How to Cross-sell Products: 10 Effective Strategies

Cross-selling is a simple, effective way to grow your earnings by suggesting related products to customers. It’s used by many ecommerce stores, because it’s inexpensive and leverages your existing customer base for your growth.

But successful cross-selling isn’t just about recommending products and hoping for the best. It requires a shopper-first approach that adds real value. When done right, it helps your customers get more from their purchase and builds loyalty by showing that you understand their needs.

In this guide, we’ll explain what cross-selling is, why it matters for your online business, and share 10 practical strategies you can start using today to get the most out of it.

Che cos'è il cross-selling?

Cross-selling is when a business promotes a related or complementary product alongside the one a customer is already buying. For example, someone buying an art print might be offered a frame or another piece in a similar style at checkout.

How does it differ from upselling?

While both cross-selling and upselling aim to increase revenue, they do so in different ways.

Upselling involves encouraging a customer to purchase a more expensive version of the product they’re considering. Using the same example: Instead of suggesting accessories, upselling might nudge someone interested in that art print toward a larger size, higher-spec print style, or a bundle of prints.

See our tips for upselling effectively

What are the benefits of cross-selling?

The primary goal of cross-selling is to increase your profits by maximizing the value of each buying transaction in your shop.

Bringing in new customers can be expensive. In fact, different studies claim it costs between 5 and 25 times more than selling to an existing customer. Meanwhile, if you’ve already done the hard part by attracting someone to your site and convincing them to make a purchase, it costs very little extra to recommend a relevant add-on. 

These secondary products are typically lower in price, so they can feel like quick-and-easy additions that don't require too much thought. However, the revenue this generates can add up: Hubspot reports cross-selling makes up 21% of a business’ revenue, on average. And with no additional advertising costs, the profit margins on cross-sell items tend to be much higher, which is great for your business.

Plus, you need to both keep and add customers if you want to grow. Cross-selling can improve customer satisfaction, especially when it doesn’t feel like a cash grab. When you recommend items that genuinely benefit them, customers will be happier with their purchase. These are the people who are more likely to return and buy from you again and again.

Cross-selling examples

We’ve already touched on cross-selling in a retail context, but it works well for plenty of business models. If you run an online business, these examples can help spark ideas for your own cross-sell strategy.

• Service-based business: As an add-on to their services or an ebook, a social media consultant might sell clients customizable content templates designed to generate more engagement.

• Event-based business: A business that sells in-person workshops or retreats might offer pre-packaged supplies or extra experiences as optional add-ons.

• Digital product and content creators: An online course creator might offer a hyper-focused mini-course as an add-on to a flagship program, or group coaching sessions for enrolled students.

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to cross-selling. The key is to anticipate what your customers might still need, then offer something designed to meet that specific need.

10 cross-selling strategies for small business owners

There are several factors that can influence the success of a cross-sell. Below are 10 practical, time-tested strategies to try, from timing to copywriting techniques, to encourage sales. 

Every audience is different. Apply multiple at once or just one or two, then observe and adjust to find what works for your customers.

1. Choose data-backed product pairings

Your sales history is one of your most valuable assets when it comes to cross-selling because it can show you common buying trends. Look at which products customers naturally buy together so you can recommend proven, high-converting product pairings.

Dig into your transaction data to answer key questions like:

• Which products are frequently bought together?

• What are customers typically willing to spend on top of their main purchase?

• Are there patterns based on product category or order size?

• Are certain product pairings more common at certain times of year?

The better you understand your customers' buying habits, the easier it is to suggest cross-sells that feel intuitive and personalized.

2. Perfect your cross-sell timing

Timing plays an important role in cross-selling. You ideally want to reach a customer when the cross-sell feels like a natural addition and they’re still open to spending more. Typically, online businesses have three opportunities to cross-sell:

1. On the product page: This is your first opportunity to introduce a complementary item. Sections like “Customers also bought” plant the idea early, framing the cross-sell as a natural way to enhance the core product.

2. During checkout: Once a customer is committed to buying, they’re more open to low-cost, low-effort add-ons. A subtle prompt or popup on the checkout page can make for a successful impulse cross-sell without disrupting the purchase.

3. In follow-up emails: After the sale, a new window of opportunity opens. You can recommend add-ons immediately, or wait until the customer has had a chance to use their purchase. See when customers tend to make a follow-up purchase, and use that to time a product recommendation email.

Test all three approaches to see which timing works best for you. Different products may also be more successful at different times as well. 

3. Crea un senso di urgenza

Classic sales tactics like limited-time offers, discounts, or low-stock alerts work well in cross-selling. Urgency can encourage quick decisions from shoppers who might otherwise skip an extra item.

To nudge customers toward an add-on, especially during checkout, try offering a time-sensitive incentive. For example, “Add this item to your basket now to save 10%” or “Only a few left” can create a time-based incentive without feeling overly pushy.

You can also apply this urgency in your follow-up emails by offering a discount if they make a new purchase within a certain timeframe. 

4. Recommend one highly relevant product

Most small businesses see the best results by keeping cross-sell offers simple and focused. Cross-selling often relies on impulse decisions, so the goal is to reduce friction, not create it by introducing a bunch of additional choices. Recommending just one carefully chosen product makes the choice easy: a quick yes or no.

