Understanding Average Order Value (AOV) and Methods to Boost It (7 Strategies)
In the ever-evolving world of e-commerce, improving the Average Order Value (AOV) is a crucial aspect for businesses aiming to increase revenue and build a sustainable online presence. Here are some strategies that can help achieve this goal.
Upselling and cross-selling are proven tactics that leverage customer intent and preferences to increase purchase amounts without acquiring new shoppers. By offering complementary items or higher-priced products, businesses can encourage customers to spend more per transaction.
Bundling products, even at a slight discount, can boost sales by 15-20%, as shoppers perceive a better value and buy more items together. This strategy creates perceived value by selling related items together at a slightly reduced price, incentivizing customers to buy more.
Setting a minimum purchase threshold for free shipping encourages customers to increase their order size to avoid shipping fees. This tactic motivates customers to add more items to their carts, thereby improving AOV.
Optimizing product display order based on margin allows businesses to prioritize showing higher-margin products first while maintaining relevance. This approach supports higher overall revenue per order.
Reducing checkout friction, decreasing cart abandonment, optimizing site speed, and testing checkout flows and calls to action further complement AOV improvements by increasing conversion rates and completed purchase values.
Loyalty programs can reward customers for hitting spend tiers, purchasing bundles, or trying new categories, and can increase engagement with visual progress bars. These programs help build emotional connections with customers, who spend twice as much on average.
Industry benchmarks for AOV vary significantly depending on niche, audience, and product types. For example, fashion & apparel has an AOV of $85-$120, while food & beverage has an AOV of $35-$60. A higher AOV means more breathing room on every campaign, making customer acquisition, advertising efficiency, and product margin easier to set better goals for.
In the mobile-dominated retail landscape, launching a mobile app can increase AOV by providing a smoother, faster, and more immersive user experience. No-code mobile app building tools like Twinr let businesses convert their e-commerce store into a fully-branded app without code, without delays.
An app can reduce drop-offs and increase cart size, not through pressure, but through ease. Features like the "Frequently Bought Together" section reduce choice overload and subtly encourage multi-item orders.
Data shows that mobile devices account for 74% of retail website visits and 63% of orders, but desktop has a comparatively higher average order value. Understanding this trend can help businesses tailor their strategies accordingly.
AOV can help segment the customer base by understanding which behaviours correlate with larger orders. Loyalty programs can be set up using platforms like Smile.io and Yotpo.
In conclusion, by implementing these strategies, businesses can effectively improve their Average Order Value (AOV), leading to higher revenue and profitability without necessarily increasing traffic or marketing spend. The formula for calculating AOV is Total Revenue / Number of Orders.
In the mobile-dominated retail landscape, launching a mobile app can help businesses boost their Average Order Value (AOV) by providing a seamless, expedited, and engaging user experience. Notifications via the app can be utilized as 'push notifications' to remind customers of potential purchases or showcasing complementary products, boding well for the finance of the business.
On the other hand, understanding the trend that desktop has a comparatively higher AOV can guide businesses to strategize accordingly, focusing more on the desktop experience or incorporating elements that mimic a desktop-like experience into the mobile app, thus managing to maintain a balance between the two platforms for sustained business growth.