How to Increase Average Order Value in Your Online Store

Short answer

The three most effective average order value (AOV) tactics: product bundling (group related items at a slight discount), a free shipping threshold set slightly above your current AOV, and a post-purchase upsell (offer one relevant item immediately after checkout). Start with one.

Why AOV matters

If your average order is $45 and you get 200 orders per month, your revenue is $9,000. Increase AOV to $60 with the same number of orders and revenue becomes $12,000 — a 33% lift with no new traffic.

AOV is one of the highest-leverage metrics in eCommerce because every improvement compounds across your entire customer base.

The 5 most effective AOV tactics

1. Set a free shipping threshold

Show customers exactly how close they are to free shipping. "Add $12 more to qualify for free shipping" converts extremely well. Set the threshold at $10–$15 above your current AOV — enough to move the needle but not so high it feels unattainable.

Most Shopify themes display this automatically. Shopify apps for small business add a dynamic progress bar.

2. Product bundles

Group frequently-bought-together items and offer a 10–15% bundle discount. The bundle feels like a deal; your revenue goes up because the customer buys 3 items instead of 1.

Works especially well for: consumables, complementary products (camera + case + memory card), and gift purchases.

3. Post-purchase upsell (one-click)

Immediately after checkout, offer one complementary product at a special price. Because payment details are already saved, customers can add it with one click. This is the highest-converting moment in the purchase journey.

Tools: ReConvert (reconvert.com) for Shopify, Zipify OCU. Typically boosts AOV by 10–15%.

4. Minimum order discounts

"Spend $75, get 15% off." Creates a clear incentive to add more items. Works well for high-margin products.

5. Product recommendations

"Customers who bought this also bought..." shown at checkout or on the product page. Shopify has this built in.

What to implement first

Start with the free shipping threshold — it requires no apps, works immediately, and typically shows results within days. Then add bundling for your most popular products.