Create recommendations
A recommendation is a sales and marketing technique in which more products are recommended to customers during the checkout process. These recommended products are an addition to or a replacement for the original products that the customer added to the cart. Recommendations are important to increase the number of products purchased, which in turn increases the cart value.
Best practices for creating recommendations
You can potentially increase the cart value by following these general ecommerce practices when offering recommendations. For suggestions specific to your business, contact Client Experience.
Make the relationship clear
The relationship between the original product in the cart and the additional product should be clear. They should be products that complement one another. Don’t offer unrelated products, such as pairing antivirus software with photo editing software.
Explain the relationship
Explain what the relationship is between the original product and the additional product. Give reasons why the customer should buy the additional product.
Don’t offer too many
You should only offer one or two additional products. This makes it easier for customers to see the offer and to decide if they wish to buy it.
Keep it simple
Adding additional products to the cart should be easy. A customer shouldn’t have to click more than one button or link to add the product to the cart.
Think about the risk
Recommendations should be “nice to have.” If the recommendations are too overwhelming or forceful, customers may end up abandoning the cart. Think about what you’re willing to risk.
Types of recommendations
The Cleverbridge platform offers three types of recommendations:
Cross-sell
A cross-sell is a similar, additional product that is bundled with the original item chosen by the customer. This extra product may be offered at a discount, encouraging the customer to add it to their cart. By incorporating a cross-sell, you can motivate the customer to increase their cart total, enhancing the overall purchase value.
Examples of cross-sells include:
- Similar products in your catalog
- Product bundles
Sub-sell
A sub-sell is a complementary product often reliant on the main item in the cart. In cases where the sub-sell is dependent, it can’t be purchased separately (such as a technical support plan for software). Alternatively, you can configure it so that customers can still buy the sub-sell even if they remove the original item from the cart. Adding a sub-sell encourages customers to include more items in their cart, ultimately increasing the cart’s total value.
Examples of sub-sells include:
- Extended download
- Support package
Up-sell
An up-sell is a better product that replaces another product in the cart. The original product is removed from the cart. The up-sell increases the cart value because the customer pays for a more expensive product than the one originally selected.
Examples of up-sells include:
- A more advanced version of a product, such as a professional version
- A higher-priced product
- Additional licenses
Recommendations in our web admin tool
To access recommendations, including cross-, up-, and sub-sells in our web admin tool, go to Optimize > Cross / Up & Subsells.
On the dashboard, you can see the action buttons allowing you to create different types of recommendations and the All Recommendations table displaying the following data:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| ID | Unique ID of the recommendation. |
| Type | Whether the recommendation is a cross-sell, sub-sell, or up-sell. |
| Date Created | Date and time when the recommendation was created. |
| Name | Name of the recommendation. |
| Parameter Name | Value of the recommendation parameter that triggers a recommendation during the checkout process. |
| Active | Status of the recommendation's activity. |
| Created by (optional) | User who created the recommendation. |
| Date modified (optional) | Date and time when the last edit occurred. |
| Last modified by (optional) | User who last edited the recommendation. |
| Valid from (optional) | The first day and time on which a recommendation is valid. |
| Valid to (optional) | The last day and time on which a recommendation is valid. |
| Original Products (optional) | Products that initiate the recommendation. When a customer adds the products to the cart, the recommendation is triggered. |
| Recommended Products (optional) | Products that are recommended when the recommendation is triggered. |
| Position Type (optional) | Position on which the recommendation appears on the checkout pages. |
| Template (optional) | Template that controls how the recommendation looks like. The template is designed either by Cleverbridge or by you. |
| Currently Active and Valid (optional) | Status of the recommendation's current activity and validity. |
| Client Sales Revenue Last 24 Hours (optional) | Amount of revenue the recommendation has generated for the client in the past 24 hours. |
| Client Sales Revenue Last 14 Days (optional) | Amount of revenue the recommendation has generated for the client in the past 14 days. |
| Client Sales Revenue Last Month (optional) | Amount of revenue the recommendation has generated for the client in the past month. |
| Licenses Last 24 Hours (optional) | Number of licenses for the recommended product the client has sold in the past 24 hours. |
| Licenses Last 14 Days (optional) | Number of licenses for the recommended product the client has sold in the past 14 days. |
| Licenses Last Month (optional) | Number of licenses for the recommended product the client has sold in the past month. |
| Orders Last 24 Hours (optional) | Number of orders for the recommended product have been placed in the past 24 hours. |
| Orders Last 14 Days (optional) | Number of orders for the recommended product have been placed in the past 14 days. |
| Orders Last Month (optional) | Number of orders for the recommended product have been placed in the past month. |
Add a cross-sell
To add a cross-sell, click Add Cross-Sell and fill in the information in the following sections:
The General & Parameter section is used to enter general settings for a recommendation and control whether or not a recommendation displays in the cart.
The available options include the following:
Settings
Enter a unique name for the recommendation.
To make it easier to find and quickly access the recommendation later, choose a naming structure that can be easily found and tells you what it is. A good naming convention, for instance, can include the type of recommendation you are naming, the product name associated with it, and the price, country, or other relevant information. It can look like this:
Cross-Sell – VPN Product – US – 9.95
The position determines where the recommendation displays in the checkout process. There are several options for where a recommendation can be positioned, such as:
- In an extra page before the cart
- In a pop-up window in the cart
- As an additional line item in the cart
- In the review page
- In the confirmation page
- In the confirmation email
Valid Dates and Times
The Valid Dates and Times options control if and when a recommendation is active. There are two options for controlling the recommendation's validity:
The Active option determines whether or not a recommendation is available to be displayed in the cart.
The Valid from and Valid to options specify the time period during which a recommendation can be displayed in the cart. If no dates and times are entered, the recommendation remains available in the cart whenever it's active. This setting aligns with your computer's date and time configuration.
