AOV is the cheapest growth lever you have
You already paid to get the visitor and win the order. Lifting how much they spend on that order costs you almost nothing extra, and it flows straight to the bottom line. A store that raises its average order value buys itself room: more margin to spend on acquisition, and more profit from the customers you already have.
Where AOV actually comes from
Three things move it: selling more units, selling higher-value units, and adding complementary items. The moves below do one or more of those without a blanket discount that eats your margin.
Bundles
Group products that are bought together into a bundle priced a little below buying them separately. The bundle raises the order size and feels like a deal, without discounting your core product on its own. Make the bundle you want people to choose the default or the most prominent option. A high-priced "complete" bundle also works as an anchor. Even visitors who do not buy it make your other products look more reasonable by comparison, so the anchor lifts the whole catalogue, not just the bundle's own sales.
Add a digital product
If you can attach a digital product, a guide, a plan, a membership, do it. It carries almost no marginal cost, so it is close to pure margin. It raises the perceived value of the physical product it sits next to, and a community or content around it gives people a reason to come back, which lifts retention as well as order value.
A free-shipping threshold
Set free shipping just above your current average order value, and show the gap in the cart, something like "You are 12 away from free shipping". People will add an item to cross it. The threshold turns your shipping cost into a lever that grows the order instead of shrinking the cart.
Post-purchase upsells
The best time to sell more is right after someone has already decided to buy, when the hard part is done. A one-click post-purchase offer adds revenue without adding friction to the checkout, and it converts better than a pre-purchase upsell that risks the original order.
Volume breaks and subscriptions
For consumables, offer a quantity discount ("buy three, save ten percent") or a subscription. Both raise the order value, and a subscription raises lifetime value too. Price them so the margin still holds.
Watch margin, not just the AOV number
AOV can go up while profit goes down if you discount to get there. Judge every move on contribution margin per order, not on the headline number. The goal is more profit per customer, not a bigger average for its own sake.
Frequently asked questions
What is a quick way to increase average order value?
A free-shipping threshold set just above your current average, with the remaining amount shown in the cart. It nudges people to add one more item and it is fast to set up.
Do bundles hurt my margin?
Only if you discount too hard. A bundle should raise the order size and feel like a deal while keeping healthy margin. Price it against the value of buying the items separately, not against your cost.
Pre-purchase or post-purchase upsell?
Post-purchase. Selling more before the order is placed adds friction at the worst moment. A one-click offer after the purchase adds revenue without risking the sale and usually converts better.