For an e-commerce business, Average Order Value (AOV) is a direct window into how your customers shop. And while most platforms only show you a single AOV number, that one figure barely scratches the surface.
Here’s the truth: One AOV can’t tell the whole story.
That’s why Strique takes a different approach. We break down your AOV into Mean, Median, Mode, and even a Mode-to-Mean Ratio—because when you understand the full picture, you can make smarter decisions that actually drive revenue.
Let’s dive into what each AOV metric reveals—and why tracking all four gives you a competitive edge.
1. Mean AOV: The Big Picture
When people talk about AOV, this is usually what they mean. Mean AOV is calculated by dividing your total revenue by the total number of orders.
The Formula
Mean AOV = Total Revenue ÷ Total Number of Orders
It’s useful for spotting overall revenue trends. If your Mean AOV is increasing, your upselling or bundling strategies are likely working.
But here’s the catch: It’s easily skewed. A few large orders can make your average look higher than it actually is—giving you a false sense of how much your typical customer spends.
2. Median AOV: The Reality Check
Median AOV tells you the middle value of all your orders when ranked from lowest to highest. This is your go-to metric for filtering out extreme outliers.
Example
If your orders are $20, $30, $50, $70, and $200—the median is $50. The mean, on the other hand, is $74 because of that $200 order pulling it higher.
Why does this matter? Because median tells you what a typical order looks like.
If your Median AOV is lower than your Mean AOV, you may be leaning too heavily on big spenders while most customers spend significantly less. That insight is invaluable for adjusting your pricing strategy or targeting more consistent buyers.
3. Mode AOV: What Most Customers Actually Spend
While Mean and Median show averages, Mode AOV reveals the most frequently occurring order value—the amount your customers hit most often.
Example
If 80 customers spend $99, and only a few spend more or less, $99 is your Mode AOV—your most popular price point.
Mode AOV is a goldmine for pricing optimization. You can design product bundles, special offers, or tiered pricing around your most common order value to drive even more purchases at that level.
4. Mode-to-Mean Ratio: Your Revenue Health Check
This advanced metric compares your Mode AOV to your Mean AOV, helping you diagnose how your revenue is distributed.
Here’s how to interpret it:
Less than 1: A few large orders are inflating your average (right-skewed).
Greater than 1: Most customers spend more than your average (left-skewed).
Around 1: Your revenue is balanced across most orders.
This ratio quickly tells you whether your AOV is being driven by a handful of big spenders—or if you have a healthy, consistent customer base.
Why a Dedicated AOV Scorecard Matters
You might be wondering—why break this out into a separate scorecard? Why not just roll AOV into a general revenue dashboard?
Because AOV isn’t just one number—it’s a multi-layered signal that touches nearly every part of your business. And putting it in its own spotlight helps you make faster, sharper decisions about pricing, bundling, customer segments, and campaign performance.
With a dedicated scorecard, you can:
Spot inconsistencies at a glance — See if a few big orders are masking weaker performance across the board.
Catch misaligned pricing strategies — Identify when your most frequent order value is far below your average.
Act with context, not assumptions — Use the full spectrum of AOV metrics to support decisions across marketing, product, and finance.
It’s not overkill—it’s clarity. And clarity leads to better strategy.
Why Strique Gives You the Full AOV Picture
Most analytics platforms stop at Mean AOV—but when you’re making decisions about pricing, ad spend, or customer segmentation, that’s not enough.
At Strique, we believe in actionable insights, not vanity metrics. That’s why our dedicated AOV scorecard breaks down all four metrics, giving you:
Context: See how different AOV figures stack up to understand the full customer spending pattern.
Clarity: Identify whether a few high-value orders are driving revenue—or if your typical customer behavior aligns with your goals.
Better strategy: Use multi-dimensional AOV insights to fine-tune everything from pricing bundles to marketing campaigns.
What Can You Do with These AOV Insights?
When you understand the full AOV picture, you can take smarter, more targeted actions:
Optimize Pricing & Bundles: Use Mode AOV to identify your most popular price point and design product bundles around it.
Segment Your Customers: Spot high-value buyers by analyzing the gap between Median and Mean AOV.
Adjust Marketing Spend: If your Mode-to-Mean Ratio shows a skewed distribution, you may need to refine your targeting strategy to attract more consistent buyers.
Put Your AOV Insights to Work
Understanding AOV isn’t just about tracking how much your customers spend—it’s about uncovering the patterns behind their behavior. By looking at Mean, Median, Mode, and Mode-to-Mean Ratio together, you gain a full-spectrum view that helps you spot opportunities, reduce blind spots, and make sharper decisions.
Strique’s AOV scorecard gives you more than a metric—it gives you momentum. Use it to fine-tune your pricing strategy, optimize your product mix, and build stronger, more profitable customer relationships.
Because when you can see the full story, you can shape what happens next.