
How to Create Your First Online Store Promotion: A Complete Guide
Before announcing your first promotion, create a strategic plan to target the right audience and maximize profitability. Consider these key factors:
Core Planning Questions:
- Which items to discount
- Promotion duration
- Target audience (occasional visitors vs. loyal customers)
- Marketing channels
- Primary goals (clearing stock, gaining followers, increasing sales)
Types of Promotions
- Sale Prices:
- Adds visible "Sale" badge
- Shows original price struck through
- Applies to all customers
- Set manually per item
- Best for: clearing seasonal inventory, highlighting specific items
- Discounts:
- Applied at checkout
- Options: fixed amount, percentage, or free shipping
- Can target specific items or categories
- Requires promo code (or automatic with Advanced Commerce)
- Best for: targeted promotions and time-sensitive sales
Promotion Strategies
On-site Promotion:
- Create a Discounts category
- Add promotional pop-ups
- Use announcement bars
- Implement Summary Blocks
- Enable limited availability labels
External Marketing:
- Share on social media
- Send newsletters to mailing list
- Create engaging content using Marketing Kit
- Leverage multiple marketing channels
Tracking Results:
- Monitor conversion in Analytics
- Track discount code usage
- Analyze traffic sources
- Review purchase process abandonment
Implementation Steps:
- Select items for promotion
- Choose promotion type (sale prices or discounts)
- Set duration
- Define target audience
- Select marketing channels
- Establish clear terms and conditions
- Monitor results and adjust strategy
Success Tips:
- Clearly communicate savings
- Create urgency with deadlines
- Reward loyal customers
- Track performance across channels
- Adjust strategy based on analytics
Remember to maintain profitability while offering attractive discounts and ensure all promotion terms are clearly displayed at checkout or in FAQs.
Related Articles

Integrate Etsy and Squarespace: Complete Store Sync Guide
