How to make customers feel smart for spending more

Hey everyone, welcome back for another bite to chew on.

Brands obsess over lowering CAC but completely miss the easier profit lever: increasing what each customer actually spends.

We recently sat down with Hans Harris, Director of Growth at BrüMate and Zach Ranen, President and Co-Founder of David Protein about this topic.

Both revealed AOV strategies that have nothing to do with complicated funnels or pushy sales tactics. Instead, they're using customer psychology and smart economics to make larger orders feel like the obvious choice.

🍽️ On the Menu:

Consider your most recent AOV test. Did you try "20% off orders over $100"? Maybe "free shipping at $75"?

Here's what both Hans and Zach discovered: the way you frame bulk purchasing completely transforms customer behavior.

When you offer 20% off, you're signaling your product was overpriced to begin with. 

When you offer "Buy 4, Choose 1 Free," you're rewarding customers for making smart decisions.

The mental shift moves from "the company needs to clear inventory" to "I'm being strategic with my purchase."

At Obvi, we learned to focus on what we call the transaction moment, that point when your customer has their wallet out and is ready to buy. Most brands stop optimizing right there, but that's actually where the biggest opportunity begins. 

According to AfterSell's 2025 Benchmarks Report, brands using post-purchase offers see an average of 9.74% additional revenue, with top performers reaching up to 12% conversion rates.

That's why AfterSell just released their 2025 Ecommerce Benchmarks Report, the most comprehensive analysis of what's actually working for AOV optimization right now.

The data backs up everything BrüMate and David Protein do:

We've seen this firsthand at Obvi. Since implementing AfterSell for our checkout optimization, our average order value went up by 15%. We're also earning an extra 50 cents per order through post-purchase offers from third parties, all while improving the customer experience.

Whether you're trying David Protein's volume psychology or BrüMate's confirmation page strategy, this report gives you the benchmarks to execute with confidence.

👉 Download the complete 2025 Ecommerce Benchmarks Report (free)

Now back to the playbooks…

The David Protein Approach: Volume Psychology That Feels Smart

David Protein uses multiple volume-based strategies that make customers feel smart for buying more, according to Zach. Here's their approach:

Strategy #1: "Buy 4, Get 1" Over Percentage Discounts 

Their "Buy 4, Get 1" strategy has really high uptake compared to traditional discounts. Instead of signaling the product was overpriced with percentage off, it rewards smart shopping behavior.

Strategy #2: Progressive Free Shipping Thresholds 

They offer "free shipping on orders of two cartons or more." 

When customers see they can spread shipping costs across multiple items, buying more feels economical rather than expensive.

Strategy #3: Gifts That Encourage Higher Volume 

At 3 cartons, they add "a gift with purchase." This creates clear value stepping stones that guide customers toward larger orders without feeling pushy.

BrüMate sells durable drinkware that customers typically buy once, making AOV optimization critical. 

Hans revealed: "The confirmation page is where brands usually drop the ball. Customers have their wallet out, they're happy with their purchase, and their payment info is already saved, but brands just say 'thanks' and call it done."

At Obvi, we shifted focus to something we actually control, our checkout experience. Along with BrüMate we know this as a massive opportunity to capture value at this peak engagement moment. 

Here’s BrüMate’s approach:

Strategy #1: Monetize the Thank You Page 

BrüMate turned their confirmation page into "an additional revenue stream" instead of just order confirmation. Hans places post-purchase upsells on his thank you page + third party offers using ROKT thanks. This generates incremental revenue from every order, transforming what most brands treat as a simple "thanks" into an active profit center.

Strategy #2: Layer in Attribution Data 

Hans uses "how did you hear about us" surveys to capture traffic attribution that Meta can't track.

Strategy #3: Turn Surveys Into Revenue Data 

Beyond just asking "how did you hear about us," Hans uses post-purchase surveys to collect demographic data and purchase timing insights that help optimize their entire funnel.

Looking at successful implementations from both David Protein and BrüMate, several patterns emerge that you can start testing immediately.

The Volume vs. Discount Testing Opportunity 

The biggest lift comes from reframing customer psychology. Brands using multiple upsell strategies see 4.3x higher revenue per visitor vs. single offers according to the AfterSell data.

Confirmation Page Timing Matters 

Hans emphasized that the confirmation page moment is when "customers have their wallet out and payment info saved." Test different offers when engagement peaks rather than hoping for email conversions later.

At Obvi, we layer multiple revenue opportunities into our confirmation page. We use Rokt Thanks, which shows third-party offers from premium brands like Disney+, HelloFresh, and ESPN that generate pure profit for every customer acceptance, plus our own product upsells to capture additional value when customer engagement peaks.

Start with a simple testing framework:

Your 4-Week Implementation Plan

The beauty of AOV psychology optimization is that you can start seeing results immediately.

Unlike overhauling your entire marketing strategy, these are targeted tests that can be implemented and measured quickly.

Week 1: Audit Your Current State 

Map your current discount strategy and confirmation page experience. Calculate current AOV and conversion rates at each step Benchmark against the AfterSell industry standards.

Week 2: Test Volume Psychology 

Start with "Buy X, Get Y" offers on your best-selling products. Test 2-3 volume thresholds against percentage discounts. Track which approach drives higher take rates and customer satisfaction.

Week 3: Add Confirmation Page Revenue 

Week 4: Scale What Works 

Increase budget on the highest-performing psychology approaches. Test subscription conversion offers for one-time purchasers. Consider membership models if you're in a high-repeat category

Key Metrics to Track:

Immediate: Take rate on volume offers vs. percentage discounts, confirmation page conversion rates 

Long-term: Overall AOV increase, customer lifetime value by approach Advanced: Segment performance by traffic source and customer type