Upselling makes your acquisition spend go further by offering tempting upgrade variations to customers who are already in your store and ready to purchase.
A well-crafted upsell strategy boosts your sales and revenue without increasing your initial investment. By helping you understand your shoppers’ buying triggers, it allows you to leverage their motivations to convince them to upgrade their purchases.
Shopify upsell apps can help you execute this tactic with smart personalization, automated offers, and more.
In this article, we’ll cover upsell examples to give you a good idea of opportunities, then share different Shopify upsell apps and what they do.
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Upselling is a sales technique where you encourage customers to spend more by offering them an upgraded or enhanced version of the product they plan to buy.
Usually, these upsells net you more income from that customer, although sometimes the customer also gets a deal (for instance, product bundles or subscribe and save offers).
Upselling showcases the benefits of an upgrade to entice a larger or more frequent purchase. This, in turn, increases your average order value (AOV).
Stats prove the efficacy of this strategy, with Sumo reporting the following benefits:
To give you a clear picture of upselling in action, we’ve provided a few top-notch examples from recognizable merchants.
They show how to upsell on Shopify effectively, as well as how to apply the apps discussed later on.
Through the bundle and save strategy, when a customer searches for a specific product type, you offer them a bundle containing multiple related items at a discounted price.
This offer places the savings at the top of their minds and compels them to purchase the whole package rather than only one item.
Kylie Jenner’s beauty brand Kylie Cosmetics executes this tactic well.
When looking at a specific category page—like body wash and scrubs, pictured above—the site presents a set containing all of their related products at a lower price.
Another fruitful strategy is to allow customers to upgrade to a premium version of the product they’re considering.
Subscription services often adopt this approach, wherein they offer a higher-tier plan with additional features, especially when they follow a freemium model.
Spotify pushes this tactic heavily: Upon logging into your free account, they present you with a pop-up offering the chance to upgrade to Spotify Premium and highlighting its most attractive features.
After accepting the offer, you’re directed to a landing page that compares all Premium Plans and their features, allowing you to make your choice, then complete your purchase.
Offering customers savings through a subscription can turn what would be a one-time purchase into a long-standing relationship.
It’s both a chance for them to buy your product at a lower price and a convenient resupplying option.
On the merchant side, more benefits of encouraging subscriptions include:
The nutrition brand Huel seizes that opportunity well: Whenever a customer chooses to make a one-time purchase on their site, they spotlight the 10% savings they can obtain through subscribing.
Once a shopper jumps on that offer, they can then choose their delivery frequency, which ranges from every 1 to every 10 weeks.
#cta-paragraph-pb#Copper Cow Coffee saw conversions double for their subscriptions when they added a subscription landing page that educated customers on how it worked and what they would save.
Now that you’ve seen how some of the best brands promote upsells, let’s discuss the tools you can use to execute upsell strategies effectively.
A Shopify upsell app integrates with your Shopify store and automates and streamlines your upselling processes.
That, then, eases the implementation and management of offers across your store.
These apps also include features that deliver personalized product recommendations and post-purchase upsells, which entice shoppers to fill their carts.
Below, I’ll go over features to consider in your upsell app, then different upsell app options to choose from.
Before we delve into the recommended apps list, we’ll cover some of the must-have features Shopify merchants need from an upsell app.
Look for apps that seamlessly integrate with your Shopify store and your current tech stack.
This ensures a hassle-free setup.
If a potential pick requires multiple complementary applications, you’ll have to take into consideration each one’s compatibility with what you already run.
Skip that headache and choose an app with robust integrations.
Your chosen app should align with your budget and pricing model.
To do this, pinpoint your brand’s needs and see what gaps the app has to fill. Then, compare them to the app’s pricing tiers to determine its cost-benefit ratio for your business.
Select an app that delivers a smooth and intuitive user experience (UX), because a complex or confusing upsell process will deter potential buyers.
For instance, according to the Baymard Institute, 17% of shoppers abandon their carts because the checkout process was too long or complicated.
More strikingly, a HubSpot report found that 88% of online consumers are less likely to return to an online retailer after a poor experience.
The ability to present recommendations based on what’s already inside your customer’s cart is a non-negotiable feature for an upsell app.
This produces complementary offers, thus capitalizing on personalization to encourage purchasing.
Tailored recommendations increase the chances of consumers accepting your suggestions, with Epsilon research revealing that 80% of shoppers are more likely to buy after a personalized experience.
Some apps leverage artificial intelligence (AI) to comb through a customer’s past purchase behavior and predict what upsell offers will be most compelling to them.
Look for this feature in your app search to tailor the upselling experience to individual buyer interests.
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Certain business practices will require more advanced features.