- Click the toggles to activate the Valid from and Valid to fields.
- Enter a date and time for the duration of the recommendation.
Quantity
The Quantity Type determines how the quantity of the recommendation is adjusted based on the quantity of the original product it's being recommended with. There are four quantity types:
The quantity of the recommendation is always equal to the quantity of the original product. If the quantity of the original product changes, the quantity of the recommendation also changes.
The customer changes the quantity of the original product from 1 to 3. The recommendation quantity automatically changes to 3.
The license quantity of the recommended product is equal to the license quantity of the original product. This is typically used by companies selling expensive products, where more than one license is generated per product quantity purchased. This option only works if you select the Equal number of licenses for cross- and sub-sells option in the original product's settings within the Product Attributes section of the Product portal in Commerce Assistant (CA).
The quantity of the original product is 1. However, 5 licenses for that product are generated. Therefore, 5 licenses of the recommended product are also generated.
The recommendation quantity doesn't depend on the original product quantity, but it can't exceed the original product quantity. The customer can set the original product quantity and that of the recommended product separately.
The quantity of the original product is 3. The customer changes the quantity of the recommended product to 2. The quantity of the original product remains at 2.
The recommendation quantity can't exceed a specified limit. When selecting this option, the Quantity Limit field becomes active.
The Quantity Limit field is set to 5. The customer can only purchase up to a quantity of 5 of the recommended product.
Parameter
The Parameter options control whether or not a recommendation displays in the cart. There are three parameter options:
The recommendation always displays in the cart when the original product is added. A parameter name is not needed or used.
This option is typically used with extended downloads or other products that should always be presented with the original product in the cart. This option is less flexible and gives you less control of displaying recommendations in the cart.
In this example, both recommendations have Displays without parameter selected as the parameter option.
| Recommendation | Parameter name |
|---|---|
| Extended Download | None |
| Technical Support | None |
Example URL
The following URL does not include recommendation parameters:
https://www.cleverbridge.com/864/?scope=checkout&cart=97771
Example Cart
In this example, all three recommendations appear because they have Displays without parameter selected. Therefore, the recommendations are always included in the cart when active.
The recommendation only displays when the parameter name is included in the URL.
This option is typically used when the recommendation is offered on a unique basis, such as for a product offering in email campaigns. This option offers more flexibility and control of displaying recommendations in the cart, but also requires more maintenance.
In this example, both recommendations have Displays with parameter selected as the parameter option.
| Recommendation | Parameter name |
|---|---|
| Extended Download | ed |
| Technical Support | ts |
Example URL
The following URL includes the recommendation parameter &recommendation=ed:
https://www.cleverbridge.com/864/?scope=checkout&cart=97772&recommendation=ed
Example Cart
In this example, the Extended Download recommendation appears because its parameter name was specifically included in the URL. Technical Support doesn't appear because its parameter name isn't included in the URL.
The recommendation appears either when no parameter name is defined or when a parameter name is specifically defined. If no parameters are defined in the URL, then a recommendation appears. However, if another recommendation has a parameter name defined in the URL, then the original recommendation does not display, unless it also has a parameter specifically defined. This is the default option, and it gives you the most flexibility.
Multiple recommendations
A comma acts as a placeholder for specific parameters and means that you don't have to include a specific parameter name in a URL for a recommendation to be displayed. For example, if you have several recommendations, instead of manually including every individual parameter name, you can simply add a comma at the end of the &recommendation parameter string. All active recommendations that have Displays with or without parameter selected are displayed in the cart.
n this example, all three recommendations have Displays with or without parameter selected as the parameter option. Note that Technical Support doesn't have a parameter name defined.
| Recommendation | Parameter name |
|---|---|
| Extended Download | ed |
| Technical Support | None |
Example URL
The following URL includes the recommendation parameter &recommendation=ed,. The only explicitly specified parameter is ed,, followed by a comma that acts as a placeholder. Due to this placeholder, recommendations for Extended Download (which has a defined parameter name) and Technical Support (which lacks a defined parameter name) will also appear in the cart when they're active.
https://www.cleverbridge.com/864/?scope=checkout&cart=97772&recommendation=ed,
However, you can achieve the same result by adding only the comma and no specific parameter names. In this example, the ed parameter isn't included:
https://www.cleverbridge.com/864/?scope=checkout&cart=97772&recommendation=,
If a URL includes the &recommendation=none parameter, then recommendations will not appear if they have Displays with parameter or Displays with or without parameter selected. However, if a recommendation has Displays without parameter selected, it will still appear even if the none parameter is included in the URL.
Opt Type
The Opt Type controls in what way customers are given the choice of purchasing or not purchasing a cross-sell or a sub-sell. There are three options:
The recommendation displays in the cart, but by default it is not added to the order. The customer must add the product to the order.
An opt-in may give customers the feeling they have more control over the purchase of a recommendation, which potentially creates a more positive customer experience.
The recommendation displays in the cart, and by default it is added to the purchase. The customer must remove the product from the purchase.
An opt-out can potentially create a negative customer experience. It's possible that customers won't recognize that the opt-out is in the cart, causing a higher refund request rate. However, the customer experience highly depends on your demographic and the products being offered. Test an opt-in vs an opt-out to determine if either significantly changes the conversion rate. See Perform multivariate testing.
The recommendation displays in the cart, and by default it cannot be removed. This is typically used when offering a free future upgrade of the product or a previous version of the same product.
An always-in only works with the Upper Area template position.
In this example, the customer cannot opt-in to or opt-out of the recommendation.
