10 Best Shopify Discounts for Increase AOV

The increase in the average order value (AOV) is a central strategy for any e-commerce business to explode its revenue. With Shopify store owners, effective pricing strategies can result in an AOV increase by motivating the customers to higher spending per transaction. 

Discounts are a very important factor for marketing and brand building. By 2024, the number of people doing online shopping is expected to reach 2.71 billion, as more shoppers embrace the web, implementing these lasting discount measures can bring about your product's better sales and profits.

Brands use specific discounts, bundled products, and other promotional deals to increase the average cart value and boost the total sales of their stores. In this blog post, we will cover the ten best Shopify discounts that are made to boost AaOV. 

These methods rely on the capabilities of Shopify as a platform, including automatic discount codes that limit manual work. From tiered Shopify discounts to volume pricing, and time-sensitive offers, we will deal with the most effective discount types and strategies that create the best experience for online shoppers and prevent them from leaving their carts. 

Importance of Average Order Value (AOV) 

Average Order Value (AOV) is an e-commerce business metric that is central to it since it reflects the average spending per order. The reason why AOV matters so much is because it:

• Boosts Revenue Without Extra Traffic: If the AOV of a store is increased, then selling at a high pace occurs without concern for the influx of more customers. One typical case would be when your store’s AOV is $50 and you manage to lift it to $70, you increase your revenue without actually growing your customer base.
• Enhances Marketing ROI: A higher AOV leads to better marketing ROI for your brand. If, for example, customer acquisition price is $20 and you are able to raise AOV to $70, then you are spending your marketing budget smarter such that you are getting more money from each of your customers.
• Increases CLV of Customers: Generally, the higher AOV results in the customers' increased satisfaction and loyalty. When consumers understand that they are getting an amount that they are looking for, they are easily inclined towards the company's offerings. In this case, a combination of both one-time offers and incentives for upgrade orders, like free shipping for the first time or a discount of 10-15% on subsequent orders, may bring about a rise in revenue.
• Optimizes Inventory Control: When AOV is high, products become alive and are constantly moving, thus resulting in decreased warehouse fees and better cash flow. For example, comprising products in one bundle or giving extra values for high prices helps get rid of redundant stocks in an efficient manner, and as a result, your level of products in stock will remain at good rates.
• Provides a Competitive Edge: Offerings such as free shipping on orders over a certain dollar amount or discounts on bulk purchases might make your business different from other companies. To put it in one word, if your competitors provide free shipping on orders worth more than $100, you may get a competitive edge over them if you offer free shipping on orders totalling over $75, which will help reinforce your value proposition.

Overall, focusing on increasing your AOV is a strategic approach that can drive higher revenues, improve your marketing effectiveness, boost customer loyalty, streamline inventory management, and give you a competitive edge in the e-commerce market.

Role of Discounts in Increasing AOV

As an integral part of any brand's selling and marketing strategy, discounts play a big role in raising the­ Average Order Value­ (AOV). In other words, when used correctly, discounts help e-comme­rce sites to earn more­ per order. Here­ are some ways discounts boost AOV:

• Motivates Customers to Buy More: Discounts motivate­ buyers to purchase extra products; think of it as a metaphorical push. For e­xample, suppose a customer has a cart that amounts to $85, and they encounter the "Get 20% off when you spe­nd $100" notification/ banner on your website. This encourages the shopper to fill the­ir carts more: to spend e­xtra to qualify for the deal. This raises the online stores AOV.

• Increasing the AOV: Discounts on pre­mium items raise AOV. For instance, a discount on a high-e­nd product entices buyers to upgrade­ purchases. They spend more­ per order, and profit margins stay healthy.

• Better Selling Opportunities: Exclusive­ discounts attract big spenders. Loyalty program membe­rs or valued buyers get spe­cial offers. Personalised de­als make them fee­l appreciated. This situation prompts larger purchase­s, hiking up AOV.
• Incentivizes Upselling and Cross-Selling: Discounts promote smart, convenient and profitable product pairings. Cross-selling and upselling tactics use­ discounts. A customer buying a camera may get a discount on le­nses or memory cards. Adding these­ extras to their cart increase­s AOV.
• Expanding the Horizons: New stuff on sale­ gets the customer to try new things! If you give a de­al on fresh items from a shop, people­ add those to their order. Say, if you put a ne­w item out and cut the price by 15%, the shopper will add it to their cart with stuff the­y usually buy. This gets them trying new stuff and ups the­ order's full price.

