“Upselling.” 

A word used by lots of sales and marketing experts when describing various strategies to help you sell more digital products.

And there’s you with little or no knowledge of upselling and how it can help you as a digital creator.

You’re not alone.

Lots of creators are unaware of how upselling is a good strategy to sell digital products. 

That’s why we are here.

Upselling is the art of persuading a customer to upgrade or purchase a premium version of your product.

The beauty of upselling is that it not only increases your sales, but it also provides a better customer experience by offering a product that better meets their needs.

In this article, we explain how you can upsell to boost sales of your digital products, and how to leverage it for long-term benefits.

But first…

What is Upselling?

Upselling is a sales technique that involves giving customers an opportunity to purchase a more expensive product or premium product at a higher price.

This is most effective when the customer is interested in the product and needs a little conviction to go for the higher-end product.

For example, if a customer wants to buy your ebook on “Introduction to Facebook Ads” sold at ₦5000/$10, you can upsell your “Facebook Ads Ultimate Guide” course sold at ₦15,000/$100 to them. Although pricier, it offers your customer more value and gives them all the knowledge they need to get started on ads.

This marketing strategy is very effective because it allows you to sell more products without spending extra money on marketing.

The goal of upselling is to increase the revenue generated from a single customer by increasing the overall value of their purchase. Hence, it is a win-win situation for both you and your customers.

Customers can receive better quality or more value for their money, while you can increase your revenue and profitability.

Nonetheless, it is important to approach upselling in a way that is beneficial to the customer, rather than being pushy or manipulative.

How Does Upselling Work?

Upselling involves offering a higher-end product for your customers to make their purchases more valuable. This means recommending a higher product for them based on their needs.

For example, you go to a supermarket to buy a medium-sized styling gel. Unfortunately, it’s not available and the store attendant asks you to buy a larger size for about 1,000 extra. And you oblige because it’ll last longer. That’s upselling.

In the digital space, upselling can take many forms. For example, let’s say a customer purchases a financial planner worksheet, you can upsell or recommend your Financial Planning course as a high-end product to help them get more value from their purchase.

For upselling to be effective, you must have a deep understanding of your customer’s needs and preferences. You must be able to identify what benefits are most important to the customer and create upsells that meet those needs.

Another approach is to present your upsells in a helpful and informative way, which is what Selar helps you with using the upsell feature. Provide your customers with all the information they need to make an informed decision.

The key to successful upselling, however, is to make the customer feel like they are getting additional value for their money.

Upselling vs Cross-selling

Upselling and cross-selling are two important sales techniques that help you to boost sales of your products without spending more on marketing, but they involve different approaches.

It is a sales technique that involves encouraging a customer to purchase an upgraded or premium version of a product or service they are already interested in.

For example, if a customer wants to buy an ebook on “Introduction to Ads,” you can upsell your “Ultimate Guide to Digital Ads” course to them, giving them more value for their money.

Cross-selling, on the other hand, involves offering a complementary product or service that is related to the product or service the customer is already purchasing.

For example, if a customer purchases an ebook on “Improving Productivity,” you can cross-sell your journal to them, helping them focus on their most important tasks and prioritize.

The key difference between upselling and cross-selling is that upselling involves offering a higher-priced version of the same product or service, while cross-selling involves offering a complementary product or service.

Both techniques can be effective in increasing revenue and enhancing the customer experience.

LEARN: How to Cross-Sell Digital Products to Boost Sales

How to Upsell Digital Products to Boost Sales

Here are some strategies for implementing upsells to boost sales of your digital products;

1. Provide a clear value proposition

A value proposition is a message that clearly communicates the unique value that a product or service provides to customers, and how it meets their needs or solves their problems.

That is, your customer needs to see the value they will receive in the upsell product you are offering to go for it regardless of the price.

One way to show your value proposition is to emphasize the time and money you help your customers save. Using the digital ads course example again, your “Ultimate Guide to Digital Ads” course will help your customer learn everything about digital ads and how to run one easily without being banned than an ebook on “Introduction to Digital Ads” will help them know.

