Running a sale on Shopify is like setting off a lightshow for your ecommerce business—it grabs attention, gets people excited, and can lead to some serious sales fireworks. But, to make that Shopify sales explosion really shine, you need a solid game plan for holding people’s attention and driving revenue. A well-executed sale not only pulls in a crowd, but also builds stronger connections with your customers and boosts your bottom line.
In this guide, we’ll take you through everything you need to know to run a successful Shopify sale—from prepping your store for increased traffic to creating irresistible discounts and tracking your success. By the end, you’ll have a treasure trove of fire crackers, sparklets, and fireworks to light up your bottom line and leave both new and existing customers wanting more!
In this blog we’ll dive into how to:
- Prepare your store for a sale.
- Choose the right type of sale for your business.
- Create discount codes and automatic discounts.
- Highlight sale items for maximum visibility.
- Track your sale’s performance and adjust accordingly.
- Take post-sale actions to maximize customer retention and loyalty.
At Viably, we don’t just hand out capital and walk away—we stick around to help you make the most of it! We work closely with Shopify store owners after you take a funding round to ensure your maximizing growth at every step. From fine-tuning marketing tactics to supercharging sales strategies, we’re in the trenches with you, helping you squeeze every ounce of potential out of your investment and keep cash flow growing.
Our dedicated experience to ecommerce means we’ve seen it all. We know what works when it comes to running a killer ecommerce sale. Follow this guide, and you’ll have battle-tested strategies that have already helped countless businesses grow. By the end, you won’t just boost revenue—you’ll create a shopping experience that keeps customers coming back for more time and time again.
Preparing for Your Sale
Before jumping into any sale, preparation is key. Without it, Shopify store owners could face problems like running out of stock, overwhelming your site’s server, or even offering discounts on products that don’t need them. Additionally, it’s important to consider when a Shopify sale falls in relation to other retail events, in order to avoid dividing momentum from scheduled sales. To ensure that your Shopify store is ready for the expectations of a good sale, consider the following:
1. Inventory Checks
Before launching your sale, it’s crucial to make sure you’ve got the stock to back it up. Take a close look at your inventory and identify which products are ready to be discounted. Do you have slow-moving items that could use a push? Or maybe seasonal products that need to clear out before new arrivals come in? These are perfect for promotions.
But don’t stop there—ensure you have enough stock of your best-sellers, too. Nothing frustrates customers more than finding a great deal, only to discover it’s out of stock. Running low can mean missed sales and disappointed shoppers, which could hurt your reputation in the long run. Planning ahead ensures you’re ready to meet the inventory demand and make the most of your sale.
2. Set Clear Objectives
Before launching your sale, set specific goals. What do you hope to achieve?
- Clearing out slow-moving stock?
- Increasing site traffic?
- Boosting your average order value (AOV)?
- Growing your customer base?
- Reengaging existing customers?
- Testing a new pricing strategy?
By establishing your goal or goals for this sale, you can shape your marketing efforts and choose the sale structure that best supports those targets. One of the biggest mistakes that entrepreneurs make is not defining clear key performance indicators (KPIs) ahead of a sale, making results confusing and impossible to analyze. By setting a clear goal with your Shopify sale, you’ll be able to understand how successful your event was compared to day-to-day sales.
3. Choosing a Sale Type
Not all sales are created equal, and the type of sale you choose should align with your Shopify store’s goals and audience. Consider the following types of sales:
1. Percentage Discounts
Percentage discounts (e.g., 20% off) are easy to understand and appealing to a broad audience as there is clear value when compared to the original price. They work well if you want to increase overall site traffic and drive more sales across multiple product categories. Percentage discounts can be applied to specific products or an entire Shopify store–it’s up to you.
2. Fixed-Price Discounts
Offering specific products at a set sale price (e.g., “$10 off”) is another popular sale structure. This type of promotion is particularly useful if you want to move high-inventory items or products with low margins, while making clear the value as compared to the original price.
3. Buy One Get One Free (BOGO)
BOGO deals are ideal for clearing out excess stock while encouraging higher-order volumes. Customers are more likely to buy in bulk when they see the added value in getting something for free.
Choosing the Right Sale Type for Your Store
Consider your store’s specific goals and customer base when choosing a sale type. A percentage discount may be more effective if you want widespread engagement, while a BOGO offer could help with inventory management. Again, consider what your goals are with this sale–that will help determine the best structure for your event.