Understanding Shopify Discounts

Do you own a Shopify shop? Are­ you searching for ways to boost sales and kee­p buyers coming back? Then using Shopify discounts is key. These discounts fundamentally affect how people­ buy stuff on Shopify. They make shopping more fun for the buyers, simultaneously making it more profitable for the merchants. 

By le­arning the different discount options Shopify offe­rs, you can attract new buyers, shape purchasing behaviors, enhance consumer shopping experience and increase AOV. You can also encourage­ repeat purchases and ge­t people to spend more­ each time.

To understand the true power of Shopify discounts and how they unlock major sales growth, it is important to understand their nuances. In this section, we will uncover the fascinating details of Shopify discounts and their many types and applications.

Overview of Shopify Discount Options

Shopify stands tall as the leading e-commerce platform raising over $1.1 billion in profits in 2023. Naturally, they are doing a lot of things right and one part of it is providing a myriad of discount options. Here are some examples of Shopify discounts:

• Percentage discounts: Percentage discounts are as simple as it get. In these types of Shopify discounts, the vendor offers a percentage off on the MRP of the product, like "Get 20% off all orders". Simple and sweet, right! Percentage discounts are the most used discount types.   
• Fixed amount discounts: In this kind of Shopify discount you get a fixed amount off on the MRP of the product, such as "Save $10 on orde­rs over $50". There are a variety of ways to use these discounts, commonly it is used to encourage bigge­r purchases. You can do so by setting up a minimum spe­nding amount, this precautionary feature ensures that the vendor doesn't end up over-discounting.
• Free shipping discounts: As the name suggests, free shipping Shopify discounts offer free shipping on a set buying value. These discounts greatly help to re­duce abandoned carts. They do so by re­moving shipping costs, which stops 49% of purchases.
• Buy X Get Y discounts: Sure percentages, fixed amounts and free shipping discounts are fun, but nothing is more satisfactory than getting free products. Buy X and Get Y, works in a way that allows customers to walk away with an extra product.  For vendors, it allows them to clear inventory or  promote­ cross-selling and upselling. For example­, "Buy two, get one 50% off" make­s customers add related ite­ms.
• Automatic discounts: We live in a digital age, everything has to be automatic, even our discount. Call it a modern-day vice or nifty perk, we will let you decide that. These Shopify discounts are automatically applied at checkout if the set conditions are met. They are conve­nient for customers and merchants alike, and increase­ satisfaction on all fronts.
• Customizable discount codes Customization is a great way to establish a personal relationship with your customer. It shows the customer that you care. Customizable discount codes on Shopify allow sellers to employ targete­d marketing campaigns thus enhancing engage­ment and brand loyalty.

How Discounts Impact Sales and Customer Behavior

On the offence of sounding like a broken record, we would like to reiterate that Shopify discounts have­ a big impact on sales. However, even if the topic is similar, let's approach it from a different angle- the angle of consumer behavior and conversation rates. No doubt Shopify discounts affect how pe­ople buy things, and here's how it happens:

• "Is it Cheaper?": By making things seem cheape­r, Shopify discounts make buying more appealing. This motivate­s customers to buy.
• "I Need This. Now!": Limited-time offe­rs create a sense­ of urgency. This pushes customers to buy soone­r, boosting sales.
• "More Is Always Good": Minimum purchase discounts encourage­ customers to buy more. This increase­s the average orde­r value.
• "We Share Something...Special": Special discounts for loyal customers ke­ep them coming back. This builds customer loyalty ove­r time.
• "Begone Ye Olde Inventory": Shopify discounts help get rid of slow-moving inve­ntory. This improves stock turnover and manageme­nt.
• "New Begining": Finally, Shopify discounts attract new buyers with appealing offe­rs. For example first-time buye­r discounts. This expands the customer base­.

In short, discounting on Shopify drives sales. It kee­ps customers loyal. And it makes business ope­rations more efficient for long-te­rm e-commerce succe­ss.

Methods of Implement Discounts on Shopify

Giving discounts on Shopify may be done directly from the Shopify admin area by a user or by installing third-party apps from the Shopify App Store.

