WooCommerce average order value (AOV)

Average order value (AOV) tells you how much a typical order is worth. With purchase revenue and order counts, PureMetrix shows whether your campaigns bring in large or small orders.

Quick definition

AOV = revenue ÷ number of orders. Details: what is AOV.

Measuring in PureMetrix

PureMetrix calculates AOV from the Purchase events your shop sends with each order (shown as Average Order (AOV) in the Commerce view of the paid Growth plan). Break it down by campaign and landing page.

What raises AOV

Bundles and “frequently bought together” suggestions.
A minimum order value for free shipping.
Related product suggestions in the cart.
Removing surprise fees at the end that make people shrink their basket.

Pitfalls when comparing numbers

PureMetrix records the order total at checkout (including tax and shipping) and does not subtract later refunds, so it can differ from WooCommerce reports. Agree on one definition with whoever handles your finances before numbers go into management reports.

Look at conversion rate too

Raising AOV while far fewer people buy can shrink your total revenue. What counts is visitors × conversion rate × AOV together, not one number on its own.

Testing changes

Change one thing at a time. Watch purchases and AOV for two full shopping cycles (for example two weeks) before you call it a success.

What changes basket size

Bundles, related product suggestions, free-shipping thresholds, and fewer surprise fees change AOV far more than a new chart colour. Use PureMetrix purchase revenue and order counts by campaign to see whether paid traffic brings small or valuable orders.

Shops with several currencies must report per currency or convert consistently—mixing currencies creates fake AOV spikes.

Refunds and tax

Check whether your WooCommerce reports show revenue with or without tax; PureMetrix uses the order total including tax. Refunds come later, so last week’s marketing AOV will not match the finance figures once returns are processed. Agree in writing which definition the dashboard uses.

Comparing AOV by campaign

Sort campaigns by AOV and by revenue. A campaign with high AOV and few orders can earn more margin than coupon traffic with low AOV. PureMetrix revenue divided by orders per campaign makes this visible without a separate reporting project.

Keep an eye on free-shipping thresholds: they raise AOV but can increase abandoned carts if set too high—look at both.

Changes in product mix

AOV also moves when your bestsellers change, not only when you change the shop. Note new product launches in your reports so a range change is not mistaken for a checkout improvement.

Wholesale customers in the same shop

If wholesale buyers use the same WooCommerce store, their large orders distort AOV. Separate them in WooCommerce by payment method or customer role. The PureMetrix campaign filter will not hide wholesale orders unless those customers arrive through their own tagged links or pages.

Taking returns into account

Categories with high AOV and many returns can be worth less than modest everyday products. Once a month, compare AOV per campaign from PureMetrix with returns per category from WooCommerce. Do not judge marketing only on order values before returns.

Partial refunds also change the net AOV—for official figures, the finance definition wins.

If your business depends on subscriptions, look at first orders and renewals separately; mixing them hides whether new customers place healthy orders.

Testing free-shipping thresholds

Test free-shipping thresholds with equal traffic groups where possible. Watch AOV and abandoned carts together in PureMetrix and WooCommerce. A higher threshold that raises AOV but stops many people from completing their order is not a success—say so clearly in the test summary.

Gift-wrapping options push AOV up; check whether they also push up abandonment on mobile, where the extra option can crowd the payment button.

With currency switcher plugins, look at AOV per currency; otherwise exchange rate swings dominate your PureMetrix revenue charts.

B2B vs B2C in one shop

If businesses and consumers share one WooCommerce catalogue, the combined AOV describes neither group. Use separate entry pages or tagged links so PureMetrix can tell a five-item wholesale order from a one-item gift.

Leave free test orders (a total of zero) out of AOV calculations, or your testing habits will distort the live figures.

Write down how AOV is calculated, who is responsible, and when it will next be reviewed, so PureMetrix reports stay in line with how your team actually works.

Leave wholesale or B2B orders out of marketing AOV if they are much larger than retail orders and would hide the effect of shop changes.