When thinking of ways to improve conversions for an online storefront, there is one method that is both easy to implement and often overlooked by storeowners. This is the concept of cross-selling and up-selling. This is an excellent way to appeal to an impulse buyer in a subtle manner to encourage additional purchases. Cross-selling and up-selling can be utilized by online stores of all sizes and types.

Cross-selling is the recommendation of products that compliment the product that is currently being viewed or has been added to the cart. For example, if the shopper were interested in purchasing a winter jacket, then some cross-sell items would include gloves, winter hats, scarves, and other cold-weather apparel. Any product that is similar to the item of interest can be included. Up-Selling is the act of presenting more high-end versions of the same product. The customer visited the online store to buy a particular winter jacket, yet the warmer, more expensive jacket sparked their interest. Both cross-selling and up-selling are simple concepts for the store administrator and will likely lead to more conversions. If this is done correctly and implemented well into the design of the store, it will enhance the customer’s shopping experience as well.

Implementation of Cross-sells and Up-sells

The location of cross-sell and up-sell items within a store is key to their success. Typically, we will see up-sell products in the main body of the product information page. When a customer has found a particular product, the up-sell products will be listed under the product photos and description. The up-sell section of the page can include photos and links to more premium products while still being positioned under the main content to avoid interfering with the shopping process.

Cross-sell items are usually seen on the cart page of the store. This list of items will be generated from the items that have already been added to the cart. The goal is to generate an impulse purchase from a customer that is prepared to checkout. The cross-sell items can be displayed subtly on the sidebar of the cart. Again, this prevents this section from interfering with the listed items in the cart while staying prominent enough to catch the eye of the shopper. It is surprising how often the customer will decide to throw a suggested item into their cart at the last minute.

Amazon does an excellent job of cross-selling on the cart page. The cross-sell items are under the main cart, but are in a good location to attract an impulse buy.

Techniques to Avoid

While implementing cross-sell and up-sell products can increase an online store’s productivity, doing this incorrectly can be detrimental. Here are a few things to avoid:

1. Unrelated Items
   Cross-selling and up-selling unrelated items can appear unprofessional and can be a huge turn-off for the shopper. Ensure that the list of items is relevant to the shopper.
2. Lack of Imagery
   A simple list of links will not do the job. The customer needs to see product photos in order to be persuaded. Implementing image thumbnail previews of the cross-sell and up-sell items will do the trick and will not take up too much page real estate.
3. Difficult Navigation
   Make it easy for the customer to learn more about a cross-sell product while staying on track with the checkout process. The customer should be able to navigate quickly back to their cart after viewing a cross-sell product. Allowing the customer to add a cross-sell product to their account “wishlist” might be effective as well.

The eCommerce Platform is Key

Adding dynamic lists of up-sell and cross-sell items to your store may require some heavy developing. Many eCommerce platforms being utilized today allow site administrators to define these items with the click of a mouse. Product relationships can be defined easily through tagging and category organization. At Unleashed Technologies, we recommend the Magento eCommerce Platform. This platform allows our team to develop well-designed and efficient online stores that provide cross-selling and up-selling as a built-in feature. Contact us today to learn how the powerful Magento platform can improve your online conversions.