If your business needs a custom feature or has a special situation, be sure to take note of this when evaluating your app’s features.
For example:
Find the right mix of features and benefits for your business (and budget) so you can start landing larger checkouts.
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Keeping these key features in mind, scroll through our list of some of the best Shopify upsell apps available to see if any resonate with your needs.
SHOPIFY UPSELL APP | RATING | PRICE | FREE TRIAL? | AI? |
---|---|---|---|---|
ALPHA Cart Upsell & Cross Sell | 4.6/5 | Free | NA | No |
Bold Upsell ‑ True upsells! | 4.6/5 | $9.99 to $89.99/month | Yes | No |
Candy Rack | All‑in‑One Upsell | 5.5 | $29.99 to $199.99/month | Yes | Yes |
Frequently Bought Together | 4.9/5 | $9.99/month | Yes | Yes |
Honeycomb Upsell and Cross Sell | 4.9/5 | Free (Custom pricing available) | Yes | |
In Cart Upsell & CrossSell ICU | 4.9/5 | Free to $99.99/month | Yes | Yes |
Last | Post‑purchase Upsell | 4.3/5 | $19.99 to $99.99/month | Yes | Yes |
LimeSpot Personalizer | 4.8/5 | $18/month to custom pricing | Yes | Yes |
OptiMonk: Popup, CRO, A/B Test | 4.9/5 | Free to custom pricing | Yes | No |
Bundles Upsell | Amplify | 4.7/5 | Free to custom pricing | Yes | Yes |
ReConvert Upsell & Cross sell | 5/5 | $4.99 to $799.99/month + 0.75% of upsell revenue | For development stores | No |
Smart Search Bar & Filters | 4.7/5 | $19 to $329/month | Yes | No |
Smile: Loyalty & Rewards | 4.8/5 | Free to $999/month | Yes | No |
UFE Cross Sell & Upsell Bundle | 4.8/5 | Free to custom pricing | Yes | No |
Unlimited Smart UpSell Offers | 4.7/5 | $19.49 to $58.49 | Yes | Yes |
Innonic Upsell Recommendations | 4.5/5 | Free | NA | Yes |
Wiser ‑ Product Recommendations | 4.9/5 | Free to custom pricing | Yes | Yes |
Zoorix: Cross‑Sell & Bundles | 5/5 | Free to $499.99 | Yes | Yes |
Rating: 4.6/5 stars
ALPHA Cart lets you offer customized upsells and cross-sells based on consumer browsing and purchase history at no cost.
Features:
Price: Free
Rating: 4.6/5 stars
With Bold Upsell, you can easily present tailored upsell and cross-sell offers on your product, cart, and thank you pages, then monitor their performance.
Features:
Free trial? 14-day free trial
Rating: 5/5 stars
Candy Rack’s AI lets you easily implement one-click upsells and cross-sells for product upgrades or complementary items.
Features:
Price: $29.99 to $199.99/month
Free trial? 14-day free trial
Rating: 4.9/5 stars
This AI-powered app displays bundles of products frequently purchased together, as well as personalized recommendations.
Features:
Price: $9.99/month
Free trial? 30-day free trial
Rating: 4.9/5 stars
Honeycomb dynamically suggests relevant products based on consumer behavior, resulting in targeted upsells and cross-sells.
Features:
Price: Free to custom pricing
Free trial? Yes
Rating: 4.9/5 stars
In Cart helps you capture the buyer’s attention at the right time by offering brand-aligned upsells directly in their shopping carts.
Features:
Price: Free to $99.99/month
Free trial? Yes
Rating: 4.3/5 stars
Last enables one-click payments and post-purchase upsells and cross-sells without interrupting the checkout process.
Features:
Price: $19.99 to $99.99/month
Free trial? 14-day free trial
Rating: 4.8/5 stars
LimeSport leverages data to deliver AI-personalized product recommendations and upsells across your store.
Features:
Price: $18/month to custom pricing
Free trial? 15-day free trial
Rating: 4.9/5 stars
OptiMonk provides pop-up, website personalization, and A/B testing features in a full suite of upselling capabilities.
Features:
Price: Free to custom pricing
Free trial? Yes
Rating: 4.7/5 stars
Amplify lets you create original offers or tailor AI-generated ones to deliver revenue-boosting upsells.
Features:
Price: Free to custom pricing
Free trial? Yes
Rating: 5/5 stars
ReConvert maximizes your post-purchase upselling through customizable checkout and thank you page offers.
Features:
Price: $4.99 to $799.99/month + 0.75% of upsell revenue
Free trial? For development stores
Rating: 4.7/5 stars
This app enhances your store’s search functionality to present intelligent and relevant product recommendations while customers look for products.
