Average Basket Size (ABS): What is it and how to improve it

The average basket size (ABS)

The average basket size (ABS) or average order value (AOV) is the average amount a user spends in your online shop. It’s probably the most important statistic to take into account, because it refers to your direct profits. So, in principle, the goal of every good merchant should be to increase the value of the average basket.

There are “tricks” to try to improve the quality and tracking of an online store, in a way that it has an impact on the average basket value. PrestaShop has recently published a list of 5 basic tips, which are as follows:

1. Free shipping costs above a given amount

   By offering shipping costs from a given value, you implicitly encourage your customers to spend more in your store. If their average basket is £80, offer them free delivery from £100 onwards. They’ll try to reach this amount to save on shipping costs. This is an effective way to get your customers to spend more in your shop.
   But be careful not to offer delivery for an amount much higher than their average basket: if the difference is too big, your customers won’t bother to increase their order. The right range is between 10 and 20% above their average basket.

2. Offer associated products

   Another simple way is to offer products associated with the ones your customers is buying. The aim is to offer products related to the ones they usually buy, to encourage them to put them in their basket as well. A good example is a camera: when a customer chooses a camera, you can offer them the case, the memory card, the tripod and a lens, thus encouraging them to buy everything they’ll need for their new purchase at the same time.

3. Introducing cross-selling

   “Customers who have bought this product have also bought…” You’ve probably already seen this phrase that offers you similar and related products to the ones consulted or purchased. In the fashion world, this technique is often used, for example, to encourage customers to buy the shoes and shirt that go perfectly with the chosen trousers.
   It’s a very simple way to get your customers to discover your catalogue and encourage them to fill their basket.

4. Practice up-selling

   Up-selling is a marketing technique that consists on offering similar but more expensive products on your product pages. This way, you invite your visitors to consult these higher-end products, which are often more expensive but also have more features or better quality. This is a simple way to direct your customer to your more expensive products and encourage them to spend more for a similar purchase.

5. Special offer after spending a certain amount in the store

   Think about it: your customer is trying to save money. So don’t hesitate to reward them by offering, for example, a reduction if they spend more in your store. Offer them a 10 or 15% reduction if their basket reaches a certain amount. This way you can encourage them to increase their purchases to take advantage of this reduction.

Some of these seem obvious, or are already used by many people, but in reality, many of those who use them are not doing it correctly. The best way to know if you’re getting results is to continuously check and monitor the value of your average shopping cart.

Source: prestashop.com