How to Use Email to Increase Average Order Value

You Don’t Need More Orders. You Need Bigger Ones

Most Shopify brands are obsessed with one thing: “How do I get more sales?”

So they:

  • Push more traffic

  • Run more discounts

  • Send more emails

But revenue still feels… harder than it should.

Because... You’re focused on volume instead of value.

Getting someone to buy again (or buy more) is always easier (and cheaper!) than acquiring a brand-new customer.

And your email strategy, especially inside Klaviyo, is the fastest way to fix that.

Let’s break down how to turn every purchase into a higher-value one.

Why Most Brands Struggle to Increase AOV

It’s not that you don’t have good products.

It’s that your email strategy stops at:

👉 “Here’s the product. Go buy it.”

No follow-up.

No layering.

No strategy to increase cart value.

Common mistakes:

  • Promoting single products instead of bundles

  • Ignoring cross-sell and upsell opportunities

  • Treating every customer the same

  • Only focusing on first-time conversions

According to your audience’s behavior, this creates a gap:

👉 Customers buy once… but never increase their spend.

That’s where AOV-focused emails come in.

The 5 Email Strategies That Increase Average Order Value

These aren’t “nice-to-have” tactics.

They’re the difference between:

  • One $40 order

vs.

  • One $85 order (from the same customer)

1. Build Product Pairing Campaigns

Stop selling products. Start selling combinations.

Most customers don’t know what to buy together.

That’s your job.

Examples:

  • “Complete the look” emails

  • “Pairs perfectly with…”

  • “Customers also bought…”

Why it works:

You remove decision fatigue and guide the purchase.

How to do it:

  • Feature 1 main product + 2–3 complementary items

  • Show how they work together

  • Keep the layout clean and visual

👉 This is one of the easiest ways to increase AOV without discounting.

2. Use Post-Purchase Upsell Emails

The sale didn’t end, it just started

Most brands celebrate the purchase… and then go silent.

Big mistake.

Your highest-converting moment is right after someone buys.

Examples:

  • “Don’t miss this add-on” emails

  • “Upgrade your order” offers

  • “Customers who bought this also loved…”

Why it works:

They already trust you enough to buy once.

How to do it:

  • Send within 1–3 days post-purchase

  • Recommend relevant (not random) products

  • Keep the tone helpful, not pushy

3. Create Bundle-Focused Campaigns

Increase perceived value without relying on discounts

Bundles shift the conversation from:

👉 “Should I buy this?”

to

👉 “This is a better deal.”

Examples:

  • Starter kits

  • Best-seller bundles

  • “Save when you buy together”

Why it works:

Customers feel like they’re getting more without you slashing margins.

How to do it:

  • Clearly show the value difference

  • Position bundles as the “smart choice”

  • Use comparison visuals (single vs bundle)

4. Segment High-Intent Shoppers

Not all subscribers are equal. Stop treating them that way

If someone:

  • Clicked multiple products

  • Viewed the same item repeatedly

  • Added to cart but didn’t buy

👉 They’re primed for a higher-value purchase.

Why it works:

You’re targeting people already close to buying.

How to do it:

  • Create segments based on behavior in Klaviyo

  • Send tailored product recommendations

  • Increase urgency (without overdoing it)

5. Use Threshold-Based Offers

“Spend more to get more” psychology

Instead of discounting everything…

Encourage customers to increase their cart size.

Examples:

  • “Spend $75, get free shipping”

  • “Spend $100, get a free gift”

  • Tiered rewards

Why it works:

People naturally want to “hit the goal.”

How to do it:

  • Set thresholds slightly above your current AOV

  • Reinforce the benefit clearly

  • Use progress-based messaging

👉 This turns small orders into larger ones fast.

Strategy Beats More Emails Every Time

Here’s where most brands go wrong:

They try to increase AOV by:

  • Sending more emails

  • Adding more discounts

  • Copying competitors

But none of that fixes the real issue:

👉 There’s no system behind the strategy.

Inside The Profitable Inbox™, you’re not guessing:

  • What to send

  • When to send it

  • How to structure it

You’re following a proven system designed to:

✔ Increase AOV

✔ Drive repeat purchases

✔ Turn email into a revenue channel

👉 If your emails feel random, this is the missing piece.

How to Turn This Into a Weekly Email Strategy

You don’t need to overhaul everything overnight.

Start here:

Weekly Campaign Mix:

  • 1 Product Pairing Email

  • 1 Value or Story Email

  • 1 Promotional or Bundle Email

Ongoing Automations:

  • Post-purchase upsell flow

  • Browse/cart-based recommendations

Monthly Add-Ons:

  • Threshold campaigns

  • High-intent segmentation pushes

This creates:

  • Higher cart values

  • Better customer experience

  • More revenue without more traffic

What Actually Increases Average Order Value

Let’s simplify it:

If your emails only focus on:

👉 Getting the first purchase

You’ll stay stuck with low AOV.

If your strategy includes:

  • Product pairing

  • Upsells

  • Bundles

  • Segmentation

  • Smart incentives

👉 That’s when revenue starts compounding.

Want a Strategy That Increases Revenue, Not Just Orders?

You don’t need more tactics.

You need a system that makes every email more profitable.

Inside The Profitable Inbox™, you’ll get:

  • Monthly campaign strategies

  • Ideas that actually convert

  • Resources on how to use Klaviyo

👉 Join now and start turning every order into a higher-value sale.

Need help implementing these strategies in your email marketing program?

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The Email Campaign Types Every Ecommerce Brand Should Be Sending