How to Increase Average Order Value (8 Strategies That Work!)

What if your next revenue opportunity was already inside your store, hidden in every search, click, product view, and cart addition?

Your customers are constantly sharing signals about what they need, what interests them, and what they may want next. The opportunity is turning those signals into smarter shopping experiences that naturally increase average order value (AOV).

Growing AOV is not about pushing customers to buy more. It is about helping them discover more value through smarter product recommendations, upselling and cross-selling, relevant bundles, and personalized shopping journeys.

Leading eCommerce brands are using AI-powered experiences to make every interaction more timely, relevant, and effortless.

Now it's time to put those opportunities to work. This guide shows you how to increase average order value with proven strategies that transform everyday shopping moments into lasting customer value and sustainable revenue growth.

What Are the Best Ways to Increase Average Order Value?

Every customer who visits your store is an opportunity to increase average order value (AOV). When shoppers discover relevant add-ons, upgrades, or complementary products, they're more likely to add extra items to their carts and create more value from every purchase.

These eight proven ways to increase average order value in eCommerce will help you improve product discovery, grow cart value, and create smarter shopping experiences.

1. Drive Upsells and Cross-sells With Smarter Recommendations

Imagine a shopper adds a tent to their cart, and your site recommends another entry-level tent with nearly the same features.

Instead of suggesting a premium model that's a better fit or useful add-ons like a footprint, repair kit, or camping lantern, it misses the chance to genuinely help.

If you're wondering how to increase average order value, relevant AI-powered upsells and cross-sells make it easier for shoppers to find complementary products, encouraging larger purchases and creating a more helpful shopping experience.

Why It Works

A relevant recommendation doesn't feel like a sales pitch. It feels like help, and shoppers say yes to help far more readily than they say yes to a pitch.

Upselling recommends a higher-value version of the same product. And cross-selling suggests complementary products that round out the purchase.

Used together, they're one of the most effective ways to increase aov by helping shoppers discover more relevant products, not by relying on discounts or price changes.

The Payoff

AI-powered recommendations use real-time shopping behavior, cart activity, and customer preferences to show products shoppers are most likely to buy next.

Combined with profile-based recommendations and a smart product recommendation strategy, they make product discovery feel more relevant and effortless.

When shoppers quickly find products that complete their purchase, they're more likely to add them to their cart. That naturally increases average order value while creating a shopping experience that feels helpful instead of pushy.

2. Create Bundles That Encourage Bigger Purchases

Think about the last time you bought something that wasn't enough on its own.

A coffee maker needs filters. A camera needs a memory card.

You don't expect to search for those essentials again. A well-designed bundle puts everything together, making checkout easier. It's one of the simplest ways to increase AOV, helping shoppers buy everything they need while naturally increasing order value.

Why It Works 

Bundles make buying easier by bringing products that naturally belong together into one offer. Instead of wondering what they might have missed, shoppers can confidently choose a complete solution.

That's one of the simplest ways to increase average order value. Shoppers discover relevant products without extra effort, while your eCommerce merchandising strategy makes complementary items more visible at the moment they're most likely to be purchased.

The Payoff

The best bundles come from real customer behavior, not guesswork. Use purchase patterns to group products shoppers already buy together, test different combinations, and keep refining them as buying habits change.

When bundles solve a real shopping need, customers are more likely to add them to their order.

That helps improve average order value, supports smarter AOV optimization, and creates a buying experience that feels thoughtful instead of sales-driven.

3. Increase Cart Value with Strategic Spend Thresholds

A shopper is just a few dollars away from free shipping but doesn't realize it.

A timely reminder, along with a relevant product suggestion, can be all it takes to help them reach the threshold and get more from their purchase.

Why It Works

Offering free shipping at a set minimum purchase amount is one of the most reliable, well-researched ways to boost AOV in eCommerce. Shoppers often add extra items to their cart to reach the threshold instead of paying for shipping.

Studies consistently show that brands using clear shipping thresholds and live progress messaging can encourage higher-value orders.

The exact impact varies based on your products, margins, and customer behavior, but the opportunity to increase basket size remains consistent across different eCommerce categories.

The Payoff

A spend threshold only works when it feels within reach. Set it just above your current average order value, show shoppers their progress in the cart or mini-cart, and use timely rewards like free shipping or a free gift to naturally reduce purchase friction.

When shoppers can see they're only one small step away from an extra benefit, adding another relevant item feels like an easy decision, not a sales push.

That helps improve average order value through smarter AOV optimization while creating a smoother shopping experience.

4. Use Conversational Shopping to Guide Higher-value Purchases

Your filters ask shoppers to already know exactly what they want: size, color, price band.

But most existing customers and new visitors alike arrive with a need, not a spec sheet. "Something for a rainy hike" isn't the same as "waterproof, size 10, navy".

So they make their best guess, even when they're not sure which product fits their needs. That uncertainty can make choosing the right product more difficult and slow down the buying decision.

Why It Works

Think about how a great store associate helps shoppers in your store. They start by understanding what someone needs before recommending the right products.

A conversational shopping experience brings that same approach online, making product discovery feel more natural and helping shoppers make confident buying decisions.

That's why conversational commerce works so well. Combined with AI-driven product discovery, it helps shoppers find relevant products through guided conversations instead of guesswork, reducing purchase friction, and delivering the key benefits of conversational commerce throughout the buying journey.

The Payoff

Your AI shopping assistant is most effective when it understands shopper intent before recommending products. Pair it with conversational search, live inventory, and real-time pricing so every recommendation is relevant, transparent, and easy to act on.

When recommendations feel helpful instead of sales-driven, shoppers are more likely to trust them and explore more of your catalog.

