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Shopify Upsell Popup: How to Create Upsell Popups to Boost Sales

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It’s an age-old question, how can you get customers to spend more? It certainly isn’t easy, but there are a few tricks and techniques you can use that will help get the job done. In this article, we are going to talk about how you can use a Shopify upsell popup to encourage your customers to spend more. You’ll find out the secrets to unlocking powerful upselling popups that will get customers to spend more and improve your Shopify store’s bottom line.

So, stay tuned because we have lots to cover!

What is Upselling on Shopify?

Upselling has become a catchphrase in the retail world. Generally speaking, upselling means getting customers to spend more on every purchase. Now, upselling doesn’t mean forcing more items on your customers. Instead, Shopify upselling is about enticing your customers to spend more than they had originally thought.

Consider the following example:

A customer visits your Shopify store to shop to buy a book. They’ve only got one book in mind, and they find the product page and select the paperback version. However, they then see that the same book is available in hardcover. Sure, it’s more expensive, but it’s also available for 10% off. 

In this example, the customer opted to choose an upgraded version of the initial product they were looking at. Consequently, the customer spent more money than originally anticipated. This situation is a great example of upselling in the e-commerce world.

What is a Shopify Upsell Popup?

As their name suggests, popups are messages that appear on your screen at specific points. These messages are notorious for being annoying, but they can be quite effective if you use them appropriately and sparsely. 

Shopify upsell popups are messages that appear whenever your customers click on a product listing, move to the checkout page, or browse through your Shopify store’s collections. Popups provide customers with helpful suggestions about other products they might want to check out or alert them about special deals and offers.

Please note that popups can become a nuisance if you overuse them. Thus, you must ensure that your Shopify store doesn’t overuse popups. You must also avoid cluttering the screen with countless popups. The last thing you want is to fill the screen with too many messages and scare your customers away out of frustration.

A good rule of thumb is to keep Shopify upsell popups to one per screen. Also, keeping these messages to the side avoids distracting your customers from focusing on the products they view. Finally, make sure your customers can easily hit the “X” button to close the popup.

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What are the Benefits of a Shopify Upsell Popup?

There are several advantages of using a popup to upsell products on Shopify. Here are the main ones: 

#1: It's attention grabbing

If you’re displaying an upsell deal on your page, or as a banner at the top of your site, it’s easy for customers to miss the offer you are trying to promote. With a popup, you are putting the information directly in front of your customer, grabbing their attention and increasing your chances of a conversion. 

#2: It requires action from the customer

Popups aren’t passive – they require your customer to either accept or reject the deal. By putting something in front of customers that they literally can’t ignore, you are again increasing your chances of a successful upsell. 

#3: It helps customers find deals and offers

There’s nothing worse than making a purchase and then realizing the store had a promotion you weren’t aware of. Using popups to convey important information to your shoppers increases the chances that they will be aware (and take advantage!) of the deals and promotions you are currently running. 

Why Does a Shopify Upsell Popup Appear on the Screen?

There are various conditions that will trigger a Shopify upsell popup. So, let’s take a closer look.

#1: Time spent on a page

The most annoying popups are instantaneous. In other words, windows or messages that appear as soon as you enter a page or site. This practice is highly irritating and can cause your customers to leave your site. A much better approach is to have popups appear after users spend a specific amount of time on a page or site. 

For instance, a popup can appear after 10 or 15 seconds. There are two reasons for this delayed appearance. First, most customers close ads or move to another page after about three to five seconds. Therefore, spending more than five seconds means the user is truly interested in the ad. Second, delayed popups help the customer focus on the product and the Shopify upsell popup. This approach allows the customer to focus on the popup’s offer.

#2: Adding an item to the cart

Another great approach is launching popups when customers add items to their cart. The Shopify upsell popups may display suggested items or present special offers. These offers may include bundles, discounts, free shipping over a certain amount, or limited-time deals. The popup’s aim is to entice the customer to add more items as they are about to complete the transaction.

#3: Leaving the store

Shopify upsell popups can appear when the customer attempts to leave the store. In particular, this happens when the customer doesn’t complete a purchase. Nevertheless, popups can also appear following a completed purchase. 

