Finding a new customer is the hardest part of selling. Selling a little more to someone who is already buying is the easiest. That is what upselling and cross-selling are for, and for creators, coaches and small online sellers they come down to three moments in a purchase: on the checkout, right after payment, and after a "no".
What is upselling?
Upselling is offering a bigger or better version of what the buyer is about to buy, or the next step after it. The advanced programme after the beginner course. One-to-one coaching on top of a group programme. The annual plan instead of the monthly one.
An upsell works when it is clearly the buyer’s next step, not a bigger number for its own sake.
What is cross-selling?
Cross-selling is offering something that goes with what the buyer is buying. A workbook with a course. The recordings with a live workshop. An accessory with a physical product.
A cross-sell works when it makes the main item more useful straight away.
Upselling vs cross-selling
| Upselling | Cross-selling | |
|---|---|---|
| What you offer | A bigger, better or next version | Something that goes with the purchase |
| Example | Advanced course after the beginner one | Workbook with the course |
| Usual price | Often more than the first item | Usually much less than the first item |
| Best moment | Right after payment | On the checkout, before paying |
Where each one fits in a purchase
On the checkout: the order bump
An order bump is a small extra the buyer ticks on the checkout before paying, charged in the same payment. It is the natural home of the cross-sell: the buyer is already entering their details, and a related extra for a fraction of the price is an easy yes. See 10 order bump examples for ideas.
Right after payment: the one-click upsell
A one-click upsell is an offer shown right after the buyer pays, taken with one click because the card is already on file for that purchase. This is the natural home of the upsell: the decision to buy is made, and the next step can be offered while the buyer is most engaged.
After a "no": the downsell
A downsell is the smaller offer shown when the upsell is declined: the self-paced version of a coaching programme, or one module instead of the full course. It keeps the conversation going without asking the buyer to reverse a decision they just made.
Upselling and cross-selling examples
- Course creator: a workbook as an order bump; a live Q&A call as the one-click upsell; the recordings-only version as the downsell.
- Coach: session recordings as a bump on a group programme; a one-to-one call right after payment.
- Community owner: a starter course as a bump on the membership; an annual plan offered after the first payment.
- Product seller: a matching accessory as a bump, with its shipping in the same order; a bundle after payment.
Tips that work
- Offer what the buyer needs next. Relevance beats discount. Ask what a buyer of this item usually wants after it.
- Keep the cross-sell small. A bump is decided in seconds; price it well below the main item.
- Explain it in one line. A title, one sentence and a price is all the room there is on a checkout.
- Time it. Cross-sell before payment, upsell after it. Mixing them up makes the checkout longer and the upsell weaker.
- Do not trick the buyer. Pre-ticked extras can backfire, and in the EU a buyer charged for a pre-ticked extra they did not choose is entitled to a refund. Let buyers choose.
- Never sell them what they own. Offering a buyer something they already bought loses trust fast.
- Have a downsell ready. A "no" to the big offer is often a "yes" to a smaller one.
- Follow up. A buyer who declines an offer or leaves the checkout can still be reached by email later.
- Test one change at a time. Change the offer, the price or the line, not all three at once, and watch the sales.
- Look after buyers after the sale. Good support and onboarding make the next purchase likely.
How to upsell and cross-sell on Vonza
On a Vonza checkout:
- Order bumps: switch on "Show bump offers at checkout" and add up to 5. Each one is something you sell, given to the buyer the moment they pay, or a custom line you deliver yourself.
- One-click upsell: switch on "Offer one more thing" in After payment. A buyer who paid by card through Stripe, or with Paystack, takes it with one click on the card they just used. If the card is declined, the payment form shows.
- No double sales: Vonza will not charge a buyer for an item they already own, and skips the offer for it.
In a sales funnel, the checkout step takes up to 5 order bumps, and Upsell and Downsell steps can each take a one-click purchase. An automation can follow up when an offer is declined. Everything else in the new checkout is in what’s new in Vonza Checkouts.
