Boosting Sales with the WooCommerce Side Cart Plugin: A Guide to Increasing Average Order Value

In the competitive world of eCommerce, increasing your average order value (AOV) is an effective way to grow revenue without adding extra marketing costs. One tool that helps achieve this goal is the Side cart WooCommerce plugin. By making the cart experience more interactive and accessible, it encourages customers to add more to their cart, leading to higher overall purchases. In this guide, we’ll explore how to use the WooCommerce Side Cart plugin to increase AOV and enhance the customer shopping experience on your site.

What is the WooCommerce Side Cart Plugin?

The WooCommerce Side Cart plugin adds a dynamic slide-in cart view to your website, allowing customers to view and manage their items without having to leave the current page. Traditional cart pages can disrupt the browsing experience, leading to potential cart abandonment. The side cart, however, offers a non-intrusive way for customers to keep track of their items, view their totals, and make quick adjustments. This feature simplifies the shopping experience and keeps customers engaged with their cart—encouraging them to add additional items as they browse.

Key Features of the WooCommerce Side Cart Plugin

The WooCommerce side cart plugin brings several features that make it ideal for increasing AOV. Here’s an overview of its primary benefits:

1. Instant Cart Access:

   • The side cart appears immediately after a customer adds an item, maintaining their focus on the cart. This gentle reminder encourages shoppers to review their items and potentially add more.

2. Non-Intrusive Display:

   • Unlike pop-ups that may disrupt the browsing experience, the side cart slides in smoothly from the side. This approach keeps users on the current page while allowing easy access to their cart.

3. Quick Cart Updates:

   • Customers can update item quantities, remove products, or view totals from the side cart without interrupting their browsing. This ease of access makes for a smooth shopping experience, helping reduce cart abandonment.

4. Customizable Appearance:

   • The plugin allows customization of the cart’s colors and layout, letting you match it to your store’s branding. This adds consistency and enhances the professional look of your website.

5. Built-in Upsell and Cross-sell Options:

   • The WooCommerce popup cart can display recommended products or related items. This feature encourages additional purchases, helping to increase AOV.

How to Use the Side cart WooCommerce plugin to Increase Average Order Value

Once you’ve installed the Side Cart for WooCommerce plugin, here are some strategies for using it to increase AOV:

1. Offer Product Recommendations

Display relevant product suggestions in the side cart. For instance, if a customer adds a camera to their cart, you can suggest lenses, tripods, or memory cards. These relevant recommendations encourage customers to add complementary items, which can significantly increase the total value of their order.

2. Show Limited-Time Discounts

Encourage customers to add more items by highlighting limited-time offers in the side cart. For instance, offer a small discount (like 10% off) for an additional item. Seeing a discount opportunity every time they open the WooCommerce popup cart nudges them toward adding more items to take advantage of the deal.

3. Promote Free Shipping Thresholds

One of the most effective ways to increase AOV is to display a free shipping threshold. If a customer’s current order is close to the free shipping minimum, a prompt in the side cart can remind them how much more they need to add. This strategy incentivizes customers to add another item or two to qualify for free shipping.

4. Highlight Limited-Stock Products

Using the Side cart WooCommerce plugin, you can mark items with low stock or limited availability. Displaying a “limited stock” message next to these items in the side cart can create urgency, encouraging customers to purchase additional items before they run out.

5. Bundle Related Items for Added Value

Offering product bundles is a classic strategy to increase AOV. For example, if a customer adds a phone, the side cart could suggest a bundled option that includes headphones and a case at a slightly discounted rate. This approach incentivizes customers to buy multiple items together, increasing the total order value.

6. Streamline the Checkout Process

Reducing cart abandonment is crucial for maximizing sales, and simplifying the checkout process is a big part of that. With a cart popup WooCommerce feature, customers can view their order summary, make any last adjustments, and head straight to checkout. This reduces steps and potential friction, making it easier for customers to complete their purchase and increasing the likelihood of a higher-value order.

How to Set Up the Side cart WooCommerce plugin

Setting up the Side Cart WooCommerce plugin is easy. Follow these simple steps:

1. Install and Activate the Plugin:

   • Go to the WordPress dashboard, select Plugins > Add New, and search for the WooCommerce Side Cart plugin. Once it’s located, click Install and then Activate.

2. Adjust Plugin Settings:

   • After activation, head to the plugin settings where you can customize colors, animations, and layouts. Be sure to align the design with your store’s overall branding for a cohesive appearance.

3. Enable Upselling and Cross-selling:

   • In the settings, enable upselling and cross-selling options to ensure product recommendations appear in the side cart. You can choose related products manually or set automated rules based on product categories.

4. Test on Different Devices:

   • Before going live, test the side cart on various devices and browsers. Make sure the design is responsive and all functions, like adding and removing items, work smoothly for the best customer experience.

Why the WooCommerce Side Cart Plugin is a Smart Investment

Adding an interactive, accessible cart to your WooCommerce store doesn’t just improve customer convenience—it actively encourages customers to review and update their items, making them more likely to add more products to their cart. The WooCommerce side cart plugin provides a seamless shopping experience that motivates customers to purchase additional items, increasing AOV and improving user satisfaction.

The plugin’s flexibility makes it easy to integrate into your store’s design, so it feels like a natural extension of your website. By offering tailored recommendations, exclusive offers, and limited-stock notices, the side cart serves as a subtle but effective tool to increase order size. The convenience of reviewing and adjusting the cart from any page also leads to fewer abandoned carts, further boosting your store’s revenue potential.

Final Thoughts

With the WooCommerce Side Cart plugin, you can offer customers a modern, intuitive shopping experience that enhances their journey and increases their chances of making additional purchases. By using product suggestions, creating urgency with limited-stock items, and simplifying the path to checkout, you can create a dynamic shopping experience that effectively increases average order value.

The WooCommerce Side Cart plugin is an excellent solution for online stores looking to drive more revenue from existing traffic. Try implementing it today and start turning casual browsers into loyal customers with higher order values!