Email Campaigns That Increase Average Order Value

The highest ROI marketing message isn't a clever campaign. It's simply recommending the right product at the right time. Most ecommerce brands rely on basic "customers also bought" algorithms that miss the crucial element: timing. We recently analyzed purchasing patterns for a home goods brand and discovered: - Customers who bought sheets had an 82% likelihood of buying pillowcases...but not for 27 days - Customers who bought dining tables looked for chairs within 72 hours - Customers who bought rugs didn't look for furniture until 45+ days later By aligning their cross-sell flows with these natural buying windows, they saw: - 47% higher click rates - 28% higher conversion rates - 18% increase in average order value The key wasn't better creative, copy, or subject lines. It was simply respecting the natural progression of the customer's buying journey. Timing isn't just a factor in cross-selling. It's THE factor. Is your cross-sell strategy based on data or assumptions? #Ecommerce #MarketingAnalytics

You just made a sale. The customer is happy, trusted you with their money, and is waiting for their package. Their guard is down. This is the perfect time to suggest a second item, IF you do it right. The wrong way: "You bought X, now buy Y!" in the order confirmation email. That comes across as greedy. Here's the way I like to see it: The "Complete the Solution" email. Wait 12-24 hours after the purchase. Then send this: Subject: "Forgot something? How to get even more out of your [Product]" Body: "Hey [Name], saw you just picked up [Product X]. Smart choice. A lot of our customers who get X also end up wishing they had [Product Y] to go with it right away. Why? Because Y [does one specific thing that enhances X's core function]. Example: If they bought a dress, Y is the shapewear that makes it look seamless. If they bought coffee beans, Y is the airtight canister that keeps them fresh for months. Include a one click add to cart link for Y that doesn't disrupt their original order. Frame it as a helpful suggestion. This one email can boost AOV by 15% without discounting.

I said this in a webinar recently: The name of the game in DTC is  “whoever can afford the highest CAC will survive.” But to do that, you need a high AOV, a sticky subscription program, or a lot of cash in the bank. We went with focusing on increasing order value. Here are 4 of my favorite ways we’ve found to ⬆️AOV so far… 1. Upsell "more of the same" - Instead of upselling something new, we offer more of the same product the customer with a volume discount. This approach has increased our take rate SIGNIFICANTLY without hurting conversion. Why it works: The customer is already invested in the product - they’ve learned about it through ads, LPs, etc. So we just tap into their existing commitment, making the offer more enticing. 2. Urgency & Scarcity During the purchase flow, we highlight messages like "This product sells out fast" or "For best results, use for 8–12 weeks.” You can also try things like countdown timers and “low inventory” messaging to really drive this home. Why it works: Customers at the bottom of the funnel can be motivated by FOMO —they don’t want to miss out on getting the deal you’re offering, especially one they perceive as beneficial. If a product might sell out soon or if buying more now means they won’t run out later, they’re more likely to purchase right away or more of it. 3. Sequential Offers After someone buys from us, our post-purchase funnel begins immediately with our volume discount upsell. If they skip that, Obvi presents them our cross-sell and down-sell offers in a sequential funnel: First → Volume/bulk discount upsell Second → Complementary product offer Third → Smaller accessory or branded gear Why it works: This structured approach helps avoid overwhelming the customer with too many offers at once. Each step is designed to maximize potential revenue (highest-performing upsell shown first) while maintaining a logical flow. 4. Maximize the Thank You Page This is a simple one that a lot of brands miss.  Your thank you page has a bunch of valuable real estate that every one of your buyers look at it. At Obvi, we maximize this with post-purchase surveys and network offers. Network offers are a complete no-brainer for us. Big brands like Nike and Hulu pay to present offers to our customers on our Thank You page. If a customer opts in, we get some $. Why it works: It’s a win-win-win. The customer gets a good deal, the big brand gets another subscriber, and the seller gets incremental profit. For Obvi, it has resulted in about +$0.45 more per transaction so far. Post-purchase surveys won’t directly add $ to your bottom line, but they give you valuable insights about customer behavior and perceptions. Not to mention marketing attribution. That’s it, you know our ⬆️AOV secrets. BTW, AfterSell by Rokt is the tool we’ve used to test and execute these tactics. If you’re a Shopify brand looking to grow your AOV without hurting your conversion rate, they can help you get there.