How to Increase Average Order Value
in WooCommerce
Diagnose why customers spend less than they could and implement proven strategies to increase AOV without needing more traffic.
The Compound Effect of AOV Improvement
| Strategy Stack | AOV | Improvement |
|---|---|---|
| No optimization | $60 | 1.0x |
| + Free shipping threshold | $72 | 1.2x |
| + Product bundles | $84 | 1.4x |
| + One-click upsells | $92 | 1.53x |
| + Volume discounts | $99 | 1.65x |
Stacking multiple AOV strategies can increase average order value by 50-100%
The Math of AOV Improvement
If you have 1,000 orders/month at $60 AOV, that's $60,000 in revenue. Increasing AOV by just 20% to $72 adds $12,000/month ($144,000/year) without acquiring a single new customer.
AOV improvement is one of the highest-ROI activities because it compounds with every order and requires no additional traffic.
Track AOV by Customer Segment
StoreRadar shows AOV by customer type, acquisition channel, and product category—so you can see exactly where opportunities are.
Diagnose Your AOV Issues
Identify what's causing lower-than-expected order values
Symptom: AOV is declining over time
Possible Causes
- Attracting more discount-seeking customers
- Product mix shifting to lower-priced items
- Competitors offering better value
- Economic factors affecting spending
Questions to Ask
- Has your traffic source mix changed?
- Are your bestsellers now cheaper products?
- Have you increased discounting frequency?
- Is the decline across all customer segments?
Symptom: Low AOV compared to competitors
Possible Causes
- No upselling or cross-selling systems
- Missing product bundles
- Free shipping threshold too low
- Poor product page recommendations
Questions to Ask
- Do you actively recommend related products?
- What is your free shipping threshold vs AOV?
- Do you offer product bundles?
- How do your prices compare to competitors?
Symptom: Customers buy single items only
Possible Causes
- Weak product recommendations
- No incentive for larger orders
- Products don't naturally complement each other
- Shipping costs don't scale favorably
Questions to Ask
- Are 'Frequently Bought Together' visible?
- Do you offer quantity discounts?
- Is there a free shipping threshold motivating larger orders?
- Do product pages show complementary items?
AOV Diagnostic Checklist
Follow these steps to identify your biggest AOV opportunities
Calculate Your Current AOV
Determine your baseline average order value across the last 90 days. Segment by new vs returning customers and by product category.
Run the calculation: Total Revenue ÷ Number of Orders = AOV
Note: Focus on improvement over time rather than industry comparisons
Analyze Orders Per Item
What percentage of orders contain only 1 item? High single-item rates indicate opportunity for cross-selling.
Export orders and calculate: if >70% are single-item, prioritize 'Frequently Bought Together' recommendations
Target: <50% of orders should be single-item
Audit Free Shipping Threshold
Compare your free shipping minimum to your AOV. Is it motivating larger orders or just costing you money?
If threshold ≤ AOV, raise it by 25-30%. If no threshold, implement one immediately
Optimal: Threshold is 20-30% above current AOV
Review Product Recommendations
Check if related products, upsells, and cross-sells are properly configured and visible on your product pages.
Visit 5 product pages as a customer. Are recommendations relevant? Are they prominent?
Every product page should show 3-4 complementary products
Identify Bundle Opportunities
Analyze what products are frequently purchased together. These are natural bundle candidates.
Create 2-3 bundles from your most common product combinations at 10-15% discount
Bundles should represent 10-20% of revenue for mature stores
Proven AOV Strategies
Tactics ranked by impact and implementation effort
Free Shipping Thresholds
Set a free shipping minimum 20-30% above your current AOV. If AOV is $60, set the threshold at $75-80.
WooCommerce → Settings → Shipping → Add 'Free shipping' method with minimum order amount. Display progress bar in cart.
10-25% increase in AOV for orders that qualify
Show a progress bar in the cart: 'Add $15 more for free shipping!' This creates urgency and clear path to action.
Product Bundles
Create pre-built bundles of complementary products at a 10-15% discount vs buying separately.
Use WooCommerce Product Bundles plugin. Create 'Complete the Look' or 'Starter Kit' bundles for your top products.
20-35% higher AOV on bundle purchases
Name bundles with outcome-focused titles: 'Complete Skincare Routine' beats 'Skincare Bundle'.
One-Click Upsells
After checkout, offer a relevant add-on that customers can accept with one click—no re-entering payment.
Use plugins like CartFlows, WooFunnels, or One Click Upsell Funnel. Offer 15-20% discount on the upsell.
10-15% of customers accept, adding 5-10% to total revenue
The best upsells complement what was just purchased. Bought a camera? Offer a memory card.
Cross-Sell Recommendations
Show 'Frequently Bought Together' and 'Customers Also Bought' on product and cart pages.
