As anyone in the ecommerce game knows; it's often not enough to simply sell your product. Sure, sales are great. The question, however, is are your sales all they could be? We submit that with a few tried and true tactics, your sales CAN be all that they SHOULD be and more!
Upsells and downsells can have a profound impact on your online store's revenue. And with a few simple enhancements, you can start reaping the rewards of the these time-honored sales tactics. Here are the ins and outs of upselling and downselling on Shopify.
Upselling
The most common tactic which you're probably already familiar with is the upsell. Upselling involved enticing the customer to spend more by purchasing an upgraded version of the original product.
This is most often a premium version of an existing product. For SaaS companies, this might be the next higher tier in your pricing plan. For subscription boxes, this might be the more expensive box, etc.
Sometimes the upgrade can be at a discounted introductory rate, or by highlighting the savings relative to the cost. If you've ever been to a movie theater and ordered a medium drink, you might have been asked “would you like to upgrade to a large for a quarter more?” That's an example of an upsell.
With Funnelbuildr you can easily add one-click upsells to your product pages to maximize your sales potential. But keep these best practices in mind:
The Art of the Upsell
Don't get too greedy! Your customer already wants to buy something and they're ready to do so. Your upsell should be a gentle nudge/suggestion towards a product that may work better for them- and just happens to be a little more expensive. Keep it simple and on point.
Make it easy to opt-in and easy to opt-out of. “YES” or “NO THANK YOU” is sufficient. Remember- the customer is already ready to make a purchase. Upgrading is awesome, but don't make it difficult for them to take advantage of your offer or decline and complete their originally intended purchase.
Keep your upsell relevant to the customer's needs and relevant to the product they wanted to buy in the first place. If they wanted to buy a vacuum cleaner, try to upsell a better vacuum cleaner. Don't try to sell them a car.
Downsell
Downselling on Shopify may sound counter-intuitive at first glance. Why, after all, would you try to sell a cheaper product? Well, let's be honest. Sometimes thing just aren't a good fit. A customer may come to your page, see what you're offering, and there may be interest… but the price or product isn't quite right.
Enter the downsell. Believe it or not, downselling on Shopify can actually help increase sales. Why? Because the downsell is typically offered when a customer is clicking away from your product page. This seems like a loss, but could be an opportunity.
For whatever reason, your potential customer has decided this product isn't for them. It could be the price or the product. The downsell is a suggestive effort towards a less expensive or lower tiered product (or both).
That subscription box look a little pricey? Before they click away, show them your starter kit that costs a little less but may break through the barriers and secure a sale.
With FunnelBuildr you can easily create one click downsells to turn those would be flyaway customers into revenue generating powerhouse advocates for your company! However, there are a few things to keep in mind!
The Art of the Downsell
Downselling on Shopify can be a great sales tactic, but make sure it's truly a downsell to a different product that might be a bit easier for the customer to commit to. You don't simply want to offer the same product for less money. At worst, that seems sneaky. At best, you'll train customers that there's always an easier way to get your product cheaper. It will also lead to the belief that no matter what your stated price is, well, that's not REALLY the price now, is it?
You also don't want to downsell EVERY product on your store. Well, probably not anyway. So be a bit selective and choose your downsells wisely. You do not want to tarnish your brand by suggesting there's always a cheaper option available.
However, if you offer sample or trial offers- this is a tremendous opportunity for downselling. Many customers want to “try it out” so if you've got that option, this is a perfect opportunity.
Don't look at downselling as selling yourself short, either. It's not a last minute desperation move to get something out of this customer. Rather, look at it as an opportunity to lower the cost of customer acquisition while creating a new customer who otherwise would have clicked away and possibly never returned.
You never know who that customer might turn out to be, or how long they might stick with you!
Now Go Forth and Sell
Upselling and downselling on Shopify are two great tactics to maximize the potential of your product pages. With FunnelBuildr, you've got all the tools you need to get started.
