Ecommerce Metrics · Updated June 2026
Average order value (AOV) is total revenue divided by number of orders — the average amount a customer spends per checkout. Raising AOV through bundles, upsells, and free-shipping thresholds grows revenue without acquiring new traffic.
AOV is the cheapest growth lever in ecommerce because it monetizes traffic you already have. The classic tactics — free-shipping thresholds set slightly above current AOV, bundles, and post-purchase upsells — routinely lift AOV 10–30%.
Example
If a store makes $12,000 from 150 orders, AOV = $80.
The highest-impact tactics: set a free-shipping threshold 20–30% above current AOV, add frequently-bought-together bundles, offer post-purchase one-click upsells, and use tiered spend-more-save-more discounts.
Conversion rate is the percentage of website visitors who complete a purchase. It is calculated as orders divided by total sessions, multiplied by 100. A typical Shopify store converts 1–3% of sessions; top performers exceed 4%.
Customer lifetime value (CLV or LTV) is the total profit a business expects from a customer across their entire relationship. It combines average order value, purchase frequency, and customer lifespan — and it sets the ceiling on what you can afford to spend acquiring a customer.
An upsell offers a customer a better or bigger version of what they’re buying; a cross-sell offers complementary items. Done at the right moment — product page, cart, or post-purchase — upsells raise AOV without hurting conversion.