The Discount & Price section is used to limit the discount and to specify a pricing model. Complete the following:
Limit Discounts
The following options are available for limiting the discount:
The Discount limit for quantity of licenses option limits the quantity of units that can be discounted when a customer purchases multiple quantities of the same product. Select the maximum number of units that can be discounted.
The quantity limit is set to 2. A customer purchases 5 units of the product. The discount is applied to the first 2 units of the product, and the remaining 3 are full price.
The *Apply to billing interval(s) option applies the discount to subscription-billed products. Select a number to control how many billing events have the discount. Use 0 to discount only the initial purchase, which means later billing events are full price. Use numbers greater than 0 to specify how many billing events are discounted. If you turn off this toggle, then the coupon applies to all interval billing intervals.
A subscription product is billed monthly. You create a promotion for the first 6 months free. The *Apply to billing interval(s) is set to 5. The discount is applied to the initial billing event plus the next 5 subscription rebilling events. Starting with the 7th rebilling event, the customer pays the full price for the monthly subscription.
Price Settings
The Price Settings section determines how the discount is priced. To set up the price settings for your discount, you must first select a Discount pricing method. Our web admin tool will then provide you with additional fields you must complete. Cleverbridge offers four basic discount pricing methods, all of which you can also apply to a volume scale model:
The Percentage Discount option allows you to set a specific percentage which will be subtracted from the price of a product. To offer a percentage discount, do the following:
- From the drop-down menu, select Percentage Discount. The Percentage field is displayed.
- Select the percentage you want to offer as a discount.
- Click Save.
In the cart below, Internet Security Basic Extended has a promotion with a percentage discount of 25% off. The promotion doesn't apply to the other product in the cart, Mobile Internet Security. Note that the discount is only taken from Internet Security Basic Extended, and not the total order price.
The *Percentage Discount (Volume Scale) option allows you to set a specific percentage which will be subtracted from the price of a product. This is useful for products that are sold in multiple quantities. To offer a percentage discount for a product purchased in volume, do the following:
- From the drop-down menu, select **Percentage Discount (Volume Scale)*. A grid with quantities and percentages displays.
- In the Quantity column, enter the volume scale, with each row representing the next tier of the scale. For more information, see Volume pricing method.
- In the Percentage column, enter the percentage discount for each row of the volume scale. For more information, see Volume pricing method.
- Click Save.
The Absolute Discount option allows you to set a specific amount which will be subtracted from the price of a product. To offer an absolute discount, do the following:
- From the drop-down menu, select the Absolute Discount option.
- Select and enter the appropriate information in the following fields:
- Price type for taxation
- Price grid
- Click Save.
Be careful with the absolute discount option if it applies to more than one product and the products have different prices. It's possible to discount the prices more than you intended.
In the cart below, Internet Security Basic Extended has a promotion with an absolute discount of $5 off of the original product price.
The *Absolute Discount (Volume Scale) option allows you to set a specific amount which will be subtracted from the price of a product. This is useful for products that are sold in multiple quantities. To offer an absolute discount for a product purchased in volume, do the following:
- From the drop-down menu, select the *Absolute Discount (Volume Scale) option.
- Select and enter the appropriate information in the following fields:
- Price type for taxation
- Volume pricing method. For more information, see Volume pricing method.
- Price grid
- Click Save.
The Fixed Price option allows you to set a discounted price for a product. This price is a lower version of the original product price. To offer a fixed price discount, do the following:
- From the drop-down menu, select the Fixed Price option.
- Select and enter the appropriate information in the following fields:
- Price type for taxation
- Price grid
- Toggle (Show original price and discounted price)
note
Select this option only if you want the original price and the new price to be shown.
- Click Save.
In the cart below, the original product price for Internet Security Basic Extended is $24.95. The discounted price is set at $20.
The *Fixed Price (Volume Scale) option allows you to set a discounted price for a product. This price is a lower version of the original product price, and this option is useful for products that are sold in multiple quantities. To offer a fixed price discount for a product purchased in volume, do the following:
- From the drop-down menu, select the *Fixed Price (Volume Scale) option.
- Select and enter the appropriate information in the following fields:
- Price type for taxation
- Volume pricing method. For more information, see Volume pricing method.
- Price grid
- Toggle (Show original price and discounted price)
note
Select this option only if you want the original price and the new price to be shown.
- Click Save.
The Recurring Price option allows you to set a unique price for each subscription billing event. These prices are lower versions of the original product price. To offer different prices for different subscription billing events, do the following:
- From the drop-down menu, select the Recurring Price option.
- Select and enter the appropriate information in the following fields:
- Price type for taxation
- Price grid
- Click Save.
The fictional company, Shieldware, sets the original product price for the anti-virus software, Internet Security, at $34.95 for one year of use. However, if a customer signs up for a subscription, Shieldware will offer a discounted price for each billing interval. Using the Discount tab, they set the discounted price for the initial subscription payment (Interval 0) at $29.95 for one year of use. Thereafter, they add the following to the price grid:
| Interval | Price |
|---|---|
| 0 | $29.95 |
| 1 | $29.95 |
| 2 | $24.95 |
| 3 | $24.95 |
| 4 | $19.95 |
| 5 | $19.95 |
If one or more of the products associated with the Recurring Price discount is not set up as a subscription product, the following warning will appear: At least one product is not a subscription. If this occurs, the discount for Interval 0 will be assigned to the non-subscription product.
The *Recurring Price (Volume Scale) option allows you to set a unique price for each subscription billing event. These prices are lower versions of the original product price, and this option is useful for subscription products that are sold in multiple quantities. To offer different prices for a product subscribed to in volume, do the following:
- From the drop-down menu, select the *Recurring Price (Volume Scale) option.
- Select and enter the appropriate information in the following fields:
- Price type for taxation
- Volume pricing method. For more information, see Volume pricing method.
- Price grid
- Click Save.
