10 Effective Ways to Increase Average Order Value (AOV) on Your Shopify Store

When it comes to growing your Shopify business, most merchants immediately think of driving more traffic or acquiring new customers. But what if you could significantly boost your revenue without spending a cent more? The answer lies in learning how to increase AOV on your Shopify store. It’s a powerful yet often underused strategy that focuses on maximising the value of each customer transaction.

Average Order Value (AOV) is a key metric that reveals how much your customers spend per order on average. Increasing AOV means you’re earning more from the same number of sales, improving your store’s profitability and return on investment.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through 10 tried-and-tested strategies to increase AOV on your Shopify store, covering everything from upselling techniques and bundle offers to loyalty incentives and UX improvements. Let’s dive in and unlock more revenue from the customers you work so hard to acquire!

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1. Set a Free Shipping Threshold

Everyone loves free shipping. You can take advantage of this to increase the average order value on your Shopify store. Instead of providing free shipping on all orders, set a minimum threshold that customers must meet to qualify (e.g., free shipping for orders over $50).

Why does this work? Because customers hate paying for shipping. When they see they’re just a few dollars short of free delivery, they’re more likely to add an extra item or two to their cart just to avoid that fee. It’s a small psychological nudge that consistently pushes order values higher.

To make sure it benefits both you and the customers, always offer free shipping if the order hits a certain threshold.

To maximise the impact of this strategy, make the free shipping threshold high enough to lift your AOV, but not so high that it becomes unrealistic. For example, if your current AOV is $38, setting a threshold at $50 is both achievable and profitable.

Pro tip: Reinforce the incentive throughout the shopping journey. Use a progress bar or banner at the top of your site and within the checkout cart to show how close customers are to earning free shipping. Tools like GemPages’ drag-and-drop builder make it easy to add these visual cues. The goal is to keep the offer top of mind and encourage customers to add items until they hit the goal.

2. Upsell Higher-Value Products or Add-Ons

Another powerful way to boost AOV on your Shopify store is through upselling. Basically speaking, it’s the art of encouraging shoppers to purchase a more expensive version of the product or to add on a related upgrade.

Picture this: a customer is eyeing a $30 skincare set. Then you present them with a $50 deluxe edition that includes extra items or improved ingredients. Or suggest a complementary service, such as a 1-year warranty or a premium gift box. By highlighting the added value: be it better quality, extended use, or exclusive features, you help the customer feel they’re getting more for just a bit more.

The key is timing and presentation. You don’t want to be pushy; you want to make the better option feel like a smart choice. That’s where GemPages comes in. With its intuitive drag-and-drop interface, you can easily design engaging upsell sections directly on your product pages or use pop-ups at checkout.

Thoughtfully placed upsells can subtly guide your customers toward higher-value decisions, helping you increase your revenue with minimal customer resistance.

3. Cross-Sell Complementary Items

If upselling is about upgrading the main product, cross-selling is all about enhancing the overall purchase. This tactic involves suggesting products that naturally go together. Think of it as building a complete experience, not just a transaction.

For example, if someone adds a yoga mat to their cart, it makes perfect sense to recommend a water bottle, mat spray, or yoga strap. These relevant suggestions not only add convenience for the customer but also increase the average order value on your Shopify store in a way that feels organic.

Effective cross-selling often relies on smart placement and design. Use sections like “Frequently Bought Together,” “Complete the Set,” or “Customers Also Bought” on your product and cart pages to showcase these bundles. The trick is to integrate these suggestions seamlessly—make them visually appealing without disrupting the browsing flow.

4. Create Product Bundles

Bundling is a smart way to encourage customers to buy more while making them feel like they’re getting a great deal. Instead of purchasing items individually, shoppers are presented with a curated set, like a complete skincare kit or a coffee essentials bundle, at a slightly discounted rate compared to buying each product on its own.

This not only enhances the customer experience but also helps to increase average order value on your Shopify store by consolidating multiple purchases into a single transaction. It’s a win-win: customers save a little, and you make more per order.

Shaving and beauty products are the easiest to bundle and sell. Who buys a razor without the blade?

To make bundling effective, transparency is key. Show the original individual prices clearly and highlight the overall savings when bought as a package. This creates a sense of value and urgency. You can even dedicate an entire landing page to your best-selling bundles to drive traffic directly to them.

GemPages makes this especially easy with ready-made bundle page templates. You can feature persuasive copy, highlight customer benefits, and use visual cues to showcase your bundles in a way that’s both clean and conversion-focused—no design team needed.

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5. Offer Volume Discounts (Bulk Pricing)

Encouraging customers to purchase more of the same product by offering volume-based discounts is another proven way to increase AOV for your Shopify store. Bulk pricing works especially well for items people already use frequently or are likely to repurchase—think cosmetics, health supplements, or home essentials.

Try to offer discounts based on the value or the number of items your customers have in their cart.

The concept is simple: the more they buy, the more they save. For example:

• Buy 2, get 10% off

• Buy 3, get 15% off

• Buy 5, get 20% off

This small incentive nudges shoppers to increase their quantity per order rather than settling for just one unit. It’s also a great tactic to boost customer retention since you’re giving them more value upfront.

Make sure to display your discount tiers directly on the product page—don’t make your customers guess. You can use Shopify’s discount apps or scripts to set this up, and with GemPages, you can design a clean pricing table or promotional banner that explains the offer at a glance.