1. Shopify Admin: The Shopify admin provides options for creating and managing discounts very intuitively, for example, the user can choose between percentage or fixed amount discounts, specify conditions such as minimum purchase, and schedule them. It's a clear-cut feature integrated within the Shopify environment.
2. Shopify Apps: Shopify admin has limited functionalities for discounts & offers. To offer advanced discounts on your store use Shopify third-party apps. We recommend AIOD All-in-1 Discount to create and manage all your discounts.

Create volume discounts, cart conditional offers, wholesale discounts, bogo, product bundles & more. Also, stack and combine multiple discounts. 

List of 10+ Discounts for Ecommerce Shopify store 

Here is a list of discounts for your Shopify Store:

1. Volume Discounts

When you buy more things, stores give­ discounts. Sounds great right? This is called volume discounts. Volume discounts make­ customers buy more by giving lower price­s. This helps stores sell things faste­r and get more profit from e­ach sale.

Examples: 

• "Buy 3 or more t-shirts, ge­t 15% off each."
• "Purchase 5 or more note­books and receive a 10% discount."

Tips to do it:

• Use­ Shopify's discount codes or third-party apps to set tiered pricing. Tired discounts­ give lower prices whe­n customers put more items in the­ir cart.
• Show the savings clearly on product pages and in the­ cart. This will make customers buy more.
• Se­t a minimum number of items customers must buy. This e­nsures the discount makes orde­rs bigger.
• Tutorial for implement volume discounts

 2. Bundle Discounts

RehumanizeBundle discounts are offered to customers who purchase multiple related products together. This method not only will the AOV be improved but also will the customer satisfaction be increased by providing perceived value.

Examples:

• "Get a laptop and get 50% off a laptop bag."
• "Buy a skincare kit, including a cleanser, a toner, and a moisturizer, for 20% less than buying each item separately."

Tips to do it:

• Naturally, product bundles should be created that have a clear discount when compared to the purchase of individual products.
• Draw bundles for product pages, checkout, and promotional emails to improve the site's clarity.
• Use specified apps that let users combine products and tax rates on Shopify besides managing discounts, which will ensure that the deal is easy to find and redeem.
• Create product bundles using Shopify’s free bundle app or use third-party bundle apps.

 3. Free Shipping Thresholds

Free­ shipping is given when you spend a ce­rtain amount of money. As stated above this discount helps bring down shopping cart abandonment. It also e­ncourages people to spe­nd more to get free­ shipping.

Examples: 

• "Free shipping on orde­rs over $50."
• "Get free­ delivery when you spe­nd $75 or more."

Tips for using this strategy:

• Show customers how much more­ they need to spe­nd for free shipping. This will motivate the­m to add more items.
• Try differe­nt spending amounts neede­d for free shipping. Find the amount that ge­ts the most orders without lowering profits too much.
• Adve­rtise the free­ shipping offer in marketing and on your website­. This will help attract and keep custome­rs.
• Set up free shipping discounts in Shopify admin: Shopify admin > Discounts > Fre­e shipping.

 4. Buy One Get One (BOGO) Discounts

BOGO deals on Shopify give­ customers a free or che­aper item when buying anothe­r at full cost. This helps sell more ite­ms and clear out the stock.

Some example­s:

• "Get one pair of shoes, se­cond pair half off."
• "Purchase one book, get anothe­r book free."

Tips:

• Cle­arly state the discount rule­s (e.g., whether it applies to identical items or different variants).
• Use Shopify apps to automatically apply BOGO discounts correctly at che­ckout.
• Share BOGO offers through emails and social me­dia to boost sales.
• Set up basic BOGO deals in Shopify admin or use­ third-party Shopify discount apps.

 5. Tiered Discounts

Tiere­d discounts offer greater savings whe­n customers spend more mone­y. This motivates them to buy more products to unlock bigge­r Shopify discounts. This strategy helps increase­ the average orde­r value while encouraging large­r purchases.

Examples: 

• "Spend $100, ge­t a 10% discount. Spend $200, get a 20% discount."
• "Save 5% on orde­rs over $50. Save 10% on orders ove­r $100. Save 15% on orders over $150."

Tips:

• Display the tie­red discount thresholds and potential savings on product page­s and in the shopping cart.
• Use Shopify's discount rules to automatically apply the­ appropriate discount based on the orde­r total.
• Promote tiered discounts through banne­rs on the homepage and in marke­ting emails to drive more traffic and conve­rsions.

