#161: One reason your cart isn’t converting.

When we removed this upsell, conversions jumped 5.2%

June 25, 2025

Join 21,330 brand owners, operators and marketers. Subscribe here.

No. 161: Hey all,

Before we get started, tomorrow I’ll be LIVE showing you how to sell more to your returning customers.

We’ll break down our exact formula for designing homepages that convert more of your returning visitors and customers.

Back to today’s takeaway…

You’ve heard that the cart is a great place to boost AOV.

But adding upsells and CTAs without testing them? A common misstep.

And it’s one most brands overlook.

We recently ran a test that proved fewer options convert more.

Here’s how and when to use it.

In under 2 minutes, take away:

Read time: 1.5 minutes

📅 LIVE TRAINING:

The Homepage Conversion Formula

How to Design Homepages that Convert Both New and Returning Visitors

What if you could design a homepage that's guaranteed to convert BOTH new visitors AND loyal returning customers?

As customer acquisition costs continue to increase, smart 8-figure brands are becoming more reliant on their existing customer base to increase revenue.

But here's the problem: your brand's homepage is still designed to focus on first-time visitors while ignoring your most valuable customers.

Thats’s why we're going to show you exactly how to design a homepage that's guaranteed to convert every type of visitor at your revenue level.

Join us LIVE tomorrow Thursday, June 26th at 11am PT (2pm ET) for a FREE training.

Get ready to learn:

  • The psychology behind what new vs. returning visitors want to see (and how it changes at 8-figure scale)

  • The exact dual-conversion layout we use for brands doing $10M-$100M annually How to create personalized homepage experiences that scale with your traffic volume

  • An action-packed teardown of 8-figure brand homepages that convert both audiences

Then, ask all your questions LIVE with Blue Stout experts.

Can’t make it? No worries. We'll share the recording with all who sign up.

🎯 WEEKLY INSIGHT

Simplify your cart to close more sales on mobile.

When shoppers are ready to buy, more options can mean more friction.

For a wellness CPG brand, we tested removing multiple upsells and prompts from the cart drawer.

Before:

The cart drawer was packed with distractions:

➕ “Upgrade to subscription”

➕ “You May Also Like” items with 3 spread-out “Add” buttons

➕ A bottom row with both “Continue Shopping” and “Checkout”

After:

We removed it all.

Except one clear “Checkout” button.

The result? A 5.2% increase in conversion rate.

This test worked especially well for a brand in CPG.

Why?

Their products are problem-solving, not indulgent.

Shoppers come in looking for a fast fix.

Extra upsells or distractions in the cart don’t add value in that moment. They actually create doubt.

By removing friction and offering a clear checkout button, we made it easier to complete a purchase confidently.

Yes, upsells in the cart work! But 161 if they’re tested.

Blindly stacking on more CTAs doesn’t guarantee revenue.

When in doubt, simplify.

⭐ Takeaway: Keep your cart focused and only feature upsells that have been tested and proven to convert at a higher Revenue Per Session.

As always, test!

🕙 WHAT’S BREWING

The 3 major changes that led to a 43% conversion bump in a Shopify Plus migration.

📣 IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Real customer images boost footwear brand’s conversion rate.

How to narrow your focus for greater profits.

Try these strategies to increase AOV.

🗞️ NEWS HIGHLIGHT

👀 FROM LAST WEEK

#160: Lead with your most approachable product to convert new customers.

💡 ALLEN’S QUICK TIP

👊 STOUT SUCCESS

Ready to talk shop? Book a strategy call with me.

Was today's insight valuable?

Help shape the next Commerce Lab edition 🏆

Login or Subscribe to participate in polls.

Let’s work together. Here are 3 ways I can help:

That's all for today.

If you enjoyed this, please consider forwarding it to a friend, founder, or fellow marketer.

And if you have any comments/questions, I'd love to hear them.

Until next time.

— Allen