Upsell, Down-Sell & Cross-Sell Your Online Courses

To stay ahead in e-learning, try finding fresh ways to increase revenue and provide extra value for your learners.

Upsell

Upselling is about getting a customer to buy a more expensive or upgraded version of something they’re already interested in. The idea is to add value by offering extra features or benefits.

For example, with the 21-Day Hip Opening Challenge from YOGABODY, they highlight how convenient and accessible it is.

The initial price of $69, with a $30 discount, makes it easy for customers to make that first purchase. Many will add it to their cart and checkout, focusing just on this deal.

However, to truly capitalize on the opportunity, they can upsell their online courses once they’ve completed their initial purchase. After the customers have entered their payment info and are committed, they will be presented an additional program, like a $295 one, with just one click.

Since they’ve already shown they’re willing to buy, adding another course becomes an easy choice with a simple, one-click upsell.

Cross-sell

Cross-selling happens when you’re suggesting related products to customers who are already buying something. The goal is to get them to add items that enhance their main purchase, increasing the overall sale.

When advertising online education, for example, a brand might offer an additional product at a discounted rate that complements what the customer is already purchasing. Adding bonuses can further boost the appeal and encourage customers to take the offer.

Order Bump

An order bump is a small, extra offer shown to customers during checkout. It’s usually a low-cost or discounted item related to their main purchase.

The idea is to encourage impulse buys and boost the total order value by tempting customers to add something extra to their cart before finalizing the purchase.

For example, a brand might offer a product that builds on what they’ve already bought, giving customers the chance to continue their learning journey at half price.

Benefits of Upselling, Cross-selling and Order Bumps

Using upselling, cross-selling, and order bumps in your course sales strategies boosts the average order value, which directly improves your revenue and profit.

When you upsell your online courses, customers spend more on each purchase, allowing you to increase revenue without needing to acquire new customers.

Shortening Sales Cycle

Offering relevant deals at checkout lets you take advantage of the customer’s existing buying intent, which helps speed up the sales process.

Speeding Up Cash Flow

Upselling, cross-selling, and order bumps can boost revenue from each sale, improving your cash flow. Since these offers are made at the point of sale, they can quickly impact cash flow without needing extra marketing or sales work.

Boosting Customer Engagement

Providing relevant upsells, cross-sells, and order bumps just shows you’re engaging with your customers more personally.

Are Upsells, Cross-sells and Order Bumps for You?

Diverse Product Offers

If you have a range of related products, you can use upselling, cross-selling, and order bumps to boost sales effectively.

Proactive Marketing Approach

If you’re advertising online education and actively promoting extra educational resources or upgrades during the sales process, upsells, cross-sells, and order bumps are definitely worth considering.

Understanding Customer Needs

If you’ve invested time in understanding your customers’ needs and interested, you’re well-positioned to tailor upsells, cross-sells, and order bumps to offer maximum value and relevance.

Street Photography Brand – Upsell & Order Bump Example

Here’s an example with a Street Photography Brand offering four main products:

Street Photography Masterclass – $300
Lightroom Editing Course – $100
Preset Pack – $50
Location Guide – $30

The brand uses the Lightroom Editing Course as an attractive entry point, giving customers valuable training on editing techniques.

The Location Guide is offered as an order bump, adding extra value to the Lightroom course and enhancing the overall photography experience.

Next, the brand promotes the Street Photography Masterclass, encouraging customers to deepen their skills and generate more revenue.

Finally, for those who skip the upsell, the Preset Pack is offered as a downsell at a discount, ensuring they can still buy a complementary product.

Each step in this funnel is designed to work together to create a smooth and engaging experience for the customer.

No Money Left on the Table

Each upsell or downsell offer is an opportunity to boost the average order value and earn more revenue without significantly raising customer acquisition costs.

Comprehensive Product Ecosystem

By offering a variety of products like courses, guides, and presets, you create a well-rounded ecosystem that meets different needs and preferences in your niche.

Position each product to fulfill a specific role and address different stages of the customer’s journey, so you don’t miss out on any potential revenue streams.

Strategic Pricing

Design your pricing strategy to appeal to various segments of your target audience, balancing accessibility and affordability.

Set attractive prices for your front-end offers to reach a broad audience, while using upsells and downsells to provide options for customers with different budgets and commitment levels.

How to Get Started with Your Upsells, Cross-sells and Order Bumps

Choose an E-learning Platform

Begin by choosing an e-learning platform that supports upselling, cross-selling, and order bump features.

Platforms like Kajabi, Teachable, and ClickFunnels have built-in tools for creating and managing these offers.

Set Up Your Main Offer

When advertising online education, start by creating your main offer, like a flagship course or training program, and set up the sales page on your chosen e-learning platform. This will serve as the front-end product in your sales funnel.

Configure Order Bump Offers

Use the order bump feature on your e-learning platform to add extra products or bonuses during checkout.

You can include additional courses, downloadable resources, or access to exclusive content.

Design Upsell and Cross-sell Offers

Create upsell and cross-sell offers that are relevant and complementary to the main product. Make sure these offers enhance the customer’s experience or provide additional value.

Customize Offer Sequences

Customize the order in which you present upsell and cross-sell offers based on customer behavior and preferences.

For instance, you might present a higher-priced upsell first and then follow it with a lower-priced cross-sell offer.

Learn and Optimize

Regularly test different offers, pricing strategies, and sequences to refine and improve the performance of your strategy.

Specialized Software

Choose software that provides flexibility in customization, pricing structures, and offer sequencing so you can tailor your strategies to fit your business’s unique needs.

Some examples are ThriveCart, FunnelKit for WordPress, and Zipify for Shopify.

Ease of Use

Pick software that is user-friendly and intuitive, so you can build and manage your offers without needing extensive technical skills.

Integration

Make sure the software integrates smoothly with your existing e-learning platform or website, as well as with other essential tools like payment processors and email marketing software.

Reporting

Choose software with comprehensive reporting features so you can monitor the performance of your offers in real-time and make optimizations as needed.

Conclusion

Implementing upselling, cross-selling, and order bumps in your e-learning strategy is essential for boosting revenue and improving the customer experience.

To maximize your impact, consider how you can upsell your online courses by offering complementary products and add-ons strategically throughout the customer journey.