Shopify Post Purchase Upsell: Unlocking more revenue with effective strategies

Everything Shopify brand operators need to know about upselling and cross-selling in the post-purchase experience

How to Boost Revenue and AOV with Post-Purchase Upsells and Cross-sells

Shopify merchants are constantly seeking out innovative strategies to enhance sales and drive revenue when every click on their website could generate a profit. Amidst the myriad of tactics available, a well-done post-purchase upsell strategy is a game-changer, offering a golden opportunity to maximize profits and foster long-term customer relationships. Today, we delve into the realm of post-purchase upselling on Shopify, exploring its significance and unveiling effective strategies to propel your business forward.

Throughout this guide, we'll delve into the nuances of post-purchase upselling on Shopify, exploring best practices, advanced techniques, and the essential tools at your disposal. Whether you're a seasoned entrepreneur or a budding Shopify enthusiast, this comprehensive resource aims to equip you with the knowledge and insights needed to unlock your store's full revenue potential and increase customer satisfaction through strategic upselling tactics.

What is the post-purchase experience in business?

In business and ecommerce terms, the post-purchase experience refers to the period of time after a customer has made a purchase. During this time, business owners (like a Shopify brand owner) is focused on ensuring their customer is happy with their purchase (customer satisfaction, or CSAT for short) as well as communicating with the customer on when their order is projected to arrive at their doorstep. We call these types of messages post-purchase transactional messages or shipping notifications. Some people also refer to a post purchase page as the page a customer will see after checkout and a thank you page. Presenting your customers with a post-purchase survey and/or review option is also another great option to gain customer data and insight into what your customers think about your purchase experience.

What are post-purchase upsells and cross-sells?

At its core, post-purchase upselling and cross-selling is the art of enticing customers to add complementary or upgraded products to their carts after they've made a purchase.

An upsell is when a customer adds something to their original order. It can be something more expensive (like a premium version of what they just bought), a bigger volume of a product they already have in their cart, or even a smaller version (like a travel-size item of what they just purchased).

A cross-sell is pretty much the same as an upsell, but it's when a customer adds another product to their cart (like a complimentary product).

So for example, say your customer just bought shampoo. An upsell would be them also purchasing that same shampoo in your bulk size and/or travel size or adding a subscription of said shampoo so they get recurring monthly bottles in the mail. A cross-sell would be the same customer also purchasing your conditioner.

Types of post-purchase upsells and cross-sells

One-click post-purchase upsells: This type of upsell/cross-sell is slightly different but could be an effective strategy. One-click post-purchase upsells are when the customer sees an item after they make a purchase but before they have excited the store (between a checkout and thank you page). This page pops up immediately after the customer's original purchase is completed and the customer can accept the upsell without having to put in their payment or shipping information again. Hence the name, they purchase it with one click.
After the original purchase, in a transactional email on a branded order tracking page: This type of upsell/cross-sell is placed on a branded order tracking page. After the customer makes their original purchase, they will receive a transactional email and/or SMS with their order confirmation details with a call-to-action (CTA) that takes them to a branded order tracking page that displays the cross-sells and upsells. Some visual examples of branded tracking pages with cross-sells and upsells are below this section. You can see the product recommendation section below the H1 of the tracking page. There are Shopify integrations like Malomo x Rebuy that help Shopify brands achieve this type of upselling in cross-sell/upsell emails.
After the original purchase, in a marketing email: Another type of post-purchase upsell/cross-sell takes place in a marketing email (different from the transactional email above) and usually occurs anywhere from a few hours or days after the original purchase.

Examples of upsells and cross-sells on tracking pages

Here are some examples of Shopify merchants showcasing product recommendations on their branded order tracking pages! You can see the upsells and cross-sells section below the H1 of the tracking page. You can request a free Tracking Page Mockup below to see what your tracking page with cross-sells and upsells could look like!

DRMTLGY built a fully custom order tracking page with the Malomo.js through our Shopify Integration. They also use Klaviyo, Attentive, Rebuy, Octane AI, and Gorgias to strengthen their post-purchase experience.

JLUXLABEL was the second winner of the Tracking Page Design Challenge and beautifully branded their order tracking page with the Tracking Page Creator. They showcase their other recommended products, rewards program, and shoppable images.

See the Tracking Page Creator

Synchro uses Klaviyo, Yotpo to display reviews under their cross and upsells, Recharge to drive subscriptions, and Gorgias for customer support.

