Order bumps and upsells are common sales tactics that let you provide extra value while gaining more revenue.
Systeme.io lets you use both within your sales funnels, and they’re really easy to set up.
Key Takeaways:
- Add low-priced order bumps to the checkout page for quick purchasing
- Upsells are displayed after initial purchase and contain high-value products
- Downsells can be offered if the upsell is rejected
The Difference Between Systeme.io Order Bumps and Upsells
Although order bumps and upsells serve the same purpose (to make you even more money!), they don’t operate in the same way.
An order bump appears on the checkout page right before the customer clicks to confirm the original purchase. It’s typically a low-friction, complementary product offered at a low price.
For instance, if you’re selling a course, you might offer a workbook or additional lessons as your order bump.
The point is that the customer shouldn’t have to think too much about purchasing. It should grab their attention and offer great value.
In contrast, upsells appear after the initial purchase has been made. They are displayed on a fresh page post-checkout with a whole new sales message.
Upsells are used for higher-value products that act as an extension to the original purchase. So, if you sell a course, a suitable upsell would be coaching sessions or advanced training.
When to Use a Systeme.io Upsell vs. an Order Bump
If you’re new to these sales tactics, it can sometimes be hard to determine whether you should use an order bump or an upsell.
Essentially, look at what you want to offer alongside your main product, and ask yourself these questions:
- Is the product a lower-priced add-on or extra? If yes, you want an order bump.
- Is the additional product the same price or higher than your original offer? If yes, you want an upsell.
- Do you want to keep the checkout process quick and distraction-free? If yes, pick an order bump.
- Does the product require explanations on why the customer should purchase it? If yes, pick an upsell.
Systeme.io Downsells Explained
To throw another option into the mix, you may also want to consider using a downsell.
These are used when a customer declines an upsell and offers a cheaper or smaller alternative.
For instance, if the customer declines your offer of a $500 one-to-one coaching package, they may be tempted instead by a $100 group coaching session.
Use downsells with caution—offering too many can annoy the customer and prevent them from making future repeat purchases.
What Makes a Good Order Bump?
Three characteristics go into making an order bump irresistible:
- Low price point (and discounted): The customer shouldn’t have to think about whether they can afford an order bump. It should be a no-brainer, no-consideration type of deal. Under $50 is a good level for an order bump.
- Highly relevant offer: It needs to be intrinsically linked to the main product and help enhance or speed up the outcome.
- Instant: Purchasers must be given immediate access right after they purchase.
6 Ideas for High-Converting Order Bumps
| Order bump | How and why it works |
|---|---|
| Mini course | Add-on lessons that teach specific or advanced skills. Good to offer when a full course is the main purchase, as it adds extra value. |
| Templates and swipe files | People love items that are ready to use because they save time and hassle. For instance, document templates and prebuilt spreadsheets. |
| Toolkits | Planners, worksheets, calculators, etc. All of these things aid the customer in getting the job done more effectively. |
| Live or pre-recorded webinar | Masterclasses, Q&A sessions, etc. All give the customer more insight and value without them having to make much of an effort. |
| Cheatsheets and checklists | Quick reference, bullet-pointed information simplifies processes. Cheatsheets give away “secrets” that are always hard to resist! |
| Low-value physical product | Tangible items can work, but remember they’re not instantly received. Books and tools are good options. For example, a mini gardening set complements a course on the subject. |
What’s an Effective Upsell?
Four key ingredients go into a high-converting upsell:
- Higher Price Point: The upsell should be of higher value but still relative to the main offer (and audience). For instance, a reasonable upsell cost would be $150 if the main offer is $100.
- Something That Gets Faster Results: The upsell should help the customer get to the finish line faster or with less effort than if they only purchased the main offer.
- Standalone Value: The product should make sense on its own and could be purchased without taking up the main offer.
- Exclusivity: Limited access or VIP positioning will help frame the upsell as an exclusive product.
4 Winning Upsell Ideas
| Upsell | How and why it works |
|---|---|
| Live 1:1 or group coaching | Adds hands-on help and personalized guidance. Good to offer on top of a course or learning experience. |
| Community access | Exclusive community groups enable ongoing support and other perks, such as access to a network of like-minded people. |
| Done-for-you content | Saves considerable time and effort from building or creating something from scratch. |
| VIP access | Offer advantages like priority support, early access to content, or access to the product creator. This is great for building loyalty among your audience. |
Of course, this list (and the order bump list) is by no means exhaustive. Take a good look at your main product and think about what could work. It’s always worth getting feedback from others to see what they think you should offer.
