Cyber Week 2023: Strategies for ecommerce upselling

Cyber Week 2023 is here! It's the perfect time for your business to showcase its latest products, increase average order value (AOV), and expand your product ranges. But how?

We've put together some strategies to help ecommerce merchants make the most of Cyber Week. So read on to take advantage of tried and tested tactics that will help you upsell, cross-sell, and maximize customer engagement.

• Cyber Week is a golden period for ecommerce. Consumers spend an average of $211.9 billion over Cyber Week alone!

• Upselling and cross-selling are vital strategies to maximize revenue during this peak shopping period.

• To win big this Cyber Week 2023, consider leveraging email campaigns, optimizing mobile shopping experiences, offering shipping incentives, and promoting new products on social platforms.

• Partnering with Gelato can give your ecommerce store the boost it needs and allow you to sell globally during the busiest times.

Cyber Week is an important time to make your mark in the ecommerce world. Taking place just after Black Friday and before Christmas, it's a prime window for your business to increase sales and tap into new markets.

On Cyber Monday, shoppers spend a combined $11.3 billion on average annually. The Black Friday-Cyber Monday period is usually marked by Americans spending $500 or more. Last year's Cyber Week saw a whopping 179.8 million U.S. consumers making purchases.

With shoppers in the mood to spend, Cyber Week is ideal for businesses to upsell premium products. It's also the perfect time to introduce new products to the market and expand reach into new territories. Plus, take advantage of our exclusive promotion, offering free or discounted shipping for orders of 2 or more products, available from Oct 4th to Dec 5th, 2023.

Since Black Friday and Cyber Monday are now seasonal events, it's important for businesses to plan ahead to make the most of the opportunity. If you want to increase your sales this Cyber Week 2023, here are some strategies you can use.

1. Upselling 

Upselling is when a business offers customers alternative, more expensive versions of their original product of choice. For instance, you may recommend a premium hoodie instead of a classic, or organic cotton instead of classic. This can increase average order values and earn businesses more revenue with little effort.

2. Cross-Selling

Cross-selling, on the other hand, is when a business encourages customers to purchase additional items related to their original choice. For example, when the customer purchases their premium hoodie, you can offer a tote bag, phone case, or other associated product during checkout.

It's those little extras that can make customers come back for more. During Cyber Week, you can offer discounted add-ons like a complimentary item, a matching accessory, or any other related product.

You can also introduce free shipping bundles, where customers can buy 2+ items and receive free shipping at checkout. This encourages shoppers to buy more items and gives them better value for money. It’s also a great opportunity to promote new products and get more people to give them a try.

3. Create an email marketing campaign

Email campaigns are a great way to reach out to potential customers in advance and encourage them to shop with your ecommerce store. You can use this as an opportunity to create a sense of urgency leading up to Cyber Week and showcase special offers that will only be available during the event. Here's some inspiration for your email campaign:

• Start a countdown to Cyber Week

• Preview upcoming deals and discounts

• Highlight popular products that customers can purchase

• Send out discount codes and coupons

• Use email marketing to launch new products and collections

4. Optimize your website for mobile users

43% of Cyber Monday sales come from mobile users, so it's essential to optimize your website for mobile shoppers. Make sure you have a user-friendly interface that works on all devices. This means designing an easy-to-navigate store page, ensuring the checkout process is smooth and secure, and creating content that looks great across all devices.

A well-designed mobile site helps guide shoppers to the products they want, making it easier to complete their purchases. Consider placing your most popular premium products at the top of the page in the lead-up to Cyber Week, so customers are likely to explore them during this peak shopping week.

5. Offer free shipping for minimum order amounts

One great way to entice customers to purchase more from your store is to offer free shipping for orders over a certain value. This season, encourage higher spending by providing free shipping when customers order 2 or more products! Gold subscribers enjoy FREE shipping, while all Gelato customers get 50% off. This limited-time offer is valid from Oct 4th to Dec 5th, 2023. Make your store stand out during Cyber Week with this incredible promotion!

6. Use social media to promote new products

There's no better time than Cyber Week to promote new products on social media. Use platforms such as X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and Facebook to create a buzz around your latest releases. Showcase product images and videos, share content from influencers who are talking about your products, and link back to product pages on your own website.

You can also use social media to advertise discounts and promotions. Create a contest or promotion in the form of a hashtag. Customers can use it to tag their purchases on social media for a chance to win prizes. This will help boost your visibility during Cyber Week and create even more excitement.

7. Suggest items alongside other products

Product suggestions are a great way to increase customer spending. According to Amazon, their recommendation engine accounts for 35% of their revenue! While you might not have the same sophisticated system as Amazon, there are still ways to suggest products alongside other items.

If you're an Etsy seller, the platform will suggest items from your catalog automatically. Etsy also offers a "Buy it now" button, allowing buyers to make instant purchases, even without an account. This button takes shoppers directly to checkout, streamlining the purchase process without the need to add items to their cart first.

On Shopify, product recommendations are automatically tailored using various factors such as commonly purchased items, similar product descriptions, and related collections. You can use your own product database to create a list of suggested items based on what customers are already looking at. For example, if someone is ordering a t-shirt, you could suggest a calendar, mug, or another item that would pair well with it. This will encourage customers to add more items to their cart and increase AOV.

8. Offer deals with limited timeframes

Everyone loves a good bargain, especially when there's a limited timeframe to take advantage of it. Cyber Week is the perfect chance to play into people's natural fear of missing out (FOMO). You can create limited-time deals for customers by offering discounts on certain items, or even better – discount bundles.

Customers are more likely to buy your discounted products if they know the deal is only available for a short time. Since everyone knows Cyber Week must come to an end, they won't want to miss their chance to save.

9. Offer VIP deals for loyal customers

Your loyal customers are your best asset. Show them some love by offering exclusive deals and promotions during Cyber Week. You can create a special VIP tier within your loyalty program that gives customers access to special product launches, discounts, and free shipping. This will help generate more sales while also showing your customers that you appreciate their continued loyalty to your business.

You can also reach out to past customers who have not shopped with you in a while and offer them select deals during Cyber Week. This will help bring back lapsed customers and encourage more people to join your loyalty program.

10. Leverage automation

Using automation during Cyber Week helps ensure that all tasks related to your sales are completed with maximum efficiency. You can use automated emails and text messages to inform customers about upcoming discounts, launch new products, or remind them when their deals are expiring. You can also use automated basket abandonment emails to remind customers about items left in their carts and encourage them to complete the purchase.

Cyber Week presents a golden opportunity for your business to boost sales and reach a broader audience. By implementing the strategies outlined in this blog, you can maximize your success during this crucial shopping period. 

So, as you prepare for the upcoming Cyber Week, remember that there are strategies and partners like Gelato ready to help you make the most of this exciting retail event. Get ready to captivate your audience, increase your sales, and elevate your brand's success during Cyber Week and beyond. Happy creating!