"And then I go and spoil it all... By saying somethin' stupid like, ‘I love you’"
Yip, that is what a lot of upsells and cross-sells do.
Everything is going to plan.
The customer is sold.
And then right at the end...
The website goes and does something stupid…
- An irrelevant cross-sell.
- A clunky pop-up they have to close just to carry on.
That is the risk with upsells and cross-sells.
Done well, they increase AOV.
Done badly, they annoy customers so much that they do not buy at all.
Dangerous territory.
Here are the 5 big mistakes (and one sneaky one)
1. You ask too early
If someone has just landed, they are not ready for an upsell.
They are still deciding if they want the original product.
So do not throw an offer in their face on page load.
Wait until intent is clear.
At the point where the offer actually helps the buying decision.
2. You make it feel like a shakedown
"Upgrade now." "Exclusive offer." "Don't miss out."
That sales-bro language is too pushy.
Use clarity instead.
A good upsell explains the value and feels helpful.
- Most customers add X to protect Y.
- Add X to get more out of Y.
3. You ask for too much
Someone adds a $50 product.
Then you hit them with a $300 upsell.
That is a whole new decision for them to chew on.
Creating decision fatigue.
Small steps get accepted more often.
Impulse purchases.
More like a chocolate bar as you're checking out at the supermarket.
4. You give them too much to think about
- A "you may also like" block.
- A timer for absolutely no reason.
Noisy noisy noisy.
Weave upsells and cross-sells naturally into the user journey.
One relevant in-cart upsell usually beats six average suggestions.
5. You block progress
Customer clicks add to cart.
And now they have to deal with a modal before they can carry on.
That is rage-inducing friction.
Right in the middle of them buying.
Let them keep moving down the funnel.
If the upsell has to interrupt the journey to get attention, it is probably not a very good upsell.
6. The sneaky one - Revenue over profit
Sometimes an upsell gets accepted...
But you are worse off because of it.
- Maybe it’s bulky and causes additional shipping costs at your expense.
- Maybe the margin was lower than the free shipping you just conceded for it.
- Maybe it’s a toxic product that causes customers to churn or give you bad reviews.
It can look like a win on your AOV metrics...
But it’s actually a loss for the business.
Chat soon,
Peter