Huron sends their customers to a unique tracking page to share delivery information, best-sellers, and social feed!

Request a Tracking Page Mockup

Lots of Shopify merchants are increasing their revenue and average order value (AOV) through these add-on sales. But there's still more strategy to unlock beyond growing a brand's bottom line with product recommendations.

Upsells and cross-sells go beyond generating revenue, they grows customer loyalty and retention

The Shopify brands that really ace their post-purchase upsells and cross-sells are not just about increasing immediate sales but also about nurturing customer satisfaction and loyalty. With each successful upsell, merchants not only boost their bottom line but also deepen their connection with buyers, fostering a sense of value and trust in their brand.

When brands put thoughtful effort behind their post-purchase strategy and surfacing other products, their customers might care about, their customers feel taken care of and don't have to spend more time searching through your website for the other products they want. Some customers might not even think to search for an item on your website if they don't know that you offer it in your catalogue. In keeping with the hair care example above, a customer might be delighted to learn that your brand also offers a comb (another cross-sell!) that pairs well with their newly purchased shampoo and conditioner.

What are the benefits of post-purchase upsells and cross-sells?

Harnessing the benefits of post-purchase upsells can be a game-changer for Shopify merchants, offering a myriad of advantages that extend beyond immediate sales. By presenting customers with complementary or upgraded products after their initial purchase, businesses can significantly boost their revenue streams while simultaneously enhancing customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Increasing average order value (AOV): This one should go without saying, but if you sell more products, the order value will increase!
Reduce customer churn: By upselling and cross-selling, your customers will be more aware of the products you sell. This might reduce customer churn as customers might shop with you instead of a competitor when they know you have a product they need.
Improve customer retention: Similarly, if your customers have a great experience shopping with you and feel taken care of by your brand, they're more likely to return.
Introduce customers to new/other/best-selling products: Because of the nature of upsells and cross-sells, you'll naturally show off other items in your catalogue and increase awareness for new products, top-selling products, products on sale, or even products you're trying to move out of inventory.
Increase higher return on ad spend (ROAS): This is only applicable if you're running ads but upsells may increase your website conversion rates (such as lowering your abandoned cart rate) to lead to more efficient sales. With your ad dollars being spent in the most efficient way possible, Shopify brands can put even more of their budget behind ads and generate even more traffic.
Increase subscription offerings: This is only applicable if you have a subscription program but through upsells you can promote this program and get more exposure for sign-ups!

Best practices for post-purchase product recommendations

Personalize your offer by making it dynamic: There are Shopify apps (such as Malomo x Rebuy) that allow you to showcase dynamic product recommendations on your order tracking page. This experience stands out to your customer and reinforces all the best practices listed below.
Entice your customer with a highly-relevant offer: Along the same lines, you'll want to make sure that what you're presenting to your customers is something that they would actually want. This can be something like the same product they just bought in a different size or a complimentary item.
Motivate through urgency in the upsell: Your customers might also be motivated to purchase another product if there is a sense of urgency to their purchase. You can introduce urgency by making it clear that the offer expires on a certain date, after an event, or is a one-time offer. You can use words like 'one time offer' or 'today only' or even add a countdown timer to the post- purchase page.
Make it easy to buy: The easiest way to do this would be to include product recommendations on your branded order tracking page or through a one-click post-purchase upsell. Upsells and cross-sells on a tracking page are easy for your customer because your customer is already opening their email to track their purchase and then they get to also see what other products your brand has. One-click upsells don't require the customer to put their information in again, making it easy to buy with one click.

Implementing post-purchase upsells and cross-sells on your Shopify store

Adding a comprehensive and cohesive upsell and/or cross-sell in the customer buying journey is crucial and can easily be done within the Shopify ecosystem. We've broken it out by the type of post-purchase upsell you'd like to implement

To implement a post-purchase upsell and/or cross-sell on your branded order tracking page:

Shopify brands will first need to add a Shopify app that powers branded order tracking. Malomo is considered one of the easiest, most customizable, and affordable options in the market
Then, you'll need to implement a product recommendation block. For this block to be dynamic, you'll want to use an integration like Malomo x Rebuy.
Then you'll draft the rest of your order tracking page depending on what else you'd like to show your customers & hit publish!

To implement other types of post-purchase upsells, you can visit the Shopify App Store and search the post-purchase upsells category.

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