There are simpler and more effective methods. For example, sell more products to one client by increasing the average check. Many buyers of online stores even look at the main purchase of additional items themselves so as not to pay several times for delivery. You can save your customers’ time and money by taking the initiative. To do this, you just need to implement such Internet marketing tactics as upselling techniques and cross-sells. We will talk about them.
Up-sell – we convince the buyer to spend more
What is upselling? Up-sell (literally “raising the sale amount”) is one of the marketing tactics, the purpose of which is to motivate the buyer to spend a large amount of money. But how to do it? After all, everyone wants to save money by choosing a product at the most affordable price, and then suddenly you need to agree to pay more voluntarily. Yes. And you do not have to “impose”, “steam” anything, etc., but simply make another offer to the client. Convince them to buy a product, the cost of which, although higher, is better, newer, more relevant, and more functional. Or increase the amount of the check by selling additional services.
All this should look like caring for the client, and not a desire to make money on him. It is necessary to show that, for example, in boots (albeit expensive) made of genuine leather it will be much more comfortable than in cheap ones made of a substitute. A mixer with a bowl will free your hands, and an iron with a self-shutdown function will protect the house from fire. As well as high-quality tires will provide a higher level of safety on the road. If some products were purchased earlier, then offer the client to buy something more modern. After all, certain things are bought not for their own sake, but for the sake of satisfying needs that may grow.
Let’s consider what it looks like in practice using the example of one of the popular online stores Rozetka. Let’s say a site visitor came to choose a vacuum cleaner. Serious purchases are rarely made on the principle of “Come. Saw. Won.” In our case, he came and bought it.
Probably, before that, many models of vacuum cleaners were considered on various sites, kilometers of reviews (not always positive) were read, and dozens of products were added to the comparison. Most likely, your potential client is still in doubt. This is where it is worth offering him a more attractive alternative.
Let’s see below:
At the bottom of the product page, there are items that other visitors were interested in. Please note that the cost of most vacuum cleaners on the list is higher than the model chosen by the buyer. Of course, there are vacuum cleaners and they are cheaper. But if it was decided to spend a certain amount, then the likelihood that a cheap model will be chosen is small. What if there is no functionality at all, but we can afford normal equipment, can’t we? But if something more functional is offered, then why not take a look?
There is also a “Buy Together” button on the card of the same product. We go there, and additional maintenance services are offered there. And the vacuum cleaner is not cheap … Or maybe you still pay extra and be calm? And the client buys himself a restful sleep, increasing the check by almost a third.
And if in an ordinary shopping center such proposals of managers are most often found negatively (well, not all sellers are good psychologists and can skillfully depict real care for the client), then a lifeless Internet page will do it politely and correctly.
Thanks to this, the buyer has the illusion that this is his own choice. After all, no one forced it, right?
It is even easier to deal with products that differ from each other in many characteristics. For example, smartphones. Not everyone can study and compare everything. Therefore, people often buy smartphones based on their existing budget or pay attention to popular models.
By the way, in this screenshot we can see the implementation of two techniques at once: make the buyer spend more – upselling and cross-selling (but we will talk about them a little later). The upsell method works great not only in e-commerce but also in real life. Probably, instead of the usual penny paracetamol or ibuprofen, you were sold “Efferalgan” or “Nurofen”. Yes, maybe they are better absorbed and act faster. So, in this way, they took care of your health.
Up-sell marketing tactics have several advantages:
- upselling is quite simple to implement by understanding the settings;
- a well-organized strategy eliminates pressure on the buyer as if giving him the right to make an independent choice;
- by working on upselling, you can establish a closer relationship with visitors. After all, you care that they can buy only the best goods.
So, without making any special investments, you can increase the check at the time of purchase. Of course, this will not work with all buyers, but the chances are estimated as high.
What is cross-selling and how does it work
Cross-selling is another method to motivate the buyer to spend more but at the expense of purchasing items from other categories. The easiest option is related products. For cross-selling to work, you need to use a personalized approach, as this technique allows businesses to offer relevant and useful products, enhancing customer satisfaction and loyalty. This is not deception or manipulation. Cross-selling is an absolutely honest method. For example:
- when buying a school backpack, you can offer the client to purchase stationery. After all, no one will pay separately for the delivery, say, of a pack of pencils or a set of notebooks. And together with the briefcase, you can immediately buy everything that you need to invest in it;
- along with laptops, smartphones, or tablets, cases are often purchased. It is unlikely that the client has a suitable accessory at home – offer it to him (what if he does not think about it himself);
- car wipers can be offered replaceable rubber bands, anti-fog, glass cleaners, etc.
- If your online store has a good assortment, then there will always be products that can be added to the main purchase. Alternatively, offer to buy a cheaper kit.
For example, how Foxtrot does:
If the client is not interested in buying a promotional set, then you can offer other products at the registration stage:
There are other options for implementing cross-selling. Products can also be offered at other points: e-mail newsletters, thematic articles on the blog, etc. You can place such blocks anywhere on the page. The main thing is that they do not interfere with the client’s viewing of the main products, perform conversion actions, and also do not look intrusive.
Using web analytics data will help make the cross-selling method more effective. It is important not to offer too many products or expensive items. It is necessary to work on creating interesting sets and expanding the range of goods.
The advantages of cross-selling are as follows (we will not talk about profit growth, since this is the goal of tactics):
- buyers perceive cross-selling positively because they are offered the things they need;
- customer loyalty increases. After all, this way you can buy not only something useful but also save on delivery;
- site visitors will learn more about the range of your products. There is a good chance that they will choose something else;
- the method does not require additional investments.
For cross-selling to work, you need to make sure that there is always an opportunity to offer something relevant, useful, and new. Otherwise, it will look like an attempt to sell stale goods.
Upselling and cross-selling difference
Most often, these concepts are confused, because the goal of strategies is the same – to increase sales. Sometimes such sentences still intersect. But in general, there are differences.
The purpose of resale is the sale of more expensive goods through the disclosure of their potential. For example, three-chamber windows are more expensive than two-chamber windows, but the level of thermal insulation they provide is much higher. In the future, this will lead to savings on heating.
Cross-selling – satisfying as many needs as possible. Together with two-chamber windows, you can offer mosquito nets – after all, you can’t do without them in the summer. But you can also sell three-chamber windows that will keep you warm in winter, and mosquito nets that will save your nerves in summer. This will already be a higher level of sales mastery.
And finally
If you are interested in the proposed marketing strategies, then for their successful implementation, first of all, learn to hear your customers and guess their needs. Be helpful, but not intrusive. This applies both to the formation of the proposals themselves and to the technical side of their implementation.
With the right approach, you can get much more from the existing traffic. And without additional investments. The main thing is to offer what you need on time.