Too many options can lead to analysis paralysis, where customers feel overwhelmed and either skip the cross-sell or rethink their entire purchase. In some cases, providing too many options can even make them abandon their cart, as they realize they have more to consider than they thought. 

Instead, keep it simple, keep it targeted, and make the value of your recommendation clear. That will not only help your customer focus, but gives you more space to promote the product.

5. Leverage social proof

If you’ve ever seen a pop-up that says, “92% of customers also bought this item”, you’ve seen social proof in action. Social proof describes the natural tendency to trust recommendations from regular people—especially those we know—over official marketing from a brand. It taps into our instinct to trust the crowd. It sends the message that if others found this valuable, you probably will, too.

It isn’t only hard stats that work as social proof, either. A glowing review, a customer quote, or a five-star rating next to a recommended product can add just as much credibility. By showing how much other people love the product pairing, you can convince shoppers that the cross-sell is a genuine benefit and not just a sales tactic.

6. Segment your customers

Another way you can use your customer data is to segment your audience based on behavior, then tailor your marketing materials to match what different types of customers are most likely to respond to.

For example, you might group customers by:

• Buyers vs. non-buyers: Focus your cross-sell emails only on those who’ve already purchased the core product. For non-buyers, the priority is still closing that first sale.

• Average order value: Bigger spenders may need less convincing and be more open to higher-priced add-ons.

• Browsing behavior: Customers who’ve viewed specific products or categories may be more receptive to related recommendations.

Hyper-focused customer segments help you craft highly personalized messaging that’s proven to drive more sales. For example, on Squarespace, Email Campaigns includes email automations, which can trigger emails to users based on how they interact with your website and get a cross-sell in front of them at just the right moment.

7. Highlight the benefits

Sometimes, customers won’t immediately see why two products go well together. That’s why your cross-sell should be framed as a way to get better results out of their purchase, not just a way to increase their spending.

Clearly explain how the add-on enhances the main product. This works especially well when the pairing improves their results, ease of use, or just overall enjoyment. For example:

• “Capture more detail with this wide-angle lens for your DSLR camera.”

• “Pairing your moisturizer with SPF will protect your skin and maintain results for longer.”

• “These trimming guards give you better control and precision for your beard style.”

When you highlight why you’re recommending a product, the cross-sell makes sense to your customer, and allows them to see the value you’re proposing to them.

8. Use alternative sales channels

Cross-selling doesn’t have to be limited to your website. Some of the best opportunities come from other customer touchpoints. We’ve covered email, but don’t neglect other channels, like social media.

You can show how products work together through social media posts or videos. A makeup brand might demonstrate a full routine using multiple products from the same line, helping customers see how they complement each other to create a finished look.

By showing how and why products pair well, you can make followers excited and eager to add the extra items to their cart.

For some businesses, you can also consider SMS or push notifications. While they can feel more intrusive than email, they also maximize visibility. Triggering a timely, valuable offer directly to a customer’s device all but guarantees it gets noticed. Just make sure this feels in line with how you communicate with customers and that you use this tactic sparingly.

9. Curate product bundles

Typically, cross-selling involves recommending add-ons after a customer has chosen a core product. An alternative approach is to bundle complementary products in advance. 

By presenting a pre-built package, you’re still encouraging the customer to buy multiple items, but in a way that feels curated and convenient rather than transactional. The shopper also only needs to add one product listing to their cart.

For example, a coffee brand might group beans, a grinder, and mugs into a “Home Brew Starter Kit” instead of pitching each item individually.

Bundles both increase order values and frame the extras as part of a complete solution. You can also discount the bundle slightly, making customers feel like they’re getting better value.

10. Use the tools you already have

Some of these cross-selling strategies might sound complex. However, many of the tactics we’ve covered can be automated with tools you’re probably already using.

Many modern ecommerce platforms, like Squarespace, include built-in product recommendation features and analytics dashboards. Similar to Squarespace Email Campaigns, your email marketing software probably allows you to segment your audience and trigger automated follow-ups, like a reminder email sent one month after a purchase. You may have access to a built-in AI writer to help you brainstorm copy for your cross-sell messages too.

Make the most of the features you’re already paying for. Once set up, many cross-selling tools can run quietly in the background, delivering results with minimal manual work.

Learn more about converting shoppers with automated emails

Cross-selling best practices

The most important thing to remember is that cross-selling is most effective when it feels genuinely helpful. Great cross-sells build trust and make customers feel you understand their needs. Focus on improving the customer experience first and foremost, and the revenue will naturally follow.

When planning out your cross-selling strategy:

• Start by putting yourself in the customer’s shoes. What might they need to get the most from the product they’re buying? What optional extras have others found useful? 

• Don’t be pushy.  A subtle, relevant suggestion is better than aggressive pop-ups or endless, unrelated recommendations. Pushing customers toward random products irritates them and breaks trust. 

• Treat cross-selling as an evolving strategy, not a set-and-forget approach. Track key metrics like average order value, cross-sell conversion rate, and post-purchase engagement. Test what works, refine what doesn’t, and keep tweaking your approach based on your results.

A well-executed cross-sell strategy doesn’t just increase revenue. It improves the customer journey, boosts word-of-mouth, and builds real long-term value for your business. Done right, it’s a win for you and your customers.