If one or more of the products associated with the Recurring Price discount is not set up as a subscription product, the following warning will appear: At least one product is not a subscription. If this occurs, the discount for Interval 0 will be assigned to the non-subscription product.
Price Configurations
The Price Configurations section is used to specify a price configuration for the promotion. Complete the following:
- Click the Limit by these price configurations toggle to enable configuration of this feature.
- In the List type drop-down list, select one of the following options:
- Exclude List to exclude specific price configurations from the promotion. This option is best when you have only a few price configurations that are not included in the promotion.
- Include List to include specific price configurations in the promotion. This option is best when you have a limited number of price configurations in the promotion.
- Click in the Price Configurations field and select the price configurations that you would like to include in the promotion.
The Products section is used to specify which products are included in the recommendation. Complete the following:
Use the Original Products section to define which products initiate the recommendation. When a customer adds an original product to the cart, the recommendation is applied. The original products work independently from each other.
Add original products
To add original products to a recommendation:
- Click the Select Product button at the top of the Original Products table.
- Search for and select the products that you'd' like to add to the recommendation.
- Click OK.
Remove original products
To remove original products from a recommendation, in the Original Products table, click the trash icon to the right of the original products that you'd like to remove.
Use the Recommended Products section to define which products are recommended with the original products.
Add recommended products
To add recommended products to a recommendation:
- Click the Select Product button at the top of the Recommended Products table.
- Search for and select the products that you'd like to add to the recommendation.
- Click OK.
Remove recommended products
To remove recommended products from a recommendation:
- Select the checkbox to the right og the recommended product that you'd like to remove.
- In the Recommended Products table, click the trash icon.
Add a sub-sell
To add a cross-sell, click Add Sub-Sell and fill in the information in the following sections:
The General & Parameter section is used to enter general settings for a recommendation and control whether or not a recommendation displays in the cart.
The available options include the following:
Settings
Enter a unique name for the recommendation.
To make it easier to find and quickly access the recommendation later, choose a naming structure that can be easily found and tells you what it is. A good naming convention, for instance, can include the type of recommendation you are naming, the product name associated with it, and the price, country, or other relevant information. It can look like this:
Sub-Sell – VPN Product – US – 9.95
The position determines where the recommendation displays in the checkout process. There are several options for where a recommendation can be positioned, such as:
- In an extra page before the cart
- In a pop-up window in the cart
- As an additional line item in the cart
- In the review page
- In the confirmation page
- In the confirmation email
Valid Dates and Times
The Valid Dates and Times options control if and when a recommendation is active. There are two options for controlling the recommendation's validity:
The Active option determines whether or not a recommendation is available to be displayed in the cart.
The Valid from and Valid to options specify the time period during which a recommendation can be displayed in the cart. If no dates and times are entered, the recommendation remains available in the cart whenever it's active. This setting aligns with your computer's date and time configuration.
- Click the toggles to activate the Valid from and Valid to fields.
- Enter a date and time for the duration of the recommendation.
Quantity
The Quantity Type determines how the quantity of the recommendation is adjusted based on the quantity of the original product it's being recommended with. There are four quantity types:
The quantity of the recommendation is always equal to the quantity of the original product. If the quantity of the original product changes, the quantity of the recommendation also changes.
The customer changes the quantity of the original product from 1 to 3. The recommendation quantity automatically changes to 3.
The license quantity of the recommended product is equal to the license quantity of the original product. This is typically used by companies selling expensive products, where more than one license is generated per product quantity purchased. This option only works if you select the Equal number of licenses for cross- and sub-sells option in the original product's settings within the Product Attributes section of the Product portal in Commerce Assistant (CA).
The quantity of the original product is 1. However, 5 licenses for that product are generated. Therefore, 5 licenses of the recommended product are also generated.
The recommendation quantity doesn't depend on the original product quantity, but it can't exceed the original product quantity. The customer can set the original product quantity and that of the recommended product separately.
The quantity of the original product is 3. The customer changes the quantity of the recommended product to 2. The quantity of the original product remains at 2.
The recommendation quantity can't exceed a specified limit. When selecting this option, the Quantity Limit field becomes active.
The Quantity Limit field is set to 5. The customer can only purchase up to a quantity of 5 of the recommended product.
Parameter
The Parameter options control whether or not a recommendation displays in the cart. There are three parameter options:
The recommendation always displays in the cart when the original product is added. A parameter name is not needed or used.
This option is typically used with extended downloads or other products that should always be presented with the original product in the cart. This option is less flexible and gives you less control of displaying recommendations in the cart.
In this example, both recommendations have Displays without parameter selected as the parameter option.
| Recommendation | Parameter name |
|---|---|
| Extended Download | None |
| Technical Support | None |
Example URL
The following URL does not include recommendation parameters:
https://www.cleverbridge.com/864/?scope=checkout&cart=97771
Example Cart
In this example, all three recommendations appear because they have Displays without parameter selected. Therefore, the recommendations are always included in the cart when active.
The recommendation only displays when the parameter name is included in the URL.
This option is typically used when the recommendation is offered on a unique basis, such as for a product offering in email campaigns. This option offers more flexibility and control of displaying recommendations in the cart, but also requires more maintenance.
In this example, both recommendations have Displays with parameter selected as the parameter option.
| Recommendation | Parameter name |
|---|---|
| Extended Download | ed |
| Technical Support | ts |
Example URL
The following URL includes the recommendation parameter &recommendation=ed:
https://www.cleverbridge.com/864/?scope=checkout&cart=97772&recommendation=ed
Example Cart
In this example, the Extended Download recommendation appears because its parameter name was specifically included in the URL. Technical Support doesn't appear because its parameter name isn't included in the URL.
