Many ecommerce businesses struggle to balance ad spend with profitability. For many WooCommerce stores, the cost of driving traffic can outweigh the revenue it generates. In some cases, sales barely cover ad spend, leaving little to no margin once product and shipping costs are included.
When advertising costs start to outweigh revenue, it can feel like the only choices are to stop spending or double down in the hope of boosting sales. But top Australian ecommerce brands take a smarter route. Rather than chasing more traffic, they focus on making the store more profitable.
Rising ad costs can quickly erode profits, making growth feel out of reach. The key is to focus on attracting customers who are more likely to make repeat purchases and contribute to sustainable success.
Here are three actionable strategies which can help make a WooCommerce store more profitable without increasing ad spend.
The information contained in this blog is general information, it is not financial or investment advice. Similarly, you should assess the risks and suitability of suggested plugins and tools for your specific business needs and technical environment before use.
Lever 1: Increase the Average Order Value (AOV)
The idea is simple: if acquiring a customer costs $50, the profit is far greater when they spend $150 instead of $60. The focus is on increasing basket sizes, so customer acquisition costs take up a smaller share of the revenue.
For WooCommerce users, there are several effective ways to achieve this.
Create irresistible product bundles
Aussies love a bargain, but convenience is just as important. Bundling compatible products into a package at a discounted price creates value for customers while helping clear inventory and boosting AOV. Consumer behaviour suggests that people prefer fewer decisions. Bundles simplify the process, reducing friction and making it easier to choose.
The default WooCommerce setup works well for simple and grouped products, but creating advanced product bundles requires a dedicated plugin like Product Bundles or Ultimate Mix And Match Products. These tools allow you to create a new bundle product type, include both simple and variable products, and automatically apply discounts.
How to do it in WooCommerce:
The strategy
A skincare store, for example, could offer more than just a cleanser. A "Morning Routine Kit" that includes a cleanser, toner, and moisturiser at 15% off the individual prices not only increases perceived value but also encourages customers to spend more.
The tech
Use the plugin’s bundle or composite product type to create the bundle, offer variation options (e.g., skin type), and set the bundled price with discounts. This ensures customers see the value and can add the entire kit to their cart with a single click.
Set smart free shipping thresholds
Shipping costs in Australia are notoriously high. Sending a parcel from Sydney to Perth isn't cheap, and customers know this. However, the psychological hurdle of paying for shipping is massive. A "Spend $X for free delivery" limit is one of the most effective nudges in ecommerce.
How to do it in WooCommerce:
The strategy
Start by checking the current Average Order Value (AOV). For example, if the AOV is $75, set the free shipping threshold at $99. This encourages customers with $80 worth of items in their cart to add a $19 "filler" product to qualify for free shipping.
The tech
Navigate to WooCommerce > Settings > Shipping. Set up a shipping zone for Australia and add a "Free Shipping" method with the requirement set to "A minimum order amount." To enhance the experience, consider using plugins like Booster for WooCommerce to display a notice in the cart, such as "Only $15 more to qualify for free shipping!"
Implement strategic cross-selling
Top ecommerce brands ensure customers are presented with an additional offer before leaving the checkout page. It’s the digital equivalent of the chocolate bars strategically placed at supermarket checkouts.
How to do it in WooCommerce:
The strategy
If a customer is purchasing a leather tech bag, suggest complementary items such as a leather care kit or a matching cable organiser.
The tech
WooCommerce has built-in "Linked Products" settings for up-sells and cross-sells.
-
Up-sells appear on the product page (e.g., "Why not upgrade to the deluxe version?").
-
Cross-sells appear in the cart (e.g., "Add batteries for $5").
-
For a more proactive approach, consider using Sales Booster for WooCommerce. This plugin adds "frequently bought together" prompts and one-click order bumps at checkout.Lever 2:
Improve conversion rate (CR)
Even a slight improvement in conversion rate can lead to big revenue gains without spending more on ads. For example, a site with a 1% conversion rate makes 10 sales from 1,000 visitors. Boosting that to 2% doubles sales to 20, cutting acquisition costs in half.
Streamline the checkout process
Friction kills sales. In Australia, mobile shopping leads the way, but lengthy, awkward checkout forms quickly drive customers away. Each additional field increases the chance of drop-offs. The aim is to make checkout quick, simple, and effortless.
How to do it in WooCommerce:
The strategy
Reduce cognitive load at the point of payment. When account creation is required, the experience should still feel lightweight and intentional. Ask only for information that is genuinely required to process the payment and fulfil the order. Remove anything that feels administrative or irrelevant.
Clear copy also matters. Customers should understand why they are creating an account (order history, refunds, subscriptions, invoices, change delivery details) rather than feeling like it’s a barrier put in their way.
The tech
Use Zai’s WooCommerce plugin to securely process payments directly within the WooCommerce checkout flow. The plugin seamlessly connects your store to Zai without requiring custom development, enabling customers to complete payment in one smooth, on-site experience.
Consider using a plugin like Checkout Field Editor to remove unnecessary fields, such as “Fax Number” or other outdated defaults included in your theme. Fewer fields mean faster completion, particularly on mobile.
Build trust with social proof
Aussie shoppers tend to be sceptical, often seeking reassurance that a business is credible, the product delivers as promised, and orders will arrive as expected. Prominently display customer reviews, security badges, and high-quality visuals to build trust.
How to do it in WooCommerce:
The strategy
Avoid hiding reviews on a separate page. Position them prominently near the "Add to Basket" button.
