If you’re looking to add a post-purchase upsell to your online store, this guide has your back. In this post, we’ll cover the following:

  • What a post-purchase upsell/cross-sell is.
  • The benefits of adding one to your online store.
  • How to add a post-purchase upsell/cross-sell in just a few steps.
  • Some post-purchase upsell/cross-sell strategies to make yours as effective as it can be.

So let’s start by addressing what a post-purchase upsell/cross-sell is.

What is a post-purchase upsell/cross-sell?

A post-purchase upsells is a sales strategy you can use in your online store to offer customers additional or replacement products or services after they’ve completed their initial purchase.

The goal of this is to encourage customers to buy an item of higher value. Alternatively, you can add a post-purchase cross-sell, which can encourage the customer to buy an additional item relevant item to their order.

post purchase upsell

Post-purchase upsells/cross-sells can appear in the following places (depending on the plugins or extensions you use):

Post-purchase upsells usually don’t require anything from customers other than the click of a button. Once clicked, the relevant product will be added to their order without them having to re-enter credit card or payment information.

So now we know the basics of how a post-purchase upsell works, let’s take a look at the benefits.

Why you should consider adding a post-purchase upsell

Post-purchase upsells are on-site marketing tools for your ecommerce store. Because they’re essentially automated, all you have to do is set them up and monitor how they work.

The benefits of doing this are the following:

Increased revenue

It goes without saying that post-purchase upsells increase the revenue of your online store. No matter if you use this marketing technique as an upsell or cross-sell, you’re encouraging customers to buy more.

Higher average order value

When you encourage customers with a product that compliments the one they’ve already purchased, or is an upgraded version, you’re increasing your average order value (AOV).

Average order value = gross sales / total number of orders

This is because each customer order’s value has increased using this product recommendation technique.

average order value calculation

Enhanced customer satisfaction

Post-purchase upsells aren’t just good for your bottom line. They’re good for customers too.

Customers have a better experience buying from your store when they get your personalized and targeted recommendations. The convenience of this outweighs the cost.

When customer satisfaction increases, so does customer retention, customer loyalty, and as a result, more repeat purchases.

So now we know the benefits of adding this valuable marketing technique to your store, let’s get to setting it up.

How to add a post-purchase upsell to your online store

Depending on the platform you use (WordPress, Shopify, Wix, etc.), there will be a tool out there for you to add a post-purchase upsell to your online store.

In the case of this tutorial, we’re focusing on WordPress and WooCommerce. So if you use this platform for your ecommerce store, keep reading.

Adding a post-purchase upsell to WooCommerce can’t be done with a default WordPress template/theme or setup. To add this, you’ll need a plugin to help you do it. In this case, we recommend Iconic Sales Booster for WooCommerce. Here’s why.

after checkout post purchase upsell

Introducing Iconic Sales Booster for WooCommerce

Iconic Sales Booster for WooCommerce is a powerful plugin designed to help you maximize your online store’s sales and revenue by leveraging cross-selling techniques.

One of the key features of this plugin is the post-purchase cross-sell called One-Click Cross-Sell After Checkout.

after checkout offer

It shows customers a one-time offer after the checkout process. This offer is created and customized by you. This offer is then added to the customer’s existing order in one click without the need to enter card details again.

Not only does this technique increase your average order value, but it improves your conversion rate too.

Instead of being on the post-purchase page, or thank you page, Sales Booster creates a one-click post-purchase pop-up. This popup is unintrusive, appealing, and works better than an offer page.

The good news is, with Sales Booster in combination with Flux Checkout for WooCommerce, you can improve your entire checkout experience with an improved checkout, and one-click upsells in combination.

thank you page content area

Let’s get Iconic Sales Booster for WooCommerce set up and running.

Installing and setting up Iconic Sales Booster for WooCommerce

The first thing you’ll need to do is purchase Iconic Sales Booster for WooCommerce from the Iconic store: iconicwp.comsales-booster-for-woocommerce

Iconic Sales Booster for WooCommerce

Use proven cross-selling techniques to increase the average order value of your store.

Once downloaded, install it on your WordPress site as you would any other plugin.

