Raise AOV Fast: A 3‑Page Checklist for Smarter Product Recommendations

Bottom line: raise AOV by splitting roles across 3 pages

Average order value (AOV) is easier to lift when you split the role of recommendations across three touchpoints instead of over‑optimizing a single page: PDP, cart, and thank you.

- PDP: nudge undecided shoppers toward higher price or more items
- Cart: suggest add‑ons without causing drop‑off
- Thank you: plant seeds for the next purchase after the order is confirmed

Use this checklist to confirm that you cover all three spots and that each recommendation logic actually matches the role of that page.

Before you start: roles of each recommendation logic by page

• For PDP: AI similar products / related products
  • Goal: show slightly higher‑priced or alternative options similar to the current product to lift price per item
  • Tips: prioritize the same category and style, and avoid skewing too hard toward only very cheap products
• For PDP and cart: frequently bought together (bundle‑type)
  • Goal: increase item count with main product plus accessories or sets
  • Tips: do not surface out‑of‑stock items, and exclude poor combinations such as overlapping features
• For cart: recently viewed products
  • Goal: remind shoppers of options they were still considering up to the end
  • Tips: avoid showing items that are far off in price range or category from what is already in the cart
• For thank you: bestsellers / new arrivals
  • Goal: give ideas for the next purchase rather than push for an immediate add‑on
  • Tips: tune categories so you are not only showing products that have nothing to do with the purchased items

Next, you will review each of the PDP, cart, and thank‑you pages in one go: placement check → logic check → copy check.

Step 1: Check if your PDP layout actually drives higher spend

• Confirm you have a recommendation block directly under product info on the PDP
  • In the Shopify admin, go to Online Store → Themes → Customize and open the product page template
  • Check that recommendations sit in a high‑visibility spot, such as above reviews or above the long description
• Make the recommendation heading copy focus on “easy selection”
  • Examples: “Frequently bought together”, “Choose from similar items”
  • Avoid vague labels like “Recommended” or “Popular” that do not explain why these items are shown
• Separate logics for price‑per‑item lift and item‑count lift
  • Price‑up: AI similar products (prioritize similar items at a slightly higher price point)
  • Item‑count up: frequently bought together (accessories, sets, different colors, etc.)
  • In your theme or app settings, confirm you can place these as separate blocks
• Limit each block to a maximum of 4 products
  • Too many options increase decision friction and can actually drive people away
  • In the app settings, check display count or number of products and adjust to 3–4 items
• Check that product cards are easy to tap even before an item is added to cart
  • On desktop: items in a clear row; on mobile: swipeable or 2‑column layout so cards are not mostly off‑screen
  • Make sure image, product name, and price are obvious at a glance and that price is not hidden

Step 2: Check your cart does not get in the way of impulse add‑ons

• Confirm you have recommendations right under the main action button on the cart
  • In Online Store → Themes → Customize, open the cart page or drawer cart
  • Check that recommendations sit close to the order total and checkout button
• If you use a drawer cart (side cart), prioritize placing recommendations there
  • Many users complete their cart edits inside the drawer, so if you have no recommendations there, they will not see them
  • In your theme’s Drawer cart (or Slide‑out cart) section, confirm you can add a recommendation block
• Use a two‑layer logic in the cart: “frequently bought together” plus “recently viewed”
  • First block: frequently bought together products – accessories and set suggestions around the main items
  • Second block: recently viewed products – bring back items they were torn between
  • If you can only place one block, prioritize frequently bought together
• If you have a free shipping threshold, clearly show the remaining amount
  • Display “Spend ¥X more to get free shipping” at the top of the cart or near the recommendation area
  • Sync the recommendation heading copy, for example: “Recommended if you are just short of free shipping”
• Exclude recommendations that clash with items already in the cart
  • Make sure you are not showing the exact same product twice
  • In your app’s exclusion settings, remove items that clearly compete in use case (for instance, a different brand from the same category as a set suggestion)

Step 3: Use the thank‑you page to set up higher AOV on the next order

• Check whether your app supports Shopify’s thank‑you page
  • In the Shopify admin under Settings → Checkout, check if you can use extension app blocks or customize the order status page
  • In your recommendation app, look for blocks labeled for Thank‑you page or Order confirmation page
• Tune logic for “seeding the next purchase” rather than “buy more now”
  • Examples: bestseller rankings, new arrivals, or category‑specific popular products
  • Pull items from the same or adjacent categories to what was purchased so shoppers can easily picture “maybe this next time”
• Write headings as “thank you + next suggestion”
  • Example: “Thank you for your purchase. Here are ideas for next time.”
  • Instead of only pushing discounts, use wording that feels personalized, like “Items that might suit you”
• Place recommendations alongside coupons or newsletter signup
  • Put the block near a next‑order coupon code or close to your email / LINE signup form
  • Use labels that tie into the action, such as “Recommendations for customers who follow us”, so it sticks in memory
• Check that recommendations do not get buried low in the mobile scroll
  • Test the thank‑you page on mobile and see if the recommendation block is not sinking too far down
  • If needed, reorder sections using app or theme Section order settings

Common failure patterns and quick fixes

• Running the same “bestsellers” logic on every page
  • Problem: it keeps surfacing clearance or over‑represented categories and barely moves AOV
  • Fix: fix roles by page – PDP = AI similar products, cart = frequently bought together, thank you = rankings or new arrivals
• Recommendations only appear at the very bottom of the PDP
  • Problem: almost no one scrolls that far, so the block is effectively invisible
  • Fix: move the block closer to product images, price, and the main CTA (add‑to‑cart). Review Section order in your theme
• Cart recommendations are not properly checked for stock status
  • Problem: out‑of‑stock or unpublished items show up and hurt trust
  • Fix: in the app, enable “show only products with stock above X”. Exclude non‑public products from recommendations
• Thank‑you page recommendations are “a completely different universe” from what was bought
  • Problem: the gap is so wide that shoppers ignore them and they just feel like random ads
  • Fix: set filter conditions to only target the same or adjacent categories as the purchased items
• Only checking layouts on desktop and ignoring mobile
  • Problem: on mobile, products are hidden until you swipe, so they barely get clicks
  • Fix: adjust card width and item count so at least two products are visible on the first row in mobile view

How to apply this whole checklist quickly with RecoBoost

If you use RecoBoost, you can implement the checklist above in one flow.

• In Apps → RecoBoost → Placement, enable the three locations: PDP, cart, and thank you
  • Check that each page type is correctly linked to a recommendation block
• In RecoBoost → Recommendation settings, switch logic by page
  • PDP: AI similar products plus frequently bought together
  • Cart: frequently bought together plus recently viewed products
  • Thank you: bestseller rankings or new arrivals
• For each placement, adjust Display count, stock conditions, and price filters
  • Display count: 3–4 items
  • Stock condition: show only products with stock above X
  • Price range: exclude items that are too cheap or too expensive to make it easier to hit your target AOV
• In the theme customizer, drag RecoBoost blocks into optimal positions
  • In Online Store → Themes → Customize, adjust block order on PDP, cart, and thank‑you pages
  • In mobile preview, always confirm that recommendations appear within the first screenful
• After 1–2 weeks of orders, review AOV trends and click‑through rates
  • In RecoBoost reports, check click‑through rate and incremental revenue by placement
  • For weaker pages, either swap logics or tweak placement to improve performance