How to Create an Order Bump in Systeme.io (A Quick Guide)
Head to Websites > Sales Funnels and choose which sales funnel you want to add the bump to. Or, if you don’t yet have a funnel, click to create a new one.
After selecting the funnel, make sure you click into the Order Form funnel step. Scroll to the bottom of the screen, and you’ll find the option to add an order bump.
After clicking to add a bump, you can select between a digital and a physical product.
Word of warning: Systeme.io does not have any features to support selling physical products. All your inventory, shipping, etc. must be managed outside the platform.
Really, I only recommend this option if you only plan to sell in low quantities.
To add a digital product, here’s what to do:
- If you have previously set up the digital product, see if you can select it from the dropdown.
- If nothing is available in the dropdown, click the blue + sign to the right of the screen.
- Give the order bump product a name.
- Click the blue + to the right of Resources. You can pick from:
- Courses: Adds a single course you’ve already created in Systeme.io
- Course Bundle: Adds several pre-created courses (of your choosing)
- Tag: Assigns a tag to the customer’s contact details. You can use this to create an automation that sends an email with instructions on how to access the product. Use this if the upsell product was not created within Systeme.io
- Community: Gives access to a community you have set up in Systeme.io
- Next, click the blue + sign next to Price plans.
- If you have an existing price plan, select it. If not, click to create a new one.
- Give the price plan a name and statement descriptor (what appears on the customer’s bank account statement after purchase).
- Choose your price plan type: One-time payment, subscription, or payment plan, and input the monetary amount.
- Hit Save.
That’s your order bump all configured. Now, you have to add it to the funnel page.
Make sure you still have the Order form page selected, scroll to the top, and click to edit the page.
Find the Order bump element from the left-hand menu and drag and drop it onto the page.
You can now spend some time customizing the order bump box. In my opinion, it looks super outdated, but you can change the design and get it looking a bit more attractive.
Once you’ve done this, click Save and check out the preview (click the eye icon). You’ll be able to see how your order bump will look for the customer.
How to Create an Upsell in Systeme.io (A Quick Guide)
Head into Websites > Funnels and select which funnel you want to add the upsell to.
- Click to add a new step.
- Give the step page a name so you can easily identify it.
- Select the Upsell page type from the dropdown. Note that you can also select Downsell here.
- Pick a template (or opt to build your page from scratch).
Now, all you have to do is select and configure the upsell product in the exact same way as you did for an order bump above:
- Name the product.
- Select the desired resources (course, bundle, tag, or community).
- Select the price plan or create a new one.
Of course, you’ll have to go in and edit the upsell page with a compelling message on why the customer should purchase it.
You will also need to create another funnel step containing a thank-you page that customers are directed to once they make the purchase.
Examples of Systeme.io Upsell Templates
Systeme.io provides 23 upsell templates in total.
This is a pretty simple template, but it’s effective because it features a progress bar along the top (telling customers how many steps there are before they finish the process).
Additionally, the countdown timer adds urgency.
Here’s an upsell template for a physical product. I would, however, add text and image elements to the page that explain the product in more detail.
Here’s one that uses video to showcase the offer with bold bullet points to emphasize the key benefits.
A countdown timer and customer testimonials are featured further down the page.
You’ll notice that all the templates have a “no thanks” opt-out button. If a customer clicks on this, it can direct them to a downsell page.
This example shows that the customer is getting a deal by displaying the original price followed by the discounted price. You can adjust this in the page editor—all you do is select the strikethrough text formatting option to create the “crossed out” pricing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Systeme.io Plans Include Order Bumps and Upsells?
All Systeme.io plans include order bumps and upsells. The Free plan gives you one of each, the Startup plan gives 10 of each, the Webinar plan gives 100, and the Unlimited plan has no limits.
Does Systeme.io Support Physical Products as Order Bumps and Upsells?
Yes, you can add physical products as order bumps and upsells in Systeme.io. However, the platform does not provide e-commerce tools like shipping and inventory management. Therefore, efficiently facilitating physical product sales may be a challenge.