The tech
Integrate a review aggregator such as Yotpo or Wiser Review with WooCommerce. These tools can automatically email customers post-purchase to request reviews and display them in a widget directly on product pages.
Ensure the site is secured with an SSL certificate (indicated by the padlock icon). Display credibility badges, such as Australian Made, prominently in the footer.
Optimise performance and usability
Conversion rate optimisation hinges on how straightforward it is for customers to complete a purchase. Research indicates that ecommerce sites loading in one second can achieve conversion rates up to 2.5 times higher than those taking five seconds. Even a one-second delay in page load time can reduce conversions by approximately 7 percent. These performance and usability challenges impact all customers, whether on desktop or mobile, directly influencing trust, engagement, and sales.
How to do it in WooCommerce:
The strategy
Ensure the purchasing experience is clear, fast, and seamless across both desktop and mobile. Issues that reduce conversion often appear first on mobile, including hard-to-tap buttons, popups that block key actions, unnecessary steps, or layouts that break. These problems affect all users, eroding trust and sales. Improving usability, speed, and clarity lifts conversion rates, supports SEO performance, increases AI referrals and increases the efficiency of paid traffic.
Review the purchasing journey on both desktop and mobile. Go through the process from product page to checkout. Check that key actions are easy to find, buttons are simple to click or tap, and popups can be dismissed. Ensure images load properly and nothing interrupts or slows progress.
The tech
-
Use Google Chrome → View → Developer Tools to preview mobile layouts and confirm spacing, button placement and interactions behave as expected. This often reveals layout issues or broken interactions that might not show up in a desktop preview.
-
Test performance using Lighthouse (found in Developer Tools) and validate load speed and time to interactive using GTmetrix.
Reduce load times by implementing caching with a plugin such as WP Rocket or W3 Total Cache. -
Compress and resize product images using tools like Smush or ShortPixel. Large, unoptimised images are one of the most common causes of slow WooCommerce sites.
-
Ensure your hosting provider uses servers located in Melbourne or your nearest city, to reduce latency for Australian customers.
Lever 3: Maximise lifetime value (LTV)
Sustainable growth isn't built on one-time buyers. It relies on generating more revenue from your current customer base. The most expensive thing you can do is acquire a new customer; the cheapest thing you can do is sell to an existing one.
Build a loyalty program
Reward loyal customers. If someone purchases coffee beans, provide a compelling reason to keep them coming back rather than turning to a competitor.
How to do it in WooCommerce:
The strategy
Introduce a "Points for purchase" system. For every dollar spent, customers earn a point. Once they reach 100 points, they can redeem $10 off their next order.
The tech
YITH WooCommerce Points and Rewards allows customers to earn points for actions like writing reviews or signing up for a newsletter. This helps increase engagement and encourage repeat purchases. If offering rewards for reviews, make sure they are given for all feedback, whether positive or negative in full; as well as clearly disclosed as incentivised. Always disclose rewards to stay compliant with Australian Consumer Law.
Personalised engagement via email
Generic “batch and blast” newsletters tend to underperform compared to data-driven campaigns. Modern eCommerce brands increasingly rely on WooCommerce customer data to deliver personalised product recommendations, which consistently drive higher engagement and conversion rates.
How to do it in WooCommerce:
The strategy
If a customer purchased a puppy collar three months ago, avoid promoting unrelated items like cat food. Instead, use purchase timing to recommend products suited to a growing dog, such as an indestructible chew toy designed for teething or early adult chewing.
The tech
Integrate WooCommerce with an email marketing platform like Klaviyo or Mailchimp.
-
Klaviyo is designed specifically for e-commerce and leverages WooCommerce data in real time to power advanced segmentation and automation. Brands can trigger personalised flows based on customer behaviour, lifetime spend, product views, and purchase timing, supporting use cases like VIP tiers, predictive win-back, replenishment reminders, and tailored post-purchase journeys that evolve as the customer’s behaviour changes.
-
Mailchimp appeals to businesses looking for a simpler, all-in-one marketing platform. Using WooCommerce data, merchants can segment customers based on purchase behaviour or inactivity and run promotional or re-engagement campaigns alongside regular brand newsletters.
-
Set up automated flows:
-
Welcome Series for new subscribers
-
Abandoned Cart to re-engage those who left without completing a purchase
-
Post-purchase flows starting with a “Thank you” email, followed by a product care guide and a cross-sell 14 days later
-
The bottom line
Outspending competitors is not always necessary to win. Often, success comes from making smarter decisions.
Focus on three levers: increasing average order value, improving conversion rate, and growing lifetime value. Together, these create a strong and sustainable ecommerce business.
Small, deliberate improvements across these levers compound over time.
Start by reviewing the WooCommerce dashboard and identifying a single priority area. Make one targeted change, whether that is installing a plugin, adjusting a setting, or refining an email flow.
When approached systematically, incremental optimisation becomes a durable commercial advantage rather than a one-off uplift.
The information contained in this blog is of a general nature only. It does not take into account your individual objectives, financial situation or needs. It is not intended as financial or investment advice and should not be relied upon as such. The information provided is correct as at the time of publication.
About the Author
Maryanne Ciego is a marketing leader and FinTech/SaaS strategist with over 15 years of experience driving growth in fast-paced B2B environments. Known for blending data-driven strategy with creative storytelling, she builds impactful brand narratives that resonate and perform.