The recommendation appears either when no parameter name is defined or when a parameter name is specifically defined. If no parameters are defined in the URL, then a recommendation appears. However, if another recommendation has a parameter name defined in the URL, then the original recommendation does not display, unless it also has a parameter specifically defined. This is the default option, and it gives you the most flexibility.
Multiple recommendations
A comma acts as a placeholder for specific parameters and means that you don't have to include a specific parameter name in a URL for a recommendation to be displayed. For example, if you have several recommendations, instead of manually including every individual parameter name, you can simply add a comma at the end of the &recommendation parameter string. All active recommendations that have Displays with or without parameter selected are displayed in the cart.
n this example, all three recommendations have Displays with or without parameter selected as the parameter option. Note that Technical Support doesn't have a parameter name defined.
| Recommendation | Parameter name |
|---|---|
| Extended Download | ed |
| Technical Support | None |
Example URL
The following URL includes the recommendation parameter &recommendation=ed,. The only explicitly specified parameter is ed,, followed by a comma that acts as a placeholder. Due to this placeholder, recommendations for Extended Download (which has a defined parameter name) and Technical Support (which lacks a defined parameter name) will also appear in the cart when they're active.
https://www.cleverbridge.com/864/?scope=checkout&cart=97772&recommendation=ed,
However, you can achieve the same result by adding only the comma and no specific parameter names. In this example, the ed parameter isn't included:
https://www.cleverbridge.com/864/?scope=checkout&cart=97772&recommendation=,
If a URL includes the &recommendation=none parameter, then recommendations will not appear if they have Displays with parameter or Displays with or without parameter selected. However, if a recommendation has Displays without parameter selected, it will still appear even if the none parameter is included in the URL.
Opt Type
The Opt Type controls in what way customers are given the choice of purchasing or not purchasing a cross-sell or a sub-sell. There are three options:
The recommendation displays in the cart, but by default it is not added to the order. The customer must add the product to the order.
An opt-in may give customers the feeling they have more control over the purchase of a recommendation, which potentially creates a more positive customer experience.
The recommendation displays in the cart, and by default it is added to the purchase. The customer must remove the product from the purchase.
An opt-out can potentially create a negative customer experience. It's possible that customers won't recognize that the opt-out is in the cart, causing a higher refund request rate. However, the customer experience highly depends on your demographic and the products being offered. Test an opt-in vs an opt-out to determine if either significantly changes the conversion rate. See Perform multivariate testing.
The recommendation displays in the cart, and by default it cannot be removed. This is typically used when offering a free future upgrade of the product or a previous version of the same product.
An always-in only works with the Upper Area template position.
In this example, the customer cannot opt-in to or opt-out of the recommendation.
The Discount & Price section is used to limit the discount and to specify a pricing model. Complete the following:
Limit Discounts
The following options are available for limiting the discount:
The Discount limit for quantity of licenses option limits the quantity of units that can be discounted when a customer purchases multiple quantities of the same product. Select the maximum number of units that can be discounted.
The quantity limit is set to 2. A customer purchases 5 units of the product. The discount is applied to the first 2 units of the product, and the remaining 3 are full price.
The *Apply to billing interval(s) option applies the discount to subscription-billed products. Select a number to control how many billing events have the discount. Use 0 to discount only the initial purchase, which means later billing events are full price. Use numbers greater than 0 to specify how many billing events are discounted. If you turn off this toggle, then the coupon applies to all interval billing intervals.
A subscription product is billed monthly. You create a promotion for the first 6 months free. The *Apply to billing interval(s) is set to 5. The discount is applied to the initial billing event plus the next 5 subscription rebilling events. Starting with the 7th rebilling event, the customer pays the full price for the monthly subscription.
Price Settings
The Price Settings section determines how the discount is priced. To set up the price settings for your discount, you must first select a Discount pricing method. Our web admin tool will then provide you with additional fields you must complete. Cleverbridge offers four basic discount pricing methods, all of which you can also apply to a volume scale model:
The Percentage Discount option allows you to set a specific percentage which will be subtracted from the price of a product. To offer a percentage discount, do the following:
- From the drop-down menu, select Percentage Discount. The Percentage field is displayed.
- Select the percentage you want to offer as a discount.
- Click Save.
In the cart below, Internet Security Basic Extended has a promotion with a percentage discount of 25% off. The promotion doesn't apply to the other product in the cart, Mobile Internet Security. Note that the discount is only taken from Internet Security Basic Extended, and not the total order price.
The *Percentage Discount (Volume Scale) option allows you to set a specific percentage which will be subtracted from the price of a product. This is useful for products that are sold in multiple quantities. To offer a percentage discount for a product purchased in volume, do the following:
- From the drop-down menu, select **Percentage Discount (Volume Scale)*. A grid with quantities and percentages displays.
- In the Quantity column, enter the volume scale, with each row representing the next tier of the scale. For more information, see Volume pricing method.
- In the Percentage column, enter the percentage discount for each row of the volume scale. For more information, see Volume pricing method.
- Click Save.
The Absolute Discount option allows you to set a specific amount which will be subtracted from the price of a product. To offer an absolute discount, do the following:
- From the drop-down menu, select the Absolute Discount option.
- Select and enter the appropriate information in the following fields:
- Price type for taxation
- Price grid
- Click Save.
Be careful with the absolute discount option if it applies to more than one product and the products have different prices. It's possible to discount the prices more than you intended.
In the cart below, Internet Security Basic Extended has a promotion with an absolute discount of $5 off of the original product price.
The *Absolute Discount (Volume Scale) option allows you to set a specific amount which will be subtracted from the price of a product. This is useful for products that are sold in multiple quantities. To offer an absolute discount for a product purchased in volume, do the following:
- From the drop-down menu, select the *Absolute Discount (Volume Scale) option.