That helps improve average order value, strengthens customer loyalty, and creates a shopping experience that keeps customers coming back.

5. Improve Site Search to Surface More Relevant Products

Someone types "waterproof jacket size L" into your search bar. That's not idle browsing. That's a shopper handing you her intent on a plate.

Return three irrelevant results, and you haven't just lost that sale. You've lost every accessory, every add-on, every product she never got the chance to see.

Why It Works

Search is one of the strongest indicators of shopper intent on an eCommerce site. These visitors are already looking for something specific, which means every search interaction is a chance to guide them toward the right products.

By following eCommerce search best practices, you can create a faster, more intuitive discovery experience. Features like better filtering, accurate ranking, and natural language search help your store understand what shoppers mean, not just what they type.

The Payoff

A strong eCommerce search experience does more than match keywords. It uses search relevance signals, shopper behavior, product data, and inventory insights to surface the most useful results. Optimizing zero search results also helps shoppers discover alternatives instead of leaving when their exact query has no match.

When shoppers find products faster, they are more likely to explore, add relevant items, and complete their purchase.

Adding recommendations like complete the look suggestions creates more opportunities to increase conversions, improve average order value, and deliver a smoother shopping journey.

6. Optimize Category Pages for Multi-product Discovery

A long, flat product grid puts all the comparison work on the shopper. Most won't bother.

They'll grab the first reasonable option and check out, and your category page never gets the chance to do its real job.

If you're exploring strategies to increase AOV, start with category pages that guide shoppers toward better product discovery instead of simply listing products.

Why It Works

Easy side-by-side comparison lowers the mental effort of deciding.

Less effort means more shoppers add a second, even a third item, instead of leaving to compare elsewhere and possibly never coming back a distinction worth understanding through product search vs product discovery.

The Payoff

A strong category experience helps your shoppers discover products that match their needs instead of browsing a flat product grid.

With intelligent searchandising, relevant filters, and smarter product recommendations, you can create a more guided product discovery journey.

When shoppers can easily compare options, explore related products, and move confidently to optimized product detail pages, they are more likely to add relevant items to their cart. This strengthens eCommerce merchandising, increases cart value, and creates a smoother buying experience.

7. Use Social Proof to Increase Confidence in Bigger Purchases

A $20 item gets added without a second thought. A $200 purchase makes shoppers pause, and that hesitation often leads to abandoned carts or lower-priced alternatives.

If you're wondering how to increase average order value on Shopify stores, use the Shopify plugin and start start by building trust. Reviews, ratings, and customer photos reassure shoppers, reduce purchase anxiety, and encourage higher-value purchases.

That’s where social proof helps, giving shoppers the reassurance they need to feel confident about higher-value purchases.

Why It Works

Displaying customer reviews and real customer content builds confidence by showing shoppers that others have already trusted and chosen the product.

Well-documented research on social proof shows that shoppers spend meaningfully more when they can see detailed, credible reviews on higher-consideration items. Reviews do the reassurance work that a product description alone simply can't.

The Payoff

When shoppers are considering a bigger purchase, they want more than product details; they want reassurance. Real reviews, customer photos, and honest experiences help them see the value and feel confident about their choice.

That confidence makes it easier for your shoppers to explore premium options instead of settling for the cheapest one. It helps increase average transaction value, support your AOV strategy, and create a shopping experience built on trust.

8. Increase Order Size With Volume Discounts

Shoppers often buy repeat-use products one at a time. Smart volume discounts, as part of best practices for AOV growth, help turn single purchases into larger orders.

Why It Works

Volume discounts work because they fit naturally into how customers already shop. Instead of convincing them to buy something new, you’re helping them stock up on products they already want.

With the benefits of personalization for eCommerce, these offers feel more relevant, timely, and valuable to each shopper.

The Payoff

Make volume pricing and subscription options easy for your shoppers to discover. Offers like “Buy 2, Save 10%” or subscribe-and-save help them see the value of adding more or choosing repeat purchases.

When shoppers find more reasons to return, you can strengthen customer retention, increase basket size, and build stronger relationships over time. These strategies support long-term growth and higher customer lifetime value.

How Experro Helps eCommerce Brands Improve Average Order Value?

Your shoppers are already coming to your store. The challenge is helping them find products they need, discover relevant additions, and feel confident making a bigger purchase.

Experro helps eCommerce teams improve average order value (AOV) with AI-powered search, personalization, merchandising, and product recommendations that make every interaction more relevant.

With Gen AI Search, shoppers can search naturally and find products based on their intent, not just exact keywords. Experro’s AI recommendations help surface relevant upsells, cross-sells, and complementary products, while AI-powered bundling helps create product combinations that feel useful, not forced.

For brands managing growing catalogs, Experro helps uncover missed product discovery opportunities and turn more visits into valuable purchases.

By bringing eCommerce search, product discovery, and merchandising together, Experro helps teams improve cart value, create smoother buying journeys, and deliver experiences that improve customer satisfaction and encourage repeat purchases.

Conclusion: From More Traffic to More Value From Every Visit

You don't always need more traffic to grow your eCommerce business.

Sometimes, the biggest opportunity is helping the customers already on your site discover more of what they'll genuinely value. That's how sustainable average order value growth happens.

The strategies you've explored in this guide all work toward the same goal: making every shopping journey more relevant, more helpful, and more rewarding.

When search, recommendations, merchandising, and personalization work together, larger orders become a natural outcome, not something you have to force.

Ready to make that happen? Contact the Experro team to see how our AI-powered commerce platform can help you improve average order value and turn more of your existing traffic into long-term revenue growth.