What are order bumps and revenue boosters, and why should I use them?

Order bumps and revenue boosters are tried-and-true retail tactics that significantly increase your average order value (AOV). An order bump is offering an additional item at the point of sale—like when McDonald’s asks ‘would you like fries with that?’ or hardware stores snake you through low-ticket items (beef jerky, duct tape, key chains) while you wait to check out. A revenue booster happens after the purchase—like rounding up change for charity when the credit card is already out. For artists, this means: when someone buys a $1,200 metal print, offer to add coasters for $39.99 (order bump). After the transaction completes, offer a matching phone case (revenue booster). These tactics work both in-person and online. What works in retail works online—it’s undefeated. The same psychology applies to your art business.

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Asked by general teaching point · Answered by Patrick Shanahan · art-marketing-podcast · 2026-04-06