- Select and enter the appropriate information in the following fields:
- Price type for taxation
- Volume pricing method. For more information, see Volume pricing method.
- Price grid
- Click Save.
The Fixed Price option allows you to set a discounted price for a product. This price is a lower version of the original product price. To offer a fixed price discount, do the following:
- From the drop-down menu, select the Fixed Price option.
- Select and enter the appropriate information in the following fields:
- Price type for taxation
- Price grid
- Toggle (Show original price and discounted price)
note
Select this option only if you want the original price and the new price to be shown.
- Click Save.
In the cart below, the original product price for Internet Security Basic Extended is $24.95. The discounted price is set at $20.
The *Fixed Price (Volume Scale) option allows you to set a discounted price for a product. This price is a lower version of the original product price, and this option is useful for products that are sold in multiple quantities. To offer a fixed price discount for a product purchased in volume, do the following:
- From the drop-down menu, select the *Fixed Price (Volume Scale) option.
- Select and enter the appropriate information in the following fields:
- Price type for taxation
- Volume pricing method. For more information, see Volume pricing method.
- Price grid
- Toggle (Show original price and discounted price)
note
Select this option only if you want the original price and the new price to be shown.
- Click Save.
The Recurring Price option allows you to set a unique price for each subscription billing event. These prices are lower versions of the original product price. To offer different prices for different subscription billing events, do the following:
- From the drop-down menu, select the Recurring Price option.
- Select and enter the appropriate information in the following fields:
- Price type for taxation
- Price grid
- Click Save.
The fictional company, Shieldware, sets the original product price for the anti-virus software, Internet Security, at $34.95 for one year of use. However, if a customer signs up for a subscription, Shieldware will offer a discounted price for each billing interval. Using the Discount tab, they set the discounted price for the initial subscription payment (Interval 0) at $29.95 for one year of use. Thereafter, they add the following to the price grid:
| Interval | Price |
|---|---|
| 0 | $29.95 |
| 1 | $29.95 |
| 2 | $24.95 |
| 3 | $24.95 |
| 4 | $19.95 |
| 5 | $19.95 |
If one or more of the products associated with the Recurring Price discount is not set up as a subscription product, the following warning will appear: At least one product is not a subscription. If this occurs, the discount for Interval 0 will be assigned to the non-subscription product.
The *Recurring Price (Volume Scale) option allows you to set a unique price for each subscription billing event. These prices are lower versions of the original product price, and this option is useful for subscription products that are sold in multiple quantities. To offer different prices for a product subscribed to in volume, do the following:
- From the drop-down menu, select the *Recurring Price (Volume Scale) option.
- Select and enter the appropriate information in the following fields:
- Price type for taxation
- Volume pricing method. For more information, see Volume pricing method.
- Price grid
- Click Save.
If one or more of the products associated with the Recurring Price discount is not set up as a subscription product, the following warning will appear: At least one product is not a subscription. If this occurs, the discount for Interval 0 will be assigned to the non-subscription product.
Price Configurations
The Price Configurations section is used to specify a price configuration for the promotion. Complete the following:
- Click the Limit by these price configurations toggle to enable configuration of this feature.
- In the List type drop-down list, select one of the following options:
- Exclude List to exclude specific price configurations from the promotion. This option is best when you have only a few price configurations that are not included in the promotion.
- Include List to include specific price configurations in the promotion. This option is best when you have a limited number of price configurations in the promotion.
- Click in the Price Configurations field and select the price configurations that you would like to include in the promotion.
The Products section is used to specify which products are included in the recommendation. Complete the following:
Use the Original Products section to define which products initiate the recommendation. When a customer adds an original product to the cart, the recommendation is applied. The original products work independently from each other.
Add original products
To add original products to a recommendation:
- Click the Select Product button at the top of the Original Products table.
- Search for and select the products that you'd' like to add to the recommendation.
- Click OK.
Remove original products
To remove original products from a recommendation, in the Original Products table, click the trash icon to the right of the original products that you'd like to remove.
Use the Recommended Products section to define which products are recommended with the original products.
Add recommended products
To add recommended products to a recommendation:
- Click the Select Product button at the top of the Recommended Products table.
- Search for and select the products that you'd like to add to the recommendation.
- Click OK.
Remove recommended products
To remove recommended products from a recommendation:
- Select the checkbox to the right og the recommended product that you'd like to remove.
- In the Recommended Products table, click the trash icon.
Add an up-sell
To add an up-sell, click Add Up-Sell and fill in the information in the following sections:
The General & Parameter section is used to enter general settings for a recommendation and control whether or not a recommendation displays in the cart.
The available options include the following:
Settings
Enter a unique name for the recommendation.
To make it easier to find and quickly access the recommendation later, choose a naming structure that can be easily found and tells you what it is. A good naming convention, for instance, can include the type of recommendation you are naming, the product name associated with it, and the price, country, or other relevant information. It can look like this:
Up-Sell – VPN Product – US – 9.95
The position determines where the recommendation displays in the checkout process. There are several options for where a recommendation can be positioned, such as:
- In an extra page before the cart
- In a pop-up window in the cart
- As an additional line item in the cart
- In the review page
- In the confirmation page
- In the confirmation email
Templates
The Templates option is used to display recommendation information for a specific position. Not all templates work for all positions.
Most of the positions for cross-sells and sub-sells require a template in order to work. Up-sells must have a template selected.
When a position must have a template, the Template field becomes active for selection. Click Show Example Screenshot for a preview of a template. The preview only works for default templates provided by Cleverbridge, and not for custom templates.
The positions that don't require a template are for when a recommendation is presented as an additional line item in the cart. These positions include:
- Upper area
- Lower area When a position doesn't require a template, the Template field is locked down and can't be selected.
Use templates to present more information about the product being recommended in order to convince customers to buy it.