The good part is they wouldn’t need to purchase another product on ads because the course covers everything they need to know. So it’s a buy-it-and-use forever kind of product.

Now, who doesn’t like to save money or time?

With this knowledge, your customers can easily take you up on your offer because they believe that they are saving more money by buying the premium product.

2. Make sure your upsells complement each other

Another strategy for using upsells is to make sure that the product you’re upselling complements each other.

This means that the additional products or services you offer in an upsell should be relevant to the original intended purchase for the customer.

For example, someone who wants to buy a weight loss food recipe doesn’t need a “Weight Gain Food Recipe.”

To offer upsells that complement each other, it’s important to understand the needs and preferences of your customers. What are their pain points, challenges, and goals? What products or services would help them achieve their goals or solve their problems? By answering these questions, you can identify complementary upsells that are relevant and useful to your customers.

When done correctly, complementary upsells can enhance the overall customer experience and provide greater value to customers, while also increasing revenue for the business.

3. Highlight additional benefits

If there’s one marketing strategy that works all the time, it’s selling a transformation to your customers rather than a product.

This means, telling your customers the benefits of your product in a way that it makes their life easier or better rather than the components or functionality of the product.

When customers are considering an initial purchase, they may not be aware of all the potential benefits that come with a product or service. It’s up to you to sell the added value they stand to gain with your upsell product.

Start by understanding your customer’s needs. This means understanding their pain points and the problems that they are trying to solve. This way, you can tailor your messaging to highlight how your digital product can meet their specific needs.

Then, focus on the outcomes. That is, highlight the results your customers will experience when using your products. For example, if you’re selling a digital marketing course, you can highlight how it will help your customer increase their website traffic, generate more leads, and ultimately grow their business.

Always speak for the benefit of the user. The aim is to sell them a transformation that is only achievable with your product, making it more likely that they will make a purchase.

4. Use social proof

Social proof is a powerful marketing strategy that uses the influence of other people to persuade customers to make a purchase.

It is a psychological phenomenon where people are more likely to follow the actions of others, particularly if those actions are seen as popular or desirable.

95% of customers read online reviews before buying a product. You can leverage this by using social proof to highlight customer reviews or testimonials that showcase the value and benefits of the higher-priced versions of their product.

Use social proof to show the value of the premium version of your digital product. Show how it has helped other customers achieve their goals or solve their problems.

This can help to build trust with potential customers and make them more likely to upgrade to a higher-priced version of the product.

While social proof is a good marketing strategy, ensure you use reviews that are authentic and relevant to your target audience to avoid any false or misleading claims.

Tips for Upselling Digital Products

Here are a few tips for cross-selling digital products:

1. Know your customer

Before upselling, have a good understanding of your customer’s needs and preferences. This helps you to tailor your upsell strategy to their specific situation, and offer them a product that is genuinely useful and valuable.

2. Emphasize the benefits

When presenting an upsell opportunity, focus on the additional benefits and features that the premium version of your digital product offers. Highlight how it can help the customer achieve their goals, save time, or increase productivity.

3. Provide context

Help the customer understand why the premium version of your digital product is worth the additional cost. This can include comparing the features and benefits of the premium version to the basic version, or showing how it compares to similar products in the market.

4. Offer a trial or demo

Consider offering a free trial or demo of the premium version of your digital product if possible. This can help the customer see the value for themselves, and make it easier for them to justify the additional cost.

5. Make it easy to upgrade

Ensure that the process of upgrading to the premium version of your digital product is simple and straightforward. This is why lots of creators use Selar to upsell and cross-sell their digital products.

Selar’s upsell and cross-sell features make it very easy for customers to choose your premium product. Thereby, helping you lock every customer down! No time for losses, baby!

Ready to Upsell Your Digital Product?

Upselling is an effective strategy to sell out more of your digital products. By offering your valuable high-priced products to your customers, you can enhance your customer’s experience and increase your revenue while still providing value to your customers.

And if you need a platform where you can host and sell your products and also cross-sell to increase revenue, think Selar. Selar is an all-in-one store builder for creators to sell all kinds of digital products and services.

Start now by hosting your products on Selar and leveraging the upselling feature to boost sales of your digital products.