Run a Sale on Shopify: The Ultimate Guide to Discounting Products

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Setting Up Individual Sale Prices
  3. Running Storewide Sales
  4. Automating Sale Collections
  5. Optimizing Your Store for Sales
  6. Conclusion
  7. FAQ

Have you ever stumbled upon a sale that made you feel like you hit the jackpot? That exhilarating feeling isn’t just luck by chance; it’s a well-orchestrated marketing strategy designed to win customers over—and it could be your strategy. Today, we're diving deep into the realm of Shopify sales, focusing on the "how-to" of putting items on sale. Whether you aim to clear out inventory or boost sales during a slow season, this blog post will guide you through setting up successful sales strategies in your Shopify store.

Introduction

Imagine this: It's the end of the season, and you're sitting on a stockpile of products that need to move to make room for new inventory. Or perhaps you're looking to drive traffic to your website and increase overall sales volume. Whatever the reason, putting products on sale is a classic tactic that works. But how do you execute a sale on Shopify that not only attracts customers but also enhances their shopping experience and boosts your revenue? That's exactly what you'll learn today.

This blog post is crafted to provide a comprehensive look into setting up sales on Shopify, covering everything from the manual setting of sale prices to utilizing Shopify's built-in features and third-party apps for a more automated approach. We'll delve into strategies for both individual products and entire collections, ensuring you're equipped to handle any sale scenario.

Additionally, we'll explore how to optimize your store for the sale season, ensuring your customers are met with enticing offers that are hard to pass up. By the end of this read, you'll have a thorough understanding of how to put items on sale in Shopify, elevating your store's appeal and potentially increasing your conversion rates. Let's make your sale strategy a compelling chapter in your Shopify success story.

Setting Up Individual Sale Prices

Starting with the basics, Shopify allows store owners to set sale prices for individual products without resorting to discount codes. This method showcases both the original and sale prices, offering a clear comparison to customers and highlighting the savings they're getting. Here’s how to execute this effectively:

For Standard Products:

  1. Navigate to the 'Products' section in your Shopify admin.
  2. Select the product you wish to put on sale.
  3. In the 'Pricing' section, enter the original price in the 'Compare at price' field and the sale price in the 'Price' field.
  4. Save your changes.

For Products with Variants:

If your product has different variants, you might want to set specific sale prices for each.

  1. In the 'Variants' section of the product page, click on a variant.
  2. Set the 'Compare at price' and 'Price' as you would for a standard product.
  3. Repeat for each variant as necessary.

By setting a 'Compare at price', the product listing in your store will automatically update to indicate that the product is on sale, which can also be highlighted by a 'Sale' label depending on your Shopify theme.

Running Storewide Sales

For those looking to make a more considerable impact with a storewide sale, Shopify caters to this need through the 'Discounts' feature.

Setting Up a Storewide Discount:

  1. Go to 'Discounts' in your Shopify admin.
  2. Choose 'Create Discount' and select either 'Percentage Discount' or 'Fixed Amount Discount'.
  3. Apply the discount to 'Entire order'.
  4. Specify your discount conditions, set an amount, and save.

This approach doesn’t change the displayed prices of your products but provides an automatic discount at checkout, simplifying the process of running a storewide sale.

Automating Sale Collections

To further streamline the sales process, consider leveraging Shopify's Smart Collections to automatically group on-sale items based on certain conditions, like a set 'Compare at price'.

Creating a Smart Collection for Sale Items:

  1. From 'Products > Collections', click 'Create collection'.
  2. Choose 'Automated' and set conditions that capture your on-sale items, such as “Compare at price is not equal to the blank” and “Price is less than compare at price”.
  3. Save your Smart Collection, which will then update automatically with qualifying products.

Optimizing Your Store for Sales

With the technical setup out of the way, it's crucial to prepare your store visually and functionally for the sale season:

  • Add banners or countdown timers to your homepage to create urgency.
  • Implement pop-ups with special offers to catch attention.
  • Create dedicated sale pages or customize existing ones to better showcase sale items.
  • Test all contact forms, live chats, and payment methods to ensure a smooth checkout process.

Conclusion

Running a sale on Shopify doesn’t have to be a daunting task. By setting individual sale prices, utilizing discounts for storewide sales, and smartly grouping sale items into collections, you can significantly enhance the shopping experience, attract more customers, and increase your revenue.

Remember, the key to a successful sale lies not just in slashing prices but in how well you communicate the value and urgency of these offers to your prospective buyers. Optimizing your store for the sale season and employing strategic marketing tactics will ensure your sales are not just seen but are successful.

FAQ

1. How do I reverse sale prices after the sale ends on Shopify?

To reverse prices, you can manually adjust the 'Price' and 'Compare at price' fields for each product or variant back to their original values. Alternatively, for bulk changes, you might use a bulk editor or a third-party app designed for bulk pricing adjustments.

2. Can I schedule sales in advance on Shopify?

Shopify itself doesn't natively support scheduling sales prices in advance. However, third-party apps available in the Shopify App Store can provide this functionality, allowing you to set start and end dates for your sales.

3. How do I promote a sale on Shopify?

Promoting a sale can be done through various channels including email marketing, social media, paid advertising, and on-site banners. Highlighting exclusive deals and using urgency-driven language can help capture attention.

4. Are there any best practices for discounting products on Shopify?

Yes, when discounting products, it’s best to keep your target audience and profit margins in mind. Avoid permanent sales to prevent devaluing your products. Use sales strategically to clear inventory, generate traffic, or highlight specific products.

5. How do discounts affect my shipping rates?

Discounts apply to the price of the products and do not directly affect shipping rates. However, if you set minimum purchase conditions for free shipping, ensure they align with your sale strategy to avoid potential customer confusion.