Creating your first post-purchase cross-sell with Iconic Sales Booster

Creating your first post-purchase upsell is straightforward:

  1. From your WordPress dashboard, go to Sales Booster > After Checkout.
  2. Then click the Add New button at the top of the page.
  3. Once clicked, you’ll be able to enter all the details for your cross-sell offer. First, enter a title.
  4. Now select which products to display this one-click cross-sell for.
    1. By default, this is set to All Products.
    2. If you change it to Specific Products, you’ll see a search field where you can choose products to display the cross-sell for. You can show the cross-sell when Any or All of these products are in the cart.
post-purchase cross sell
  1. Once you’ve added your products, click the Offer tab.
  2. This tab is where you’ll pick which products you want to offer in your cross-sell. In the search field, enter the name, SKU, or ID of the product you want to add.
  3. Once selected, you can enter a discount for this product – this step is optional.
cross sell after checkout offer
  1. Once happy with your selection, click the Customize tab.
  2. Here you can customize the content displayed in the offer to suit you.
cross sell after checkout messaging
  1. Once happy, click the blue Publish or Update button in the Publish section to the right, and your cross-sell is ready to go.
cross sell after checkout popup

That’s it. You’ve created your first post-purchase cross-sell. These were the basics of setting it up, but now let’s talk strategy.

Tips for optimizing your post-purchase upsell/ cross-sell strategy

We’ve created our first post-purchase cross-sell, which is fantastic, but let’s get into the details. Because if we really want to boost revenue for our ecommerce brand, we’ll need to optimize the post-purchase experience a little more.

Here are some of our tips to help you do this:

Make sure the products you upsell or cross-sell are relevant

Choose products that complement or enhance the customer’s original purchase. This could be an accessory or an add-on that enhances the functionality or usability of the main product.

If you’re unsure, take a look at what your existing customers have purchased together. This will give you a good idea of what products customers think they need in combination.

If cross-selling: Make it affordable

Select products with a lower price point than the original purchase to make the post-purchase cross-sell more enticing. Customers are more likely to add an affordable item to their order without much hesitation.

If up-selling: Make it a no-brainer

Select products that give obvious and no-brainer value to the customer to make the post-purchase upsell more appealing. Customers are more likely to add an upsell to their order if it benefits them in some way – especially if the cost isn’t a huge amount higher than the original order.

Featuring your best-selling or most popular items in your post-purchase cross-sell strategy can significantly increase the chances of customers adding these items to their orders.

These products have already resonated well with your customer base, making them a reliable choice for cross-selling.

Use clear and persuasive messaging

Write concise, compelling copy for your upsell offers, highlighting the benefits and reasons why the customer should consider adding the item to their order.

Here are some tips and examples for creating compelling copy:

  • Emphasize the benefits: Clearly communicate how the additional product will enhance the customer’s experience, solve a problem, or add value to their purchase. For example, “Add this protective case to keep your new phone safe from scratches and accidental drops.”
  • Create a sense of urgency: Encourage customers to act quickly by highlighting limited-time offers or limited stock. For example, “Don’t miss out! Add this exclusive, limited edition accessory to your order while supplies last.”
  • Use persuasive language: Use powerful words and phrases to create a sense of desire additional item. For example, “Complete your look with this stylish, must-have accessory that perfectly complements your new outfit.”
  • Highlight cost savings: Showcase the potential savings a customer can enjoy by purchasing the cross-sell item as part of their order. For example, “Save 20% on this premium-quality screen protector when you add it to your order now.”

Test, analyze, and experiment

Cross-sells/upsells shouldn’t just be set up and left to their own devices. They should be tracked and analyzed.

Make sure you revisit, test, and refine as much as you can over time. The post-purchase upsell itself may be automated, but your analysis of it shouldn’t be.

Add a post-purchase upsell to your ecommerce store today

So there we have it. In this guide, we’ve outlined the basics of post-purchase upselling, the benefits, and how to set them up.

With this technique added to your site, you’ll be able to start adding post-purchase upsell offers in no time.

Make this process even easier with the WooCommerce plugin Iconic Sales Booster for WooCommerce.

Iconic Sales Booster for WooCommerce

Use proven cross-selling techniques to increase the average order value of your store.