If you run an e-commerce business and want to boost your revenue, it’s essential to focus on increasing your average order value (AOV).
The good conversion rate is around 2.5% to 3% when you implement unique strategies, and order bumps and upsells are among the most effective options.
In this post, I’ll compare order bump vs upsell to determine which is more effective for increasing AOV and you should implement it first to get higher results.
Let’s explore the details and discover which strategy could work best for you.
What is an Order Bump?
An order bump is a quick offer you make right on the checkout page. This is usually a small discount on a complimentary or related product to what the buyer is about to purchase.
For example, if someone is about to purchase a t-shirt, you can offer a matching pair of joggers as an order bump on the checkout page.
These products are usually of low cost (not necessarily a must), and buyers can easily add them to the order with a single click before making the payment.
Order bump is a smart tactic that capitalizes on the psychological principle of convenience and the desire to enhance the initial purchase.
What Does Upsell Mean?
Upselling is another tactic where the goal is to increase the overall purchase value by suggesting related or higher-value items.
You could try persuading customers to buy a more premium or upgraded version of the product they intend to purchase or have already bought. You could also offer a related product as a post-purchase one-click upsell or an in-cart offer.
For example, suppose a person just went through checkout for a Shampoo. Immediately, you can make a one-click upsell offer on a hair conditioner from the same brand.
Order Bump vs Upsell Examples by Industry
Here’s a table comparing Order Bump vs Upsell examples by different industries:
| Industry | Order Bump Example | Upsell Example |
|---|---|---|
| Beauty & Makeup | Add a makeup brush set at checkout for a small additional fee | Offer a premium skincare kit with advanced serums post-purchase |
| Fitness & Health | Add a workout guide or fitness tracker to the cart | Offer a full personal training program after buying a workout DVD |
| E-commerce | Add a shoe cleaning kit when purchasing shoes | Offer an upgraded version of the shoes with higher durability |
| Tech & Gadgets | Add a phone case or screen protector when buying a smartphone | Offer a newer, higher-capacity model of the smartphone |
| Online Courses | Add a downloadable workbook when buying a course | Offer an advanced or masterclass version of the course |
This table helps you understand how different industries can effectively use order bumps to increase cart value and upsells to offer premium solutions after the initial purchase.
Comparing Order Bump vs Upsell
Order bump focuses on immediate supplementary purchases at the point of sale, while upsell involves convincing customers to opt for a higher-priced or upgraded item. Here’s a table summarizing their differences:
| Aspect | Order Bump | Upsell |
|---|---|---|
| Functionality | Prompts add-ons at checkout | Suggests premium upgrades in-cart or after checkout |
| Goal | Boost impulse purchases and AOB | Increase purchase value |
| Timing | Pre-checkout | Pre or post-purchase |
| Position | Checkout page | Cart Page, Post-purchase Sales Page, Emails |
| Placement | Smaller, low-priced items | Higher-value alternatives or related products |
Pros And Cons Of Using Order Bumps And Upsell Offers to Increase AOV
| Order Bumps | Upsell Offers |
|---|---|
| Pros: 1. Enhances spontaneous purchases 2. Simplifies checkout experience 3. Increases revenue per customer visit Cons: 1. May distract from primary purchase 2. Limited impact on high-value items 3. Potential for increased cart abandonment | Pros: 1. May distract from primary purchase 2. Limited impact on high-value items 3. Potential for increased cart abandonment Cons: 1. Requires persuasive messaging 2. Possible resistance due to added cost 3. May extend purchase decision time |
What Can You Sell More with Order Bumps & Upsells?
- Selling With Order Bumps: You can either sell more quantities of the same product or low-priced related products using order bumps.
- Selling With Upsells: You can suggest high-value alternatives or related products as upsell suggestions/offers.
Which One is More Likely to Convert More?
- Psychologically, order bumps are more likely to sell as you are making sure the buyer doesn’t have to go too much overboard with his/her budget while making a purchase. However, the revenue earned will be minimal.
- Upsells, on the other hand, will convert less, but every conversion will result in a high revenue amount.
Let us look at a direct example, Suppose John is about to purchase a pair of Sneakers for $50. Let’s say your overall cost for these sneakers is $35, i.e. $15 profit.
- Your possible order bump offer could be 3 pairs of socks at $30 after a discount. If your overall cost is $8 per pair, then you will make about $6 extra as profit, making a total of 15+6 = $21 as profit.
- But, in case of upselling, you could offer a better pair of sneakers from a different, more popular brand at $80 after a discount. If your overall cost of this new pair of sneakers is $50, then that’s a $30 profit.
Here, you can see that, using upsell, you only sold 1 product but made more profit than what you sold as an upsell. However, this will change if more people accept order bumps and fewer people accept upsells.
From this, you can deduce that order bumps are great for e-commerce businesses, while upsells are more effective for service-based, high-ticket products.
Tips to Implement Order Bumps for High Results
Let us look at how you can use order bumps the right way.
