How to Make Sale Items on Shopify for Higher ROI

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. The Mechanics of Discounting: How to Make Sale Items on Shopify
3. Strategic Sale Types for Modern Merchants
4. Selling Knowledge: Sales Strategies for Digital Products
5. Maximizing Visibility for Your Sale Items
6. Technical Preparation for High-Traffic Sales
7. Tracking Sale Performance and Adjusting in Real-Time
8. Post-Sale Strategies: Building Lifetime Value
9. Conclusion
10. FAQ

Introduction

Did you know that nearly 93% of shoppers use a discount code or seek out sale items at least once a year? In an era where the creator economy is projected to be worth nearly half a trillion dollars by 2027, the ability to effectively discount and promote products is no longer just a "nice-to-have" skill—it is the lifeblood of sustainable e-commerce growth. Whether you are clearing out physical inventory to make room for a new seasonal line or launching a high-value digital masterclass, understanding how to structure your promotional offers is the difference