Targeted Upsells that Trigger for Hero Products
Creating a dedicated funnel for each Hero Product allows you to design effective upsell offers that apply to most of your store’s orders.
Hero Products are typically the 3-6 items that generate 60%-80% of your revenue. Key traits of Hero Products include:
High sales volume
Market leadership in their category
Strong brand recognition
Broad customer appeal
Positive reviews and ratings
Significant contribution to profitability
Receives dedicated marketing efforts and promotion
A/B Testing
A/B testing is an excellent method for evaluating different strategies and optimizing your funnels over time. This section is extensive due to the variety of strategies involved, underscoring the crucial role A/B testing plays in improving performance. Here are a few types of A/B tests you can run:
AI (Dynamic) Upsells vs. Specific Product (Static) Upsells
AI-driven upsells use customer behavior, purchase history, and preferences to create personalized offers, boosting conversion rates. These algorithms adjust in real-time to keep upsell offers relevant as customer preferences change. However, while AI offers dynamic personalization, it can sometimes feel impersonal or overly algorithmic.
In contrast, specific product upsells target complementary items with clear, curated messaging, but they lack the real-time adaptability of AI, potentially missing key opportunities. To maximize effectiveness, it's essential to A/B test both AI-driven and static upsells, finding the right balance between dynamic personalization and human-curated offers.
Default Quantity: 1 vs. Default Quantity: 2
This test is ideal for brands selling consumables or lower-cost products. It helps determine whether customers are more likely to accept an upsell for two units of a product or just one.
If the x2 offer is accepted more often, it means increased profits for your business.
Long-Form Upsell Pages vs. Short-Form Upsell Pages
Long-form upsell pages provide detailed product descriptions, highlighting features, benefits, and specifications, helping customers make well-informed decisions and boosting satisfaction. These pages can include more images and interactive elements, enhancing visual appeal and engagement, which may increase the likelihood of upsell acceptance.
However, some customers may be put off by the need to scroll through extensive content, leading to decreased engagement or drop-offs. Too much information can also overwhelm customers, potentially causing decision fatigue and lowering the chances of a successful upsell.
VS.
Short-form upsell pages offer concise information, allowing customers to quickly grasp key details and make swift decisions. By limiting content, they avoid information overload and create a more streamlined shopping experience.
These shorter pages also load faster, enhancing user experience and reducing the likelihood of customer impatience or high bounce rates.
However, the brief format may lack the depth needed to fully persuade customers, potentially leading to lower conversion rates compared to long-form pages. Short-form pages might also leave out important features and benefits, leaving customers uncertain or with unanswered questions.
Same Product vs. Alternate Product
This test compares whether customers are more likely to repurchase a product they've already bought versus trying something new or complementary.
Upselling a previously purchased item taps into known customer interest, but this might not work as well for higher-priced products. For example, Feastables switched to upselling different items after noticing their Almond Chocolate bars weren’t selling quickly enough.
Check out our Feastables case study for more insights!
Single Product vs. Multi-Product
Presenting a single upsell keeps the offer simple and easy for customers to understand, minimizing decision-making and leading to a faster, smoother checkout process.
With just one item, you can create a highly targeted, persuasive message that emphasizes the product's unique value, increasing the chances of conversion.
However, offering only one upsell may not cater to the diverse preferences of your customers, which could lower conversion rates if the product doesn't resonate with most buyers.
VS.
Offering multiple upsell choices allows you to cater to a wider range of customer preferences, increasing the likelihood that each customer will find something that aligns with their interests. This can lead to higher conversion rates compared to presenting a single upsell item. Additionally, multiple options enable cross-selling complementary products, introducing customers to items they might not have considered.
However, too many choices can overwhelm customers, causing decision paralysis and potentially leading to the upsell being abandoned.
Varying Discount Percentages
Always offer a discount on your upsell products, but be sure to optimize the percentage to maximize profits!
If you can successfully upsell with a smaller discount, why not take advantage of it?
A/B testing different discount levels helps you find the sweet spot—determining how low you can set the discount without hurting your conversion rate, ultimately boosting your sales!
Create Follow-Up Upsells
Set up both "Upsell #2," "Downsell," and "Thank You Page" offers to maximize your chances of conversion. The more offers a customer encounters, even after their purchase, the more opportunities you have to increase sales and revenue.
Enable the "Use Compare At Price" setting
This makes your discount appear larger if a compare at price is set, allowing you to offer a smaller discount while still giving the impression of a significant deal.
Round Discount Percentages
Always round your discounts to the nearest 5th. For example, instead of offering 27% off, go with 25% or 30%. This looks more appealing and can boost conversion rates.
Remember, the discount shown on the page might differ from what you set in the upsell settings due to the "Use Compare at Price" feature, which can inflate the perceived discount. Ensure the visible discount is rounded for a consistent appearance.
Set Up Thank You Page Upsells
Not every order qualifies for Post-Purchase Upsells due to Shopify's Post-Purchase Restrictions. That's why we recommend setting up Thank You Page upsells as well.
This ensures that customers who aren’t eligible for 1-Click upsells still see offers, helping you capture additional conversion opportunities and avoid missed sales.
Emphasize Key Points
Highlighting key points in your upsell with bold text and color helps customers quickly grasp the benefits at a glance. First impressions are crucial!
For instance, emphasize phrases like "**% OFF**," "**LIMITED TIME**," and even the countdown timer to draw attention and boost engagement.
Setup a Catch-All Funnel
This funnel is designed to capture any orders that didn’t trigger your other specific upsell funnels. Set its trigger to "Show for All Customers" and assign it the lowest priority, ensuring it's the last funnel to be checked.
You can adjust priority levels by clicking the "Manage Priority" button located at the top right of the funnel table:
Applying these best practices and recommendations is intended to enhance your upsell offers, enabling you to maximize revenue potential.