There are several default templates provided, and these must be formatted by the Cleverbridge design team to match your website's style. Custom template configurations can be created for different recommendations, depending on your company's business needs.
To discuss the positions and templates for your recommendations, contact Client Experience.
Valid Dates and Times
The Valid Dates and Times options control if and when a recommendation is active. There are two options for controlling the recommendation's validity:
The Active option determines whether or not a recommendation is available to be displayed in the cart.
The Valid from and Valid to options specify the time period during which a recommendation can be displayed in the cart. If no dates and times are entered, the recommendation remains available in the cart whenever it's active. This setting aligns with your computer's date and time configuration.
- Click the toggles to activate the Valid from and Valid to fields.
- Enter a date and time for the duration of the recommendation.
Parameter
The Parameter options control whether or not a recommendation displays in the cart. There are three parameter options:
The recommendation always displays in the cart when the original product is added. A parameter name is not needed or used.
This option is typically used with extended downloads or other products that should always be presented with the original product in the cart. This option is less flexible and gives you less control of displaying recommendations in the cart.
In this example, both recommendations have Displays without parameter selected as the parameter option.
| Recommendation | Parameter name |
|---|---|
| Extended Download | None |
| Technical Support | None |
Example URL
The following URL does not include recommendation parameters:
https://www.cleverbridge.com/864/?scope=checkout&cart=97771
Example Cart
In this example, all three recommendations appear because they have Displays without parameter selected. Therefore, the recommendations are always included in the cart when active.
The recommendation only displays when the parameter name is included in the URL.
This option is typically used when the recommendation is offered on a unique basis, such as for a product offering in email campaigns. This option offers more flexibility and control of displaying recommendations in the cart, but also requires more maintenance.
In this example, both recommendations have Displays with parameter selected as the parameter option.
| Recommendation | Parameter name |
|---|---|
| Extended Download | ed |
| Technical Support | ts |
Example URL
The following URL includes the recommendation parameter &recommendation=ed:
https://www.cleverbridge.com/864/?scope=checkout&cart=97772&recommendation=ed
Example Cart
In this example, the Extended Download recommendation appears because its parameter name was specifically included in the URL. Technical Support doesn't appear because its parameter name isn't included in the URL.
The recommendation appears either when no parameter name is defined or when a parameter name is specifically defined. If no parameters are defined in the URL, then a recommendation appears. However, if another recommendation has a parameter name defined in the URL, then the original recommendation does not display, unless it also has a parameter specifically defined. This is the default option, and it gives you the most flexibility.
Multiple recommendations
A comma acts as a placeholder for specific parameters and means that you don't have to include a specific parameter name in a URL for a recommendation to be displayed. For example, if you have several recommendations, instead of manually including every individual parameter name, you can simply add a comma at the end of the &recommendation parameter string. All active recommendations that have Displays with or without parameter selected are displayed in the cart.
n this example, all three recommendations have Displays with or without parameter selected as the parameter option. Note that Technical Support doesn't have a parameter name defined.
| Recommendation | Parameter name |
|---|---|
| Extended Download | ed |
| Technical Support | None |
Example URL
The following URL includes the recommendation parameter &recommendation=ed,. The only explicitly specified parameter is ed,, followed by a comma that acts as a placeholder. Due to this placeholder, recommendations for Extended Download (which has a defined parameter name) and Technical Support (which lacks a defined parameter name) will also appear in the cart when they're active.
https://www.cleverbridge.com/864/?scope=checkout&cart=97772&recommendation=ed,
However, you can achieve the same result by adding only the comma and no specific parameter names. In this example, the ed parameter isn't included:
https://www.cleverbridge.com/864/?scope=checkout&cart=97772&recommendation=,
If a URL includes the &recommendation=none parameter, then recommendations will not appear if they have Displays with parameter or Displays with or without parameter selected. However, if a recommendation has Displays without parameter selected, it will still appear even if the none parameter is included in the URL.
The Discount & Price section is used to limit the discount and to specify a pricing model. Complete the following:
Limit Discounts
The following options are available for limiting the discount:
The Discount limit for quantity of licenses option limits the quantity of units that can be discounted when a customer purchases multiple quantities of the same product. Select the maximum number of units that can be discounted.
The quantity limit is set to 2. A customer purchases 5 units of the product. The discount is applied to the first 2 units of the product, and the remaining 3 are full price.
The *Apply to billing interval(s) option applies the discount to subscription-billed products. Select a number to control how many billing events have the discount. Use 0 to discount only the initial purchase, which means later billing events are full price. Use numbers greater than 0 to specify how many billing events are discounted. If you turn off this toggle, then the coupon applies to all interval billing intervals.
A subscription product is billed monthly. You create a promotion for the first 6 months free. The *Apply to billing interval(s) is set to 5. The discount is applied to the initial billing event plus the next 5 subscription rebilling events. Starting with the 7th rebilling event, the customer pays the full price for the monthly subscription.
Price Settings
The Price Settings section determines how the discount is priced. To set up the price settings for your discount, you must first select a Discount pricing method. Our web admin tool will then provide you with additional fields you must complete. Cleverbridge offers four basic discount pricing methods, all of which you can also apply to a volume scale model:
The Percentage Discount option allows you to set a specific percentage which will be subtracted from the price of a product. To offer a percentage discount, do the following:
- From the drop-down menu, select Percentage Discount. The Percentage field is displayed.
- Select the percentage you want to offer as a discount.
- Click Save.
In the cart below, Internet Security Basic Extended has a promotion with a percentage discount of 25% off. The promotion doesn't apply to the other product in the cart, Mobile Internet Security. Note that the discount is only taken from Internet Security Basic Extended, and not the total order price.
