Would you like fries with that?”
In 1970, McDonald’s marketing team made a unique discovery. Before that, a large portion of their customers only bought burgers instead of buying other products. So, they ran an experiment to implement the new strategy with that phrase.
It’s a simple cross-selling technique that increased McDonald’s annual sales from 15% to 40%. Your customers wanted burgers only but ended up buying drinks and fries too, which means you have cross-sold.
In this blog, we will discuss how you manage cross-selling techniques correctly to drive revenue to your business. We will also share some real-world examples that help you unlock new opportunities for your brand’s growth. Let’s get started.
What are The 6 Cs Of Cross-Selling Success?
The six core dimensions of cross-selling are the key principles brands should follow to motivate their customers to buy complementary products. They ensure that the cross-selling efforts align with customer demands and drive great value. The 6 C principles include:
1. Complementarity:
How effectively do the products complement each other? Ensure the relevant products complement your customers’ primary purchase. This also increases the product’s usability and value.
2. Connection:
Do you have a strong relationship with your customers? A proper connection is essential for cross-selling success. Businesses must evaluate the strength of existing customer relationships and the relevance of the products.
3. Capacity:
It’s essential to determine whether you have sufficient time and capacity to implement cross-selling activities strategically. Focus on the three important aspects including sales plans, commercial priorities, and product diversity.
4. Capability:
It’s tough to navigate three selling behaviors – account management to acquisition, transactional to consultative, and product to solution. Sales leaders should be able to understand the cross-sell cycle and sales operating model.
5. Consistency:
Whether in-store, online, or through customer service, you must maintain a consistent experience to reinforce value and trust in your recommendations.
6. Customer Understanding:
Know your customers’ preferences and purchase history to provide valuable and relevant suggestions. Personalization is also key to making the cross-selling strategy successful.
How to Implement Cross-Selling Techniques for Your Store?
Here is a quick outline to help you effectively implement cross-selling strategies for your eCommerce store:
1. Cross-Sell at Homepage:
Cross-selling at the homepage of your store is like shop window displays. It helps to grab visitor’s interest and showcase your top-rated products. The primary objective of product recommendations on the homepage is to inform your customers about special offers, promotions, and new deals. This leads to a better shopping experience and enhanced order value.
2. Cross-Sell at Product Page:
Recommending relevant products through your product page can increase your sales. The primary goal of cross-selling on product pages is to motivate customers to add more items along with the original products to the shopping cart. It increases the average order value (AOV) and enhances the overall customer shopping experience.
3. Cross-Sell at Checkout Page:
The checkout page is the perfect place for cross-selling. This strategy capitalizes on the customer’s intent and motivates them to add more products to their order. This increases the average order value without hampering the checkout process. Platforms like Simplified Checkout help you integrate a series of 1-click cross-sells into your checkout page.
Top Cross-Selling Examples that Inspire You
Let’s focus on the top examples of cross-selling strategies that may inspire your approach.
1. Focus on New Arrivals
Launching new products that your existing customers haven’t seen yet? Grab their attention by promoting your new arrivals. For instance, a leading cosmetic brand, Sephora highlights their new collections on their homepage to get more eyes on them and increase sales.
2. Promote Daily Offers
Daily offers are an excellent way to capture visitors’ attention. These offers can elevate the sense of urgency of products and encourage visitors to buy them again. For instance, Flipkart leverages a “deals of the day” technique on their website to maximize their sense of urgency.
3. Prioritize Your Bestsellers
Cross-selling your most selling items is an effective way to enhance your average order value (AOV) and increase more revenue consistently. This not only enhances customer satisfaction but also increases the purchase value and fosters repeat business. For example, SwimOutlet takes a unique approach by promoting its top-selling product items with creative subheadings.
4. Display Previously Viewed Products
Remind your customers of products they have shown interest in by displaying previously viewed items. This is a personalized approach that increases the overall shopping experience and supports repeat purchases. Let’s consider Walmart’s tactic. This brand leverages an easy scrolling feature on its product pages to showcase products that other people already viewed.
FAQs
1. Cross-Selling vs. Upselling: What are The Key Differences?
Though cross-selling and upselling are interchangeably used, their approaches are not the same. While the cross-selling technique involves recommending customers additional products, upselling refers to offering them an upgraded version of a selected product.
Cross-selling and upselling have a major impact on eCommerce businesses. When used correctly, both techniques can enhance the customer shopping experience and increase brand loyalty. Research shows that cross-selling and upselling can boost overall sales by 10% to 30%.
2. What is Shopify Cross-Sell?
Shopify cross-selling can enhance your business profitability by 20% and sales by 30%. However, it doesn’t offer any inbuilt features for cross-selling. You have to use Shopify cross-sell apps to get it done. These apps allow you to cross-sell products on 4 different pages including Shopify custom checkout page, product page, post-purchase page, and thank you page.
3. What are The Common Mistakes to Avoid While Cross-Selling?
Here are some pitfalls that you must avoid to achieve your cross-selling success:
- Options Overloading: Recommending plenty of products may confuse customers. Keep your product suggestions targeted and concise.
- Pushing Unrated Products: Suggesting irrelevant products can frustrate your customers and diminish their interest in your brand.
- Avoiding Mobile Optimization: Ensure your cross-selling techniques work finely on any mobile device, as many customers use smartphones for shopping.
Final Words
Cross-selling techniques benefit both; buyers and your business. Mastering the art of cross-selling needs a combination of strategic timing, customer insight, and compelling communication. Always keep in mind that, the secret of successful cross-selling lies in the overall customer’s experience. When done properly, it’s a win-win situation: customers feel supported, and businesses reap the rewards of increased sales and loyalty.