more key tips before you hit the ground running. This advice will help you create offers that convert at the highest rate possible and don't annoy your customers.

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First, discounts should be strategic - how much of a discount do you feel comfortable offering for your upsell offers? You don't want to make them too high, otherwise, customers will become trained to wait for deals - devaluing your brand. Similarly, you need to take advantage of widgets like countdowns that encourage urgency.

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Finally, consider the specific product(s) in your offer. If your customer is buying a plain black t-shirt, they may not be all that interested in buying another t-shirt. In this case, it may make more sense to offer a maroon t-shirt or a white t-shirt. Or, instead of upselling the same product, consider cross-selling them on shorts, tank tops, or other related products.

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Another piece of advice is to prevent customer overwhelm. Showing your customers too many choices actually decreases the chance of a conversion. Stick to 1-2 upsell offers so they don't feel overwhelmed.

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You should also personalize offers based on past purchases and user data - AfterSell makes this easy. You can tailor offers to each individual customer according to how they've interacted with your store in the past.

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Finally, offer upsells at the right time - this could either be within a few seconds of purchase or even months later when customers are most likely to buy again. Test different timing scenarios and see how it affects your ROI.

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Final Thoughts on How to Upsell on Shopify

That concludes our complete guide on how to upsell on Shopify. As you can see, getting started upselling on Shopify is quick and easy with a solution like AfterSell. And at this point, you’re just a few clicks away from reaping all the benefits Shopify upselling has to offer. So what are you waiting for? Get your store’s first offer built today!

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Still on the fence? Check out how our solution stacks up against the rest - it’s the #1 Carthook alternative, Zipify alternative, and even Rebuy alternative!