Configure WooCommerce related products. Add cross-sell plugins for 'Frequently Bought Together' display.
5-15% increase in multi-item orders
Use actual purchase data for recommendations, not just category matching. Real patterns convert better.
Volume Discounts
Offer tiered pricing: Buy 2 save 10%, Buy 3 save 15%, Buy 4+ save 20%.
Use Dynamic Pricing plugin for WooCommerce. Display savings prominently on product pages.
15-25% increase in quantity per order for applicable products
Works best for consumables and repeat-purchase products. Less effective for one-time purchases.
Minimum Order for Perks
Unlock benefits at spending tiers: Free gift at $100, Priority shipping at $150, etc.
Use conditional display plugins to show tier progress. Add free products automatically when threshold met.
10-20% increase in orders near threshold
Make the gift desirable but low-cost to you. Samples, accessories, or branded merchandise work well.
Cart Upsells & Add-ons
Show relevant add-ons in the cart: gift wrapping, extended warranty, accessories, rush processing.
Add cart upsell section with checkbox add-ons. Use plugins like Cart Add-ons for WooCommerce.
5-10% of orders include add-ons, each increasing AOV by $5-20
Keep add-ons simple and low-friction. One-click checkboxes convert better than 'Learn More' links.
Premium Product Promotion
Actively promote and feature higher-priced products and premium variants.
Feature premium products on homepage. Default to premium variant on product pages. Show 'Most Popular' badges.
Shift product mix toward higher-value items
Use anchoring: show the premium option first, making standard options seem more affordable but premium more desirable.
Quick Wins: Get Started Today
Implement these in under 2 hours total
Optimize Free Shipping Threshold
15 minutesCalculate your current AOV, then set free shipping minimum 25% higher. If AOV is $60, set threshold at $75.
Add Cart Progress Bar
30 minutesShow customers how close they are to free shipping with a visual progress bar in the cart.
Enable Related Products
20 minutesEnsure WooCommerce related products are configured and visible on all product pages.
Create One Bundle
1 hourTake your top-selling product and bundle it with 2-3 complementary items at a 10% discount.
Common AOV Mistakes
Avoid these pitfalls when optimizing average order value
Setting Free Shipping Too Low
If your threshold is at or below current AOV, you're not motivating larger orders—you're just absorbing shipping costs.
Set threshold 20-30% above current AOV. Monitor and adjust quarterly as AOV increases.
Irrelevant Product Recommendations
Showing random products as 'Related Items' doesn't drive purchases. Customers ignore generic suggestions.
Use actual purchase data to recommend products frequently bought together. Complement, don't compete.
Discounts That Hurt Margins
Offering 20% off to increase AOV might increase order size but decrease profitability.
Calculate your breakeven: if margins are 40%, a 20% discount means you need 100% more volume to maintain profit.
Too Many Upsell Offers
Bombarding customers with upsells at every step creates friction and annoyance, potentially hurting conversion.
Limit to 2-3 strategic upsell touchpoints: product page, cart, and post-purchase. Quality over quantity.
Ignoring Customer Segments
Applying the same AOV strategy to all customers misses opportunities. High-value customers respond differently than discount seekers.
Segment by customer value. Show premium offers to high-LTV customers; volume discounts to price-sensitive segments.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about increasing average order value
Average order value varies significantly by industry. Fashion/apparel typically sees $80-150, electronics $150-300, beauty $50-80, and home goods $100-200. Rather than comparing to industry averages, focus on increasing your own AOV over time—even a 10% improvement significantly impacts revenue.
AOV = Total Revenue ÷ Number of Orders. For example, if you made $50,000 from 500 orders last month, your AOV is $50,000 ÷ 500 = $100. Track this monthly and segment by customer type, product category, and acquisition channel for deeper insights.
The fastest impact usually comes from raising free shipping thresholds and implementing one-click upsells. If your AOV is $60, setting a free shipping threshold at $75 motivates customers to add more items. One-click post-purchase upsells can add 10-15% to order values.
Volume discounts ('Buy 2, get 10% off') can increase AOV while maintaining margins. Avoid straight discounts that reduce per-item value. Bundle discounts work well—customers perceive savings while you increase basket size. Always calculate the net revenue impact.
Well-designed bundles typically increase AOV by 20-35%. The key is bundling complementary products at a slight discount (10-15% off buying separately). This increases perceived value while boosting basket size. Pre-built bundles outperform 'build your own' for most stores.
Free shipping with a threshold typically increases total revenue despite the shipping cost. Set your threshold 20-30% above current AOV to encourage larger orders. Monitor both AOV and conversion rate—the combination determines whether free shipping is profitable for your store.
Track AOV Across Every Segment
StoreRadar shows your average order value by customer type, product category, and acquisition channel—so you can see exactly where to focus.
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