Cross-sell experience (Detailed case study)
Cross-Sell is evolving as a capability to support on-demand positioning of accessories to customer’s. There will be a great deal of personalisation and data driven approach to position appropriate products to improve customer experience and increase attach rates
Client
Industry
Service
Collaborators
CSAT: Delight customers with an easy to use, fast and engaging configuration experience
Conversion: Help customers gain confidence in product selection to proceed with checkout
RPV: Encourage and empower users to customise their E2E product through inline upsells, accessories,
software and servicesAOV: Encourage customers to buy more products and services through the Buy path
I identified the target audience and user types across different environments — individual buyers for home use and small business owners for office setups. Based on this, I defined key demographics and personas, then conducted user interviews via usertesting.com. The research covered desktop, mobile, POS, and APOS experiences, each tested to uncover usability challenges and customer verbatim. Both direct and open-ended questions were used to capture genuine user feedback, followed by mapping customer journey maps for POS and APOS experiences.
I conducted extensive literature reviews to understand marketing, economic, and psychological factors influencing user behavior and design decisions. A heuristic evaluation was performed for APOS and POS flows across web and mobile versions of the cross-sell experience. I also reviewed past company reports and sales data supporting purchase and cross-sell patterns. Competitive analysis across direct and indirect players provided insight into industry standards, differentiators, and modern feature trends.
Purchasing decisions based on want, rather than need, aren’t always rational; instead, they are influenced by personality, emotion, and trends
People’s rationality is limited by the timeframe, by their cognitive resources, and by the difficulty level of the decision communication.
Many human behaviours are driven by reward. Purchasing a new gadget or item of clothing triggers a surge of dopamine, which creates pleasurable feelings.
Data from both research phases was synthesised to identify recurring issues and opportunities. These findings were consolidated into key insights, prioritised by frequency, severity, and potential impact on user experience. This helped narrow down the focus areas that could bring the most value to users and the business.
I identified touchpoints in the user journey where cross-sell opportunities could feel natural and relevant — driven by user need rather than clutter or push marketing. Using the Crazy 8s method, I brainstormed quick ideas and sketches with stakeholders and business teams. These concepts were refined into wireframes for both mobile and desktop, considering screen real estate and interaction patterns. The project followed a mobile-first approach to ensure an optimal experience for the majority of users.
The idea of mix marketing: According to Kotler, the paradigm „4P” should be replaced with „4C” meaning customer value, cost, convenience and communication. This changes customer perception and entailed selling methods.
Best practices for cross-selling in ecommerce: Relevance, bundles, free shipping thresholds, no overdo, target cross selling in key points of customer journey, high margin products in cross selling, address post purchase journeys
The redesigned accessories cross-sell experience created a stronger competitive edge for Dell in today’s market. It introduced bundle offers that clearly communicated value and savings, visually appealing layouts with horizontal scroll hints, and simplified UI components that reduced cognitive load after configuring a laptop. Users could easily expand bundles, view details, and customise them based on preferences. Standardized blue text was used for additional information links to maintain design consistency. The redesign significantly enhanced product visibility, engagement, and clarity in the cross-sell journey, setting the stage for future scalability and personalisation.
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