Average order value calculator
The lever most people ignore. Raising average order value costs nothing per extra dollar — unlike buying more traffic.
The cheapest growth available
There are three ways to grow revenue: more visitors, a better conversion rate, or a higher average order. The first costs money for every increment and the second takes sustained testing, but the third is largely free once set up — bundles, volume discounts, a free-shipping threshold just above current AOV, and a relevant add-on at checkout all raise it without buying a single extra visitor.
AOV also sets your acquisition ceiling. Combined with margin it determines the maximum you can pay for a customer, so a ten percent rise in average order translates directly into being able to outbid competitors for the same traffic — which compounds far beyond the ten percent.
Items per order is the diagnostic behind the headline. A rising AOV driven by more items per order usually means your bundling or recommendations are working; one driven purely by price increases may be quietly costing you conversions instead. The two look identical in the top-line number and mean very different things.
Questions
How do I raise average order value?
Free-shipping thresholds set slightly above current AOV, genuine bundles, volume discounts, and relevant add-ons at checkout. All cost far less per extra dollar than buying more traffic.
Should returns be excluded?
Yes, if you can. Gross AOV overstates the figure in categories where returns are common, and it is the net number that has to cover your acquisition costs.
Median or mean?
This is the mean. If a few very large orders skew your data, the median is a better description of a typical customer — worth checking both if the two diverge widely.