Creating Discount Codes
Discount codes are a popular way to offer personalized promotions to your customers, creating a sense of exclusivity or rewarding specific behaviors (e.g., a discount for first-time buyers). They’re also a great way to treat customers who have shown loyalty historically, or motivate historical customers to re-engage.
Creating a Discount Code in Shopify
To create a discount code in Shopify, follow these steps:
- From your Shopify admin, go to Discounts.
- Click Create Discount.
- Select the type of discount you want to create (percentage, fixed amount, free shipping, or buy X get Y).
- Name your discount code (e.g., “SUMMER20” for a 20% off summer sale).
- Set usage limits (e.g., limit to one use per customer).
- Apply eligibility conditions (e.g., minimum purchase amount or specific products).
Customizing for Customer Groups
You can create specific discount codes for different customer segments, such as VIPs or first-time buyers, to increase engagement. Personalization makes customers feel valued and can lead to higher conversion rates.
Setting Up Automatic Discounts
While discount codes require customers to input them at checkout, automatic discounts apply without any extra steps. This creates a smoother shopping experience and can lead to higher conversion rates since customers don’t need to do anything other than shop to get the discount. Automatic discounts work best if they’re highlighted periodically throughout your website, such as on the homepage, pop-up ads, or banners.
Setting Up Automatic Discounts in Shopify
To set up an automatic discount in Shopify:
- From your Shopify admin, go to Discounts.
- Click Create Discount.
- Choose Automatic Discount.
- Select the type of discount and apply eligibility conditions.
- Shopify will automatically apply this discount to qualifying orders at checkout.
Benefits of Automatic Discounts
The major advantage of automatic discounts is the frictionless experience they offer. Customers don’t have to remember anything other than their credit card number, and they can focus on completing their purchase rather than hunting for deals. They also can incentivize customers to follow through with a purchase, especially if such a discount is time-sensitive.
Highlighting Sale Items
To make the most of your sale, you’ll want to draw attention to the product pages for discounted items. Shopify makes it easy to highlight sale items on your site, thanks to its largely customizable platform. You can add “sale” tags or product badges, and even feature the product pages for discounted items on your homepage or in a special “Sale” section of your store.
Don’t rely solely on your store visitors to discover your sale. Take advantage of email marketing, social media, and even paid ads to promote your discounts. Include engaging visuals and clear calls to action (CTAs) to draw shoppers in and encourage them to take advantage of your offers.
Tracking Sale Performance
Once your Shopify sale is live, it’s crucial to track its performance in real time. This allows you to make data-driven adjustments and ensure that you’re meeting your sale’s objectives.
Some key metrics to monitor during your sale include:
- Conversion rate: How many visitors are converting into customers?
- Average order value (AOV): Is your sale driving larger orders?
- Total sales: How much revenue is your sale generating?
Shopify’s built-in analytics dashboard is a valuable tool for tracking your sale’s performance. You can monitor traffic, sales, and conversion rates in real-time, and make adjustments on the fly, such as highlighting underperforming products or tweaking discount levels.
Post-Sale Actions
The end of your sale doesn’t mean the end of your customer engagement. The period after your sale is a prime time to nurture relationships and encourage repeat business.
1. Follow-Up Engagement: Sending post-sale thank-you emails or offering a follow-up discount can go a long way in showing your appreciation to customers and keeping your store top of mind. This is also a great opportunity to ask for reviews, helping boost your brand reputation and social credibility.
2. Analyze Sale Data: Once the dust has settled, review your sales data to assess what worked and what didn’t for your future marketing strategy. Look at the performance of different discount types, customer segments, and marketing channels to refine your future Shopify sales and campaigns.
3. Retargeting and Loyalty Programs: Leverage the customer data you gathered during the sale for future campaigns. Retarget visitors who didn’t make a purchase, and consider adding new customers to loyalty programs for exclusive deals and early access to future sales.
Running a sale on Shopify isn’t just about slapping on a discount and calling it a day—it’s about creating a well-oiled marketing strategy machine that gets results. From prepping your stock and setting killer offers to tracking performance and keeping that post-sale momentum going, every move you make counts toward making your sale a hit.
As you dive into different sales strategies, don’t forget the secret sauce: constant tweaking and fine-tuning. What worked last time might need a fresh spin, so keep experimenting until you hit the sweet spot that makes your audience click “buy.”And remember, you’re not in this alone! At Viably, we’re all about helping Shopify store owners grow by offering the financial tools and expert advice to power your next big move. Whether you’re planning your first sale or leveling up your current strategy, we’re here to make sure every step leads to bigger, better growth opportunities. Let’s make that next sale your best one yet!