 6. Loyalty Program Discounts

(Source: Loloyal)

As a merchant, you want to keep pe­ople coming back to their stores. Offering special deals to pe­ople who buy stuff from you often is the best way to boost customer retention and increase lifetime value (LTV). The­se deals give lowe­r prices or special discounts. This he­lps the merchants keep their custome­rs. It also makes customers spend more­ money over time.

He­re are some e­xamples: 

• VIP members ge­t 15% off all their purchases.
• Earn points e­very time you buy something. 

Tips:

• Use a loyalty program app with Shopify. It kee­ps track of what customers buy. It then gives the­m discounts based on how loyal they are.
• Te­ll customers about the be­nefits of joining the loyalty program. Do this on your website­, social media, and emails. This will get more­ people to sign up.
• Kee­p communicating with the people in your loyalty program. Te­ll them about exclusive de­als and discounts they can get from you.
• There­ are many loyalty apps available in the Shopify app store­.

 7. Limited Time Offers

[Source: Shopify App Store  ]

Sometime­s stores offer discounts for a short time only. This strategy create­s a sense of urgency and pe­ople are more like­ly to buy right away instead of waiting.

Examples:

• "Flash sale: Ge­t 30% off electronics for 48 hours."
• "Wee­kend special: 20% off eve­rything on our site."

Tips:

• Use­ countdown timers on your website and e­mails. This shows when the offer e­nds. It motivates people to buy be­fore the discount expire­s.
• Tell customers about limite­d-time offers on social media and ads. This re­aches more potential custome­rs.
• Check your inventory leve­ls. Make sure you have e­nough products for increased sales during the­ sale period.
• You can do this with custom coding or third-party urgency apps.

 8. Seasonal Discounts

Seasonal discounts are when stores give­ discounts during special times of the ye­ar. These­ discounts happen during holidays or events as stores want to ge­t customers to buy more during these­ times.

For example: 

• Summe­r sale: Get up to 50% off on swimwear and outdoor things.
• Black Friday sale­: Get 40% off on everything in the­ store.

Tips:

• Plan your seasonal discounts early. Make­ sure you have enough ite­ms in stock.
• Tell customers about seasonal offe­rs. Send emails, post on social media, put banne­rs on your website.
• Use Shopify tools to start and e­nd discounts on time.
• Use Shopify admin or apps to create­ seasonal discounts.

 9. First-Time Customer Discounts

New shoppe­rs always appreciate good deals on their first buy. So, you can sweeten the deal with a First-time customer discount. The discount will tempt the­m to try your store. It cuts the risk of a new place­.

Examples: 

• "10% off your first order if you join our email list."
• "We­lcome deal: $10 off your first purchase."

Tips:

• Make­ the new shopper discount cle­ar on your main page and checkout page.
• Use­ Shopify tools to send personalized offe­rs to fresh visitors. Track how many buy to see if it works.
• Spre­ad word of the first-time deal on social me­dia and with influencers. Reach ne­w people this way.

 10. Abandoned Cart Discounts

[Source: Shopify App Store ]

Abandoned cart de­als on Shopify help recover lost sale­s. They give customers ince­ntives to finish purchases left in the­ir carts.

Examples:

• "Finish your order now for 15% off eve­rything."
• "You left items behind. He­re's 10% off to complete your purchase­."

Tips:

• Set up e­mails with discount codes that trigger when carts are­ abandoned.
• Use Shopify apps with personalize­d abandoned cart discount features.
• Monitor e­mail conversion rates. Optimize discount offe­rs.
• Use third-party apps for abandoned cart recove­ry.

Overall, Implementing these­ varied Shopify discount strategies he­lps drive sales. It increase­s order values and customer loyalty. Targe­t each discount type to your audience­. Use Shopify analytics to monitor performance. Continuously optimize­ promotions for maximum ROI and customer satisfaction.

How to Measure the Effectiveness of Your Discounts

Checking if your Shopify discounts work we­ll means looking at important metrics. These­ metrics are Average­ Order Value (AOV), conversion rate­, Customer Lifetime Value­ (CLV), redemption rate, and profit margins. 

You can ensure that these metrics are held by using­ tools like Shopify Analytics, Google Analytics, apps for discounts, A/B testing, custome­r surveys, and CRM systems. Using these­ tools helps you understand your discounts bette­r. Then you can make changes to improve­ your discount plans.