For example, a popup offering a discount code or special offer may entice transaction completion. Also, popups may display messages like “offer valid until…” or “products reserved for….” These popups aim to give customers a sense of urgency. In other words, they have a limited time to complete their purchase before losing their cart.

#4: Page scrolling

Shopify upsell popups can appear when customers scroll down the page. As they make their way down, notifications may appear with offers, codes, bundles, or other relevant information. A great way to urge customers to purchase is a “low stock” notification. For instance, customers scrolling down a collections page may get a “low stock” notification. Thus, the popup urges customers to complete their purchase while supplies last. 

Please remember that Shopify upsell popups should not litter the screen. Doing so may have the opposite effect. So, it’s crucial to limit popups across your site.

Best 6 Examples of Shopify Upsell Popups?

Let’s take a close look at three great examples of Shopify upselling popups.

#1: Upselling with multiples of the same product

When you use Shopify, upsell popups, bundles, and discounts can combine to create a powerful impact. Bundles provide customers with discounts since purchasing multiple items enables them to save more on individual items. 

shopify upsell popup
Source: try.pickystory.com

In this example, the customer is viewing the product page of the yellow t-shirt. When they click on “add to cart”, a popup appears offering a pack of t-shirts for a discount. While customers do get this deal for a small discount, it benefits you as the merchant as well – they are making a larger purchase overall, and you are selling more products.

#2: Upselling with additional products

A great place for Shopify upsell popups to appear is when you add a product to a cart. When customers choose a product they like, a popup immediately appears with a great offer. This offer can be a bundle, discount, or recommended product.

Source: rochilou.com

A fabulous example of this approach is RochiLou. This baby products supplier uses cart popups extremely well. When customers choose an item to add to their cart, a popup suggests adding related products as well. 

If your customers are unfamiliar with your products, a deal like this doesn’t just help to boost your bottom line, it helps to guide your customers in understanding what products they need to add to their order.

#3: Upselling with product add-ons

Matsudai Ramen is a popular food brand. This brand leverages its online presence to provide restaurant-quality meals to its customers. Customers can choose a wide range of food products. When customers choose a specific food item for their cart, a popup suggests additional items. These items are complementary to their original purchase. 

Here is a look:

shopify upsell popup
Source: matsudai.co.uk

This popup message allows customers to choose precisely what they want. As you can see, selecting a ramen meal triggers a list of recommended products. Customers can choose any of the suggested items they wish to purchase. This approach fosters customization while increasing upselling opportunities.

#4: Upselling with related products

Another great option is to show customers a certain outfit or “Look”, and then trigger a popup that displays the individual products included. This keeps your pages clean, but also makes it easy for customers to see everything they need in one convenient window. 

benefits of shopify upsell popup
Source: neweditionfashion.com

In the example above, the customer can click on an outfit, and then see the individual products in a convenient popup. The best part is that they can also choose their preferences (size, color, etc.) and then add all of the products to their cart from this one popup. This reduces friction and increases conversions. 

#5: "Complete the look" upsell

Similar to the example above, using a “Complete the look” upsell displays related, additional products to customers. This popup is best triggered as soon as the shopper adds one of the relevant products to their cart. Then, when they are still thinking about that product, the popup shows related products and helps customers to create a whole outfit. 

how to use a shopify upsell popup
Source: oceantales.com.au

While some popups can be annoying (especially if used too frequently), this example is actually really helpful for customers. Many shoppers will already be looking for related products, and a popup helps them find what they are looking for. This improves the customer journey, and increases the chances of customers coming back to your store. 

#6: "Extra services" upsell

If your product comes with extra add-ons, like an optional warranty, batteries, or gift wrapping, an upsell popup is the perfect tool to make your customers aware of these options. 

pros and cons shopify upsell popup
Source: digismoothie.com

In this example, you can see that a customer has selections to make after they add a product to their cart. While the customer can add the product without selecting any of the additional items, displaying an upsell popup at least ensures that your buyers are aware of these options. 

