Overview

Average Order Value (AOV) is a metric used by ecommerce businesses to measure the average dollar amount spent by customers per purchase order.

What is Average Order Value (AOV)?

Average Order Value (AOV) is an ecommerce metric that helps business owners, analysts, and marketers assess the value of each customer’s order. AOV is calculated by dividing the total revenue by total orders received within a given period of time. This metric gives insight into the average dollar amount per order, helping to identify the types of customers and products driving the highest average spending. It also reveals overall consumer spending trends and offers valuable insights into promotional strategies.

Formula

Average Order Value (AOV) = Total Revenue / Total Number of Orders

Example

If a company receives $100,000 in sales from 1000 orders, the Average Order Value (AOV) is $100.

Why is AOV important?

Average Order Value (AOV) is an important metric for ecommerce businesses as it reveals insights that can help strengthen marketing strategies for long-term success and increased revenue. AOV reveals the overall spending habits of a customer base, which businesses may use to create more effective marketing efforts.

Which factors impact AOV?

The factors that impact Average Order Value (AOV) include order frequency, prices of goods, product list, customer demographic, and discounts or promotions offered.

How can AOV be improved?

Ecommerce businesses can improve their Average Order Value (AOV) in various ways. This includes offering discounts on larger orders, increasing product prices, expanding the product catalog, suggesting related or complimentary products, and participating in referral or loyalty programs

What is AOV’s relationship with other metrics?

Average Order Value (AOV) is an important way to measure the performance of ecommerce businesses and can also be seen as correlated with other important ecommerce metrics, such as Customer Lifetime Value (CLV).

Free essential resources for success

  • The 2026 Wellness CPG Marketing Playbook thumbnail

    The 2026 Wellness CPG Marketing Playbook

    A Data-Driven Playbook for Measuring Growth and Incrementality in Wellness CPG Brands

  • BFCM Outer

    The 2026 BFCM Marketing Playbook

    Build a marketing measurement program with the structure, governance, and accountability needed to drive confident decisions.

  • Model Selection Whitepaper

    Ensemble Forecasting: A Better Default for Business Forecasting

    Build a marketing measurement program with the structure, governance, and accountability needed to drive confident decisions.

Discover More From Lifesight

  • CTV grew up

    Published on: August 26, 2026

    CTV grew up. Your measurement has to grow up with it.

    CTV has evolved beyond an awareness play, but measurement hasn't kept pace. Discover how incrementality, geo-testing, and causal MMM can prove CTV's real impact and ROI.

  • Business Forecasting

    Published on: August 24, 2026

    Business Forecasting

    New research from Lifesight on how forecasting models get chosen, and what happened when we compared picking a single model to combining several.

  • ChatGPT ads X Lifesight

    Published on: August 19, 2026

    Introducing ChatGPT Ads Integration in Lifesight

    ChatGPT Ads is the first ad channel to run inside an LLM, and the brands that measure it will be the ones who started measuring on day one.