The *Percentage Discount (Volume Scale) option allows you to set a specific percentage which will be subtracted from the price of a product. This is useful for products that are sold in multiple quantities. To offer a percentage discount for a product purchased in volume, do the following:
- From the drop-down menu, select **Percentage Discount (Volume Scale)*. A grid with quantities and percentages displays.
- In the Quantity column, enter the volume scale, with each row representing the next tier of the scale. For more information, see Volume pricing method.
- In the Percentage column, enter the percentage discount for each row of the volume scale. For more information, see Volume pricing method.
- Click Save.
The Absolute Discount option allows you to set a specific amount which will be subtracted from the price of a product. To offer an absolute discount, do the following:
- From the drop-down menu, select the Absolute Discount option.
- Select and enter the appropriate information in the following fields:
- Price type for taxation
- Price grid
- Click Save.
Be careful with the absolute discount option if it applies to more than one product and the products have different prices. It's possible to discount the prices more than you intended.
In the cart below, Internet Security Basic Extended has a promotion with an absolute discount of $5 off of the original product price.
The *Absolute Discount (Volume Scale) option allows you to set a specific amount which will be subtracted from the price of a product. This is useful for products that are sold in multiple quantities. To offer an absolute discount for a product purchased in volume, do the following:
- From the drop-down menu, select the *Absolute Discount (Volume Scale) option.
- Select and enter the appropriate information in the following fields:
- Price type for taxation
- Volume pricing method. For more information, see Volume pricing method.
- Price grid
- Click Save.
The Fixed Price option allows you to set a discounted price for a product. This price is a lower version of the original product price. To offer a fixed price discount, do the following:
- From the drop-down menu, select the Fixed Price option.
- Select and enter the appropriate information in the following fields:
- Price type for taxation
- Price grid
- Toggle (Show original price and discounted price)
note
Select this option only if you want the original price and the new price to be shown.
- Click Save.
In the cart below, the original product price for Internet Security Basic Extended is $24.95. The discounted price is set at $20.
The *Fixed Price (Volume Scale) option allows you to set a discounted price for a product. This price is a lower version of the original product price, and this option is useful for products that are sold in multiple quantities. To offer a fixed price discount for a product purchased in volume, do the following:
- From the drop-down menu, select the *Fixed Price (Volume Scale) option.
- Select and enter the appropriate information in the following fields:
- Price type for taxation
- Volume pricing method. For more information, see Volume pricing method.
- Price grid
- Toggle (Show original price and discounted price)
note
Select this option only if you want the original price and the new price to be shown.
- Click Save.
The Recurring Price option allows you to set a unique price for each subscription billing event. These prices are lower versions of the original product price. To offer different prices for different subscription billing events, do the following:
- From the drop-down menu, select the Recurring Price option.
- Select and enter the appropriate information in the following fields:
- Price type for taxation
- Price grid
- Click Save.
The fictional company, Shieldware, sets the original product price for the anti-virus software, Internet Security, at $34.95 for one year of use. However, if a customer signs up for a subscription, Shieldware will offer a discounted price for each billing interval. Using the Discount tab, they set the discounted price for the initial subscription payment (Interval 0) at $29.95 for one year of use. Thereafter, they add the following to the price grid:
| Interval | Price |
|---|---|
| 0 | $29.95 |
| 1 | $29.95 |
| 2 | $24.95 |
| 3 | $24.95 |
| 4 | $19.95 |
| 5 | $19.95 |
If one or more of the products associated with the Recurring Price discount is not set up as a subscription product, the following warning will appear: At least one product is not a subscription. If this occurs, the discount for Interval 0 will be assigned to the non-subscription product.
The *Recurring Price (Volume Scale) option allows you to set a unique price for each subscription billing event. These prices are lower versions of the original product price, and this option is useful for subscription products that are sold in multiple quantities. To offer different prices for a product subscribed to in volume, do the following:
- From the drop-down menu, select the *Recurring Price (Volume Scale) option.
- Select and enter the appropriate information in the following fields:
- Price type for taxation
- Volume pricing method. For more information, see Volume pricing method.
- Price grid
- Click Save.
If one or more of the products associated with the Recurring Price discount is not set up as a subscription product, the following warning will appear: At least one product is not a subscription. If this occurs, the discount for Interval 0 will be assigned to the non-subscription product.
Price Configurations
The Price Configurations section is used to specify a price configuration for the promotion. Complete the following:
- Click the Limit by these price configurations toggle to enable configuration of this feature.
- In the List type drop-down list, select one of the following options:
- Exclude List to exclude specific price configurations from the promotion. This option is best when you have only a few price configurations that are not included in the promotion.
- Include List to include specific price configurations in the promotion. This option is best when you have a limited number of price configurations in the promotion.
- Click in the Price Configurations field and select the price configurations that you would like to include in the promotion.
The Products section is used to specify which products are included in the recommendation. Complete the following:
Use the Original Products section to define which products initiate the recommendation. When a customer adds an original product to the cart, the recommendation is applied. The original products work independently from each other.
Add original products
To add original products to a recommendation:
- Click the Select Product button at the top of the Original Products table.
- Search for and select the products that you'd' like to add to the recommendation.
- Click OK.
Remove original products
To remove original products from a recommendation, in the Original Products table, click the trash icon to the right of the original products that you'd like to remove.
Use the Recommended Products section to define which products are recommended with the original products.
Add recommended products
To add recommended products to a recommendation:
- Click the Select Product button at the top of the Recommended Products table.
- Search for and select the products that you'd like to add to the recommendation.
- Click OK.
Remove recommended products
To remove recommended products from a recommendation:
- Select the checkbox to the right og the recommended product that you'd like to remove.
- In the Recommended Products table, click the trash icon.
For information on how to set up recommendations using Commerce Assistant (CA), see Recommendations.