What are the Best Practices for Using a Shopify Upsell Popup?

When using Shopify upselling popups, it’s advisable to keep the following best practices in mind.

1. Suggest what customers want. Please ensure that your popups offer something customers want and not random products. 

2. Set clear goals. It’s important to define a popup’s purpose. Shopify upselling popups intend to generate more sales. Therefore, your Shopify store’s popups must focus on delivering bundles, combos, and other deals.

3. Choose the right format. Popups come in different formats. The best format is one that doesn’t interfere with the product page. You can use sidebars, slide-in, full-screen, mid-screen, or even spin-the-wheel popups to get your message across.

4. Add user-friendly popups. You can tailor upselling popups to suit specific situations. For instance, newcomer deals, returning customers, or low-stock notifications can urge shoppers to complete transactions.

5. Match popups to site design. Shopify upsell popups should match the site’s overall color scheme, font, and layout. While contrasting is highly useful, it’s important to maintain the same design approach.

6. Ensure popups stand out. Popups should display in the most visible areas. This reason explains why you must not clutter your customers’ screens.

7. Be short and sweet. Great popups have the right amount of text. Adding too much text can cause the core message to get lost. Short and sweet popups save things like “save 20%” or “buy now, get 10% off.”

8. Make sure popups have value. Useful popups provide value. This value can be discounts, free shopping, loyalty points, codes, early access to sales, etc. 

9. Use engaging visuals. While text-only popups can be effective, utilizing engaging visuals helps cement your popup’s message.

10. Utilize mobile-friendly popups. Shopify upselling popups should display well on mobile devices. Otherwise, your customers may have a negative experience while browsing on a mobile device.

11. Make it fun. Upselling tactics like “spin the wheel” or “scratch coupons” can make the popup experience much more enjoyable.

12. Include countdowns. Popups can include countdown times to urge customers to act before time runs out. This approach creates the effect of “limited time” or “exclusive” offers.

13. Allow customers to close popups easily. The last thing you want is for popups to become a nuisance. Thus, it’s a great idea to give customers the opportunity to close popups whenever they like.

14. Be consistent. It’s highly important to avoid placing popups in random locations. It’s extremely useful to place popups in the same location throughout your store. Surprising customers may have a detrimental effect on your overall sales efforts.

Best Apps for Shopify Upsell Popups

The best (and easiest) way to add upsell popups to your Shopify store is with a third-party app. Let’s take a look at some of the best apps for Shopify upsell popups. 

#1: PickyStory

With PickyStory, it’s easy to create upsell popups to display throughout your store. All you need to do is create a regular bundle deal, then select to display your deal as a popup rather than a static widget on the page. You can add an optional discount, or simply use the popup as an opportunity to offer more products to your customers. 

Source: apps.shopify.com/product-kits-bundles-pickystory

The best part is that the popups are so easy to set up – it just takes a couple of minutes and a few clicks. You don’t need any coding experience, just select the products you want to offer, add an optional discount, and update the title/messaging of the deal. It’s that easy! 

#2: Popupfox

Popupfox is a great option for merchants looking to add popups to their store. With more than 70 popup templates to choose from, it’s easy to create personalized popups for your store.

best upsell popup app shopify
Source: apps.shopify.com/popupfox

Popupfox has a no-code interface, which means it’s very simple and intuitive to create popups. Importantly, Popupfox has fast-loading popups that don’t affect your store’s SEO or speed ranking score.

#3: Trtle - Buy Now Upsell

Trtle – Buy Now Upsell can be used to display an upsell popup that appears after your customer adds a product to their cart. There are multiple popup designs to choose from, making it easy for you to find the right style to match your store.

shopify upsell popup examples
Source: apps.shopify.com/trtle

Another advantage of this app (and upsell popup apps in general) is that it helps you to sell more of the products you are already selling. Also, it helps your customers find other, related products that they were probably going to look for anyway. 

If you are looking to increase your AOV, try adding upsell popups to your store. Get started with PickyStory today.

Grow your sales with high-performing deals.

Get PickyStory
  • Topics: Shopify How-To

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