- Offer something that won’t break the bank: Order bumps are last-minute offers. Hence the price of the product should not be expensive. You do not want people to leave the checkout page just to check out your offer product.
- Make sure the offer product is relevant or complimentary: People are more likely to accept an order bump offer that they can use with what they are purchasing at the moment. Making a random offer that they cannot relate to won’t convert.
- Offer a small discount that’s exclusive: You should always consider offering some sort of discount to add an extra push. This discount shouldn’t be available in your regular store.
- Use urgency & FOMO tactics: Sometimes creating a sense of FOMO in the offer title such as “One-time offer! Don’t miss out!” can push buyers to accept the offer.
- Keep the design catchy but clean: Use some contrast color and image for the offer, but make sure it does not make the checkout page look cluttered.
Tips to Use Upsell Offers for High Results
To maximize the impact of your upsell offers, here are some practical tips to drive higher results.
- Offer more value for money: Even if the upsell offer can cost more than what the buyer purchased, you can still sell a high-priced product instead if you can offer more value for money. The idea is to use a persuasive copy to convey the greater value people will get just by paying a bit more.
- Implement One-click upsells: In the case of post-purchase upsells, people don’t want to spend too much time making decisions. Hence, implement a one-click upsell so that people can accept it instantly without having to go through checkout again.
So Which One Should You Use? Order Bump or Upsell Offers?
Between order bump vs upsell, it’s safe to say, they are not alternates to each other. Rather, it’s more beneficial to use both of them for your online business to get the maximum results.
One will help bump up the order values during checkout, the other will aim to make the customer purchase products of even higher value. For an e-commerce business, this is an ideal scenario if you can plan the right offers for the right products purchased.
For high-ticket businesses, order bumps will be less effective or often not usable due to a lack of low-priced products. But upsells will always be a good offer. So the bottom line is to, try to use both together.
Reliable Tools to Make Order Bumps Offers & Upsell Offers
To effectively boost your sales with order bumps and upsells, you need the right tools to simplify the process and make the offers easy for your customers. Let’s explore some reliable options.
1. WPFunnels
WPFunnels is the easiest sales funnel builder in WordPress where you will find the option to offer order bumps and one-click upsell offers for your WooCommerce store.
The best part about this plugin is, you will get a special add-on called Global funnels, with which, you can create conditional offers to your buyers based on what they have selected to try and purchase.
On top of that, you can customize the checkout page, order bump offer design & content, and set up dynamic product offers on your upsell pages based on what is being purchased.
2. ClickFunnels
ClickFunnels is a well-known sales funnel builder that helps you create a full-funnel journey to sell products online.
Even though it’s not directly integrated into your own website, it’s super easy to set up your products, plan funnels, and add features like order bumps and upsell offers.
With this all-in-one platform, you can manage everything in one place, making it simpler to drive more sales without the need for complicated setups.
3. ThriveCart:
ThriveCart is a versatile shopping cart tool that allows you to design custom checkout pages for your online store, complete with order bump offers and post-purchase upsell offers.
The standout feature of ThriveCart is its ability to give you complete control over every detail of the checkout form. It also enables you to create a fully branded and personalized experience for your customers.
This flexibility makes it easier to optimize the checkout process, increase conversions, and encourage higher-value purchases all within your online store.
Conclusion
In conclusion, If you compare order bumps vs upsells, both are great ways to increase your AOV. A bump offer works best for adding a low-cost item, like a shoe care kit, to the main purchase.
An upsell, however, is ideal for offering a premium product or an upgrade to a higher-value item. It’s quick and easy for customers to accept.
Choosing the right strategy depends on your business needs, but both can increase revenue and improve customer satisfaction.
If you’re running a WooCommerce store, consider using WPFunnels to easily set up order bumps and upsells. It’s a simple way to boost your sales rapidly.
** FAQs **
How does MOFU content help generate more sales?
- MOFU content addresses specific concerns, offers solutions, and builds trust, which strengthens purchase intent and moves leads closer to making a final decision.
What are the 4 stages of upselling?
- Introduction: Present the additional product to your customer.
- Explanation: Show the immediate benefits of choosing a higher-value item.
- Value justification: Explain why the premium offer is worth the extra cost.
- Closing the sale: Convince the customer to make the purchase by emphasizing the added value and customer pleasure.
What is an example of cross-sell vs upsell?
- Cross-sell: Offering shoe care products when someone buys running shoes.
- Upsell: Suggesting a more expensive pair of running shoes as a premium upgrade.
How many types of upselling are there?
- There are typically two main types of upselling:
- Product upgrades (offering a better version of a product).
- Add-ons (suggesting additional products to complement the purchase).
Is there any free service to make order bump offers?
- Yes, you can use the basic version of WPFunenls to make order bump offers for specific products completely free.Yes, you may use the basic version of WPFunenls to make order bump offers for specific products completely free.
