Upselling & Cross-selling

Upselling and cross-selling are revenue expansion tactics used after primary purchase intent is established. Upselling encourages a customer to choose a higher-tier version of the selected product, while cross-selling recommends complementary products that increase basket value. These tactics matter because they improve average order value and contribution margin without increasing acquisition cost. Effective implementation depends on contextual relevance, clear value explanation, and low-friction presentation in cart, checkout, and post-purchase flows. A common mistake is forcing irrelevant add-ons, which reduces trust and can lower conversion instead of improving revenue.