Cross-selling accounts for roughly 21% of ecommerce revenue on average, but the majority of Shopify stores barely get a fraction of that. The usual problem is execution. Products that don't match what's in the cart, widgets crammed into the wrong page, suggestions that show up after the customer has already lost interest.
This guide covers 10 specific cross-selling tactics you can put in place this week. If you need the fundamentals first, our guide to what cross-selling is covers definitions, psychology, and types. And if you're choosing between tools, our breakdown of Shopify cross-sell apps compares what's available.
1. Pair by use case, not by collection
Most default recommendation setups pull products from the same collection. A customer looking at a floral midi dress sees four more dresses. She might swap her original pick for one of those, but she's unlikely to add any of them. Alternatives compete with the original purchase. Cross-sells complement it.
Pair products by how they'll be used together. That midi dress should surface a cropped denim jacket for layering and a pair of block-heel sandals. The question to ask for every cross-sell: "Would someone buy this alongside the original, or instead of it?" If the answer is "instead," it doesn't belong in a cross-sell widget.
2. Keep cross-sell pricing under 25% of the cart value
A $16 hair clip suggested alongside a $90 silk blouse feels effortless. A $75 handbag next to the same blouse triggers an entirely separate purchase evaluation. Cross-sells convert best when they feel like easy additions to a decision the customer has already made.
For most stores, keeping suggested items below 25% of the current cart value hits the sweet spot. Anything above that and the customer pauses to deliberate, which increases the chance she removes items or abandons the cart altogether.
3. Put your highest-converting widget in the cart drawer
Product pages get more traffic, but the cart drawer gets more buying intent. A customer who has opened the cart drawer is closer to checkout than someone still browsing product pages. One well-chosen cross-sell suggestion here converts at 2-3x the rate of the same suggestion on a product page.