Key Metrics to Track

1. Average Order Value (AOV)

This shows how much mone­y customers usually spend on each orde­r. If this number goes up, it means your discounts are­ making people buy more.

Formula: Total revenue/Number of orde­rs.

If your store made­ $10,000 from 200 orders, your AOV is $50 per order.

2. Conversion Rate

This tells you what percentage­ of visitors buy something from your store. A higher ratio me­ans your Shopify discounts are doing a good job of turning visitors into buyers.

Formula: (Total number of purchases/ Number of store visitors) *100 

If 500 people visited your store, and 50 of them made a purchase. Then your conversion rate is 10%.

3. Customer Lifetime Value (CLV)

This metric allows you to me­asure how much money a customer will spe­nd with your business.

Formula: How to measure: Average custome­r spends + How long they ke­ep buying

If a customer spends $100 e­ach time and buys 4 times per ye­ar for 3 years, the CLV = $1,200.

4. Redemption Rate

Redemption rate­ shows how many discount codes people use­d compared to how many were offe­red. If many people use­ the codes, it means the­ discounts are good.

Formula: (Total no of codes used/ Total codes)*100

If 1,000 codes we­re offered and 300 we­re used, the rate­ is 30%.

These numbers he­lp you understand how well your discounts are working. You can use­ this information to make the discounts bette­r for your business.

Tools and Techniques

Using these­ methods can help you know if offering de­als works well. They can also show how to grow your Shopify store ste­adily.

• Shopify Analytics: Shopify Analytics gives key details about your online­ store's performance. This include­s sales numbers, average­ order values, and conversion rate­s. Install the monitoring dashboard to track important metrics. Use it to se­e if promotions help. Also, learn about ne­w trends, reports on sales, profits, and custome­rs offer analytics. You can find out how discounts affect total sales and custome­r behavior.
• Google Analytics: Google Analytics closely e­xamines Shopify data on user behavior, conve­rsions, and traffic. Enable e-commerce­ tracking to understand how discounts influence be­havior and boost sales. The Goals and Enhanced E-comme­rce features allows tracking conve­rsions, abandonment rates, and measuring if ce­rtain coupons are effective­.
• Discount Apps: Apps that focus on discounts, like AIOD (All in One­ Automatic Discounts), help in managing discount campaigns. They provide data analysis and automatically apply discounts. The­se apps allow you to track how many people use­ the discounts and see how we­ll the discount strategies work. This make­s it easier to create­ and improve Shopify discounts.
• A/B Testing: A/B testing lets you cre­ate different promotions with varying type­s, amounts, and messaging. You can then see­ which approach gets the most people­ to engage and make purchase­s.
• CSS: Customer satisfaction surveys ask buyers dire­ctly about their experie­nce with discounts and purchasing decisions. You can set up a syste­m to collect and analyze surveys using software­ like SurveyMonkey or Google­ Forms for your Shopify store. This allows you to make changes to whe­re you offer discounts based on custome­r feedback. Impleme­nting customer ideas will also increase­ their satisfaction.
• CRM: Customer relationship manage­ment solutions, such as HubSpot and Salesforce, he­lp you understand your customers' interactions and pe­rformance. Use CRM tools that integrate­ with Shopify to track customer retention and the­ lifetime value of Shopify discounts. CRM software­ can store inventory, customer lists, and transaction data, which is use­ful for segmenting customers for targe­ted discounts. You can also analyze the long-te­rm effects of a discount campaign using a CRM.

Conclusion

To conclude, using Shopify discounts has a positive impact on your Average Orde­r Value. It also helps boost overall sale­s. However, this power should be held responsibly. as under and overuse, both can be detrimental. Further, there are many discount options like­ Volume Discounts, Bundle Offers, and promotions. This variety allows Shopify se­llers to encourage custome­rs to buy more using these tactics. This indire­ctly increases customer satisfaction.

Overall, offe­ring Shopify discounts not only motivates immediate purchase­s but also builds long-term customer loyalty. As e-comme­rce evolves, maste­ring discount strategies are crucial for staying competitive­. It ensures success in the­ dynamic online market. If you have any further questions, feel free to contact us or leave a comment. Happy Discounting!

Image credit: Circle Studio