Features:
Price: $19 to $329/month
Free trial? 14-day free trial
Rating: 4.8/5 stars
Smile combines upselling with loyalty programs to incentivize and encourage repeat purchases.
Features:
Price: Free to $999/month
Free trial? Yes
Rating: 4.8/5 stars
UFE lets you offer various personalized upsells and cross-sells without impeding the overall user experience.
Features:
Price: Free to custom pricing
Free trial? Yes
Rating: 4.7/5 stars
Unlimited capitalizes on AI to create smart combinations of upsells, upgrades, and discounts that generate more revenue.
Features:
Price: $19.49 to $58.49
Free trial? 14-day free trial
Rating: 4.5/5 stars
Innonic is a free, AI-backed app that automates and personalizes upselling and cross-selling for your Shopify store.
Features:
Price: Free
Rating: 4.9/5 stars
Wiser delivers AI-driven upsells tailored to customer behaviors and purchasing patterns, providing shoppers with a personalized experience.
Features:
Price: Free to custom pricing
Free trial? Yes
Rating: 5/5 stars
Zoorix strengthens your upselling strategies through its variety of offers, which you can create manually or with the help of AI.
Features:
Price: Free to $499.99
Free trial? Yes
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Now that we’ve gone through the essentials, and you’ve hopefully found a few apps you want to try out for your own upsells, let’s go through some of the frequently asked questions around Shopify upsell apps.
Like most business tools, there’s no single best upsell app for Shopify. It’s a matter of choosing one based on your store’s needs.
Evaluate your budget and options, review each app to see if they have the key features your company needs, and then decide which one most closely aligns with your requirements.
The easiest way to upsell on Shopify is through store integrations. Here’s a short step-by-step of what that typically looks like:
1. Install your Shopify upsell app.
2. Define your upsell offers (specifically, which upgrades, bundles, or complementary items you want to recommend).
3. Set up triggers, like how adding a certain product to the cart or reaching a specific order value will display upsell suggestions.
4. Design attractive offers by employing appealing visuals, persuasive copy, and clear calls to action (CTAs).
5. Personalize the upselling experience and tailor suggestions according to individual shopper preferences, purchase history, or browsing behavior.
6. Monitor key metrics—like conversion rates, AOV, and revenue—to identify points of improvement.
7. Then, optimize your offers. (A/B testing helps in this regard as well.)
Strike a balance between upselling and providing value to customers. Instead of simply pushing for additional purchases, make sure your recommendations are genuinely beneficial.
The apps first analyze a customer’s behavior based on what they are browsing and/or buying, their cart contents, and—if available—their purchase history.
Then the apps present shoppers with targeted offers.
These offers may have been set manually by the merchant, such as offering an upgrade of a specific item, or a subscription.
However, if you have multiple upgrades available (for example, five different versions of the same product), then the app would ideally analyze which version a shopper is most likely to upgrade to based on past shopper behavior, then offer that.
If the shopper accepts the suggestion, they’ll be directed to a specific product page or checkout flow to complete the transaction.
Let’s say you sell laptops through your Shopify store, and a customer adds a basic model to their cart.
During the checkout process, you display a laptop with better specifications and additional features. This encourages them to consider the higher-tier option, potentially increasing their order value.
Crafting an effective upsell strategy entails certain steps:
1. Study your customers, namely, their behaviors, preferences, purchase history, and demographic information. These hone in on upsell opportunities.
2. Then, segment them according to identified patterns to tailor the upselling process and build smart recommendations, such as commonly paired or upgraded products or services.
3. Afterward, specify your objectives. Do you want to hit certain revenue thresholds for specific products?
4. From this point, follow the typical process of upselling on Shopify outlined in the previous FAQ answer.
Additionally, pay attention to customer feedback, as this aspect plays a major role in your strategy. Firsthand insights on which upsells do or don’t work will help you refine your offerings for higher-value conversions.
Cross-selling and upselling are both techniques for increasing revenue and AOV, but they take different approaches to do so.
Cross-selling involves suggesting products or services that complement the customer’s current purchase, with the goal of compelling them to add related items to their carts.
If someone chooses a camera, for instance, you’d then recommend bags, lenses, or memory cards.
As discussed earlier, with upselling, you encourage shoppers to spend more by enticing them to upgrade their initial choice.
Integrating upsell apps into your Shopify store can be a game-changer.
By pinpointing customer purchasing triggers, they help you intelligently personalize your offers and recommendations.
You can then optimize your upselling and entice customers either to upgrade their purchase or further load their carts.
We’ve provided you with an impressive list of apps to choose from, so you can thoroughly research your options to find the best fit for your business.
To maximize its value, test different approaches and refine your tactics, and you’ll see your Shopify store’s AOV soar.
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