Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) is rising. It’s not going back down.
If your CAC is $40 and your Average Order Value (AOV) is $50, you’re suffocating. You have no margin to scale.
Most brands try to fix this by finding "cheaper traffic." The smart brands fix it by engineering a higher AOV.
You don't need more customers to double your profit. You need your existing customers to spend more.
The 3 Stages of AOV Optimization
There are three specific moments to increase order value. Most brands only use one.
🛒 1. Pre-Purchase (The Bundle Strategy)
Stop selling single units. Incentivize volume immediately.
Tiered Pricing
The "Kit" Frame: Don't sell a toothbrush. Sell the "Oral Hygiene System" (Brush + Floss + Paste) for a 20% discount.
Benefit: Increases initial perceived value.
🛍️ 2. In-Cart (The "Order Bump")
This is the candy bar at the grocery checkout. Low friction, impulse buy.
Mystery Item: "Add a mystery accessory for $5?"
Priority Processing: "Skip the line and ship today for $2.99."
Warranty: "Protect your purchase for $4."
Benefit: pure profit margin.
📦 3. Post-Purchase (The OTO)
The transaction isn't over when they click "Pay." This is the "One Time Offer" page that appears after checkout but before the Thank You page.
The Logic: Their wallet is already open. Trust is at its peak.
The Offer: "Add one more for 40% off (this time only)."
The Tech: Uses one-click upsell apps (no re-entering credit card info).
Benefit: Increases LTV instantly with zero added friction.
The Revenue Impact Model
If you have 1,000 orders/month at $50 AOV:
Revenue: $50,000.
If you implement a Bundle (20% take rate) and a Post-Purchase Upsell (15% take rate):
New AOV: $64.
New Revenue: $64,000.
That’s $14,000/month found money without spending a penny more on ads.
Your Homework: Install a post-purchase upsell app (like Zipify or AfterSell) today. Set up a simple offer: "Buy the same item again for 25% off." Turn it on. Watch the numbers tomorrow.