This approach works best when combined with urgency messaging (like “limited-time offer”) or when paired with products that customers already know and trust.

6. Start a Loyalty or VIP Program

A well-structured loyalty program encourages repeat purchases and motivates customers to spend more per transaction to unlock exclusive rewards. It’s one of the most sustainable ways to boost AOV on your Shopify store is by rewarding customer loyalty.

The mechanics are simple: customers earn points for every dollar spent, and those points can be redeemed for discounts, gifts, or other perks. For example, shoppers might earn 1 point per $1 spent, with 100 points redeemable for a $5 discount. You can also implement VIP tiers—such as Silver, Gold, and Platinum—based on cumulative spending.

Highlighting the value-added benefits, like early access to new products, birthday gifts, or free express shipping. These perks give customers a reason to increase their cart size, aiming to unlock the next reward threshold faster.

To promote your program effectively, dedicate a visually engaging section or standalone page using GemPages. You can incorporate banners, icons, or even progress bars to showcase membership levels and benefits. A clear and compelling layout helps customers understand what they’re working towards and encourages them to spend more to get there.

7. Offer Buy Now, Pay Later Options

If your shop sells high-ticket items, such as cameras or tech products, there can be hesitation. Not many online shoppers are willing to pay the full price upfront. That’s where Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) solutions can play a game-changing role in helping you secure the order.

By offering payment options like Afterpay, Klarna, or Shop Pay Installments, you're giving customers the flexibility to break large purchases into smaller, manageable payments. This reduces the initial financial friction and makes it easier for them to commit to higher-value carts. 

Buy Now, Pay Later plans help customers break their purchase into smaller fragments, reducing hesitation.

Make sure the availability of installment options is visible on product pages and at checkout. Shoppers should never have to hunt for this information. You can use GemPages to embed BNPL badges, notes, or sections into your layout, ensuring it's both eye-catching and brand-aligned.

With the rising popularity of BNPL services, providing this option can increase customer confidence and encourage more generous spending without adding financial stress.

8. Provide Live Chat or Personalised Assistance

Sometimes, a little human touch can go a long way. Live chat support and guided selling tools can actively influence purchase decisions by suggesting relevant add-ons, clarifying product details, or offering personal recommendations. These will have an impact on increasing the overall order value.

Consider a shopper browsing your sneaker collection. If they’re unsure about sizing or what to pair it with, a quick live chat prompt -“These shoes go perfectly with our moisture-wicking socks. Want me to add a pair to your cart?”- can be super effective.

This kind of real-time interaction builds trust and reduces hesitation, particularly for first-time buyers. To support this, train your customer service team to subtly upsell and cross-sell without being pushy. Even automated chatbots can be configured to recommend related products based on cart contents.

Additionally, remove any roadblocks by preemptively addressing common questions. With GemPages, you can create on-page FAQs, sizing guides, or comparison charts that reduce uncertainty and give customers the confidence to buy more in one go.

9. Offer a Free Gift or BOGO Deal at a Cart Threshold

Adding a little surprise to the checkout process can go a long way in motivating shoppers to spend more. A well-timed gift or BOGO (Buy One, Get One) offer creates instant value and nudges customers toward a higher cart total.

Think of promotions like:

• “Spend $100 and receive a free tote bag.”

• “Buy 3 items, get the 4th free.”

These incentives tap into shoppers’ love for rewards and exclusivity. More importantly, they subtly encourage buyers to add just one more item to reach that bonus threshold, making them feel like they’re unlocking a deal rather than overspending.

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10. A/B Test and Optimise Your Offers

There’s no one-size-fits-all formula when it comes to increasing average order value on Shopify. What works brilliantly for one store may underperform in another. That’s why A/B testing is so essential. It helps you discover what resonates best with your audience.

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Start by testing small elements:

• Which upsell performs better—a deluxe upgrade or a related add-on?

• Does a $50 free shipping threshold outperform a $60 one?

• Is a product bundle more compelling with 10% off or a gift?

These controlled experiments let you make data-driven decisions and continuously refine your offers. Over time, you’ll learn exactly how to boost AOV on your Shopify store without guesswork.

Tip: Track metrics like conversion rate, average cart size, and bounce rate for each test. With GemPages’ built-in A/B testing feature, you can test different versions of your product pages, upsell sections, or even loyalty banners—then optimise based on real results.

Putting AOV Strategies into Action!

Increasing your Average Order Value (AOV) is one of the most efficient ways to grow your Shopify business. By using strategies like upselling, product bundles, loyalty programs, and BNPL options, you can significantly raise the value of every order that comes through your store.

The key is to experiment, monitor performance, and build on what works. Start with one or two tactics, learn what works with your store, then improve over time. Each industry and customer profile has a different preference. So, it’s really up to you to find out which strategy matches what you need.

The process can be long and expensive. Fortunately, tools like GemPages make it easy to execute many of these strategies visually and effectively, without needing to write a single line of code. Whether you're designing a high-converting product page, showcasing bundle deals, or launching an A/B test, GemPages gives you the flexibility to build and optimise your store with confidence.

With the right mix of creativity, data, and user experience, any Shopify merchant can unlock higher revenue per customer and transform every order into a bigger opportunity.

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Conversion