Back How to Successfully Upsell and Cross-Sell on Your eCommerce Store (with Examples)
Every time a customer clicks “add to cart,” you open a small window of opportunity. It is the moment when they are already excited about what they are buying, and the perfect time to show them something that could make their purchase even better. That is the heart of upselling and cross-selling.
Instead of constantly chasing new shoppers, you can focus on giving your current customers a richer and more satisfying shopping experience. Done well, these techniques do not feel like sales tactics at all. They feel like thoughtful suggestions, the kind a helpful store assistant might make if you were shopping in person.
In this article, we will explain the difference between upselling and cross-selling, explore why they work so well, and walk through real examples you can adapt for your store. The goal is simple: to help you turn single purchases into bigger and better ones without ever making your customers feel pressured.
What is Upselling?
Upselling is offering your customers a specific product at an increased price or an upgraded version of the same product.
This tactic is usually used to get customers to spend more money in your e-commerce store than they previously intended.
For example, this happens when you stop a customer at the checkout after the product purchase process has already begun and offer him another such product, but at a 20% discount.
What is Cross-selling?
Cross-selling is getting customers to purchase items from your store that are complementary to what they have already bought.
This tactic is based on offering related products to your customers and increasing revenue in that way.
For example, this happens when you offer a customer something that goes together or something that is used together with what he has already purchased.
The Difference Between Upselling and Cross-Selling
Before exploring tactics, it helps to see exactly how these two strategies differ. Although both are designed to increase the value of a customer’s purchase, they do it in different ways.
| Upselling | Cross-Selling |
|---|---|
| Encourages the customer to choose a higher-priced or upgraded version of the product they are considering. | Encourages the customer to buy additional products that complement the one they are purchasing. |
| Example: A customer buys a coffee maker, and you suggest filters, a coffee grinder, or a set of mugs. | Example: A customer buys a coffee maker and you suggest filters, a coffee grinder, or a set of mugs. |
| Focuses on increasing the quality or performance of the main product. | Focuses on creating a complete solution or set. |
Why these strategies work
Upselling works because it uses the concept of anchoring. Once a shopper has a price in mind, showing a slightly more expensive product that offers extra value can make the higher option feel like a better deal.
Cross-selling works because it taps into the human preference for convenience and completeness. Shoppers are more likely to add related items if they can get everything they need in one place, without having to search elsewhere. This also builds trust, as it feels like you are helping them get the most out of their main purchase.
By understanding these differences, you can choose the right approach for each stage of the shopping journey and make your recommendations feel natural and helpful.
Why These Strategies Work in the Customer’s Mind
For upselling and cross-selling to feel natural rather than pushy, it helps to understand what is going on in the customer’s mind during a purchase. Every buying decision is influenced by a mix of logic and emotion, and knowing which triggers to use will make your recommendations far more effective.
1. Perceived Value
Shoppers are willing to spend more if they believe they are getting more in return. This does not always mean adding extra items or features. Sometimes it is as simple as showing the difference in quality, durability, or convenience between the base option and the upgraded one. If a customer sees clear benefits, such as better performance or a longer lifespan, the higher price feels justified.
2. Scarcity
When people believe a product or deal might not be available later, they are more likely to act quickly. Limited-time bundles or low-stock messages can nudge customers toward completing a purchase in the moment rather than putting it off. This works especially well for seasonal offers or exclusive product pairings.
3. Social Proof
Most shoppers feel more confident buying something that others have purchased and enjoyed. Reviews, ratings, and even small labels like “Best Seller” or “Customer Favorite” reduce the sense of risk. When you use social proof for upselling, you are showing that the higher-priced or complementary product is trusted and valued by other buyers.
4. Loss Aversion
People naturally try to avoid losing out on something they could have had. This is why free shipping thresholds or limited-time add-on offers work so well. For example, if a shopper’s cart total is close to the free shipping minimum, they are more likely to add an extra product to avoid paying for delivery. This makes the upsell or cross-sell feel like a smart decision rather than an extra expense.
Continue reading this article and find out what tips and tricks you need to use to be successful in both of these selling strategies.
1. Make recommended products relevant
You can’t just offer whatever to your customers.
It will seem selfish and money-oriented instead of customer-oriented, so you need to offer something relevant to their original purchases.
And most importantly, you need to offer something that will interest them and make them buy it too.
A customer must see the natural connection between these products:
Source: Lancome
Like in this example, you can put recommended products in the sidebar of the mini cart.
Use this opportunity while your visitors are still in the purchasing process to show them the benefits of the upsell and how this might be exactly what they need.
This will increase your cart value, improve satisfaction with your customers, and result in bigger profits when it comes to your store.
2. Don’t be too pushy and overwhelming
You want to interest your visitors and offer them an awesome opportunity that’s going to bring some benefits to both of you, and not annoy them and turn them away.
So, don’t be too pushy and greedy if you don’t want these selling strategies to backfire.
You need to be smart and use them carefully and in the right places at the right time.
No one likes to feel deceived, so be careful not to practice the following:
- Offer products as upsells or cross-sells even before a customer has a chance to pick an original product
- Offer too many upsells and cross-sells, and at the same time
- Offer unrealistic upsells and cross-sells
These are the main mistakes a store owner can make if he’s not subtle.
Also, don’t overwhelm your customers with too many choices, but find the balance that will truly improve their user experience:
Source: ProFlowers
This is a nice way to offer product upgrades, and we can see that there are only a couple of recommendations that a customer can pick from.
Choose the most appealing recommendations, and limit your upsells and cross-sells.
This way, you make it easier for the customers to make a decision and also put their interests first.
3. Use the potential of product bundles
Product bundles are multiple combinations of products that are related.
By packing items in bundles, that is, by grouping several items that might be of interest to the consumer, you enable him to buy several products at once, which is convenient and time-saving.
There are two types of bundling:
- Pure bundling
- Mixed bundling
When it comes to pure bundling, a customer can’t buy individual products from the bundle, and with mixed bundling, this option is available.
Sometimes pure bundling can give customers a little push to buy the whole package, especially if you sell it cheaper than the package would cost if you added up the actual individual product prices.
Emphasize the bundle savings, and make it clear to your customers why you decided to put those specific products in a bundle.
Source: Saje
You get an increase in average order value, and you can also be smart and include some not-so-popular products into the bundle to sell it more.
A bundle can be a set, kit, or anything similar.
Don’t underestimate the potential of bundles because they can make your business reliable in the eyes of customers and encourage loyalty.
4. Follow the “Not more than 25%” upselling rule
Don’t try the impossible and be unrealistic with the increase in prices.
Never upsell more than 25% of the original order.
You don’t want to scare customers away with the upsell or cross-sell that is way more expensive than the product they have previously chosen.
This increase in prices has to be carefully balanced so that they do not feel it so much, and you still have a significant increase in revenue.
Source: Wayfair
You can offer a cross-sell at the checkout page with a couple of related items that your customers might also need.
The word “need” is also cleverly used here to connect with customers on a more personal level and persuade them.
This “rule of 25%” will allow you to improve your chances of getting more sales because the recommendation will seem more logical to people.
5. Demonstrate value by presenting social proof
There is something about that moment when you realize that someone else has already bought items from a certain store that you’re interested in and that he/she has only nice things to say about it.
It provides customers with the necessary validation and makes them feel more comfortable making a purchase.
That’s why social proof can be very helpful if used properly.
To demonstrate value through social proof, you can do the following:
- Show customer reviews
- Add testimonials
Word-of-mouth is a powerful tool in the e-commerce world, so make sure to include some of these on your online store and encourage visitors to buy a product or two.
You can also add the total number of customer reviews, the average rating of the product, how many products have already sold, and similar:
Source: Amazon
Convince your customers that they don’t have to be suspicious and afraid of not getting any value from your products.
This is a great way to introduce them to upsell products that are highly recommended and get them to buy them and take advantage of this phenomenal opportunity.
6. Offer your customers free shipping
This is a nice gesture, but the most effective way to use a free shipping incentive is to use it as a way to convince customers who have already purchased to make another purchase.
Customers love free shipping, and this is often the crucial detail why they decide to buy an item.
Just tell your customers how much more they have to spend on your store to have a chance to get free shipping, and that’s it.
Source: REI
For example, you can offer free shipping to customers who order products that together cost more than $50.
This can be perceived as an awesome opportunity, especially if you offer them upsells that are relatively cheap.
They will just keep adding items to the cart, and that’s the point of it all.
To Sum up
Upselling and cross-selling are more than just sales tactics. When done well, they create a better shopping experience, help customers discover products they might genuinely enjoy, and increase the value of every order. By keeping your recommendations relevant, limiting choice to avoid overwhelm, using bundles strategically, respecting the 25% upsell rule, adding social proof, and offering free shipping thresholds, you can turn occasional buyers into loyal customers who keep coming back.
If you are not sure where to start, take a look at your current product pages and checkout flow. Identify one place where you can add a simple upsell and one place where a cross-sell would make sense. Launch those changes, watch how customers respond, and refine your approach as you go.
The key is to make your offers feel like a natural extension of the shopping process rather than a hard sell. Over time, even small, well-placed suggestions can significantly boost your average order value and strengthen customer loyalty.
If you want to experiment with engaging popups that present these offers at the right moment, tools like Poptin can help you get started quickly. Combined with the strategies in this article, you will be able to create upsell and cross-sell experiences that feel thoughtful, not pushy, and that make every purchase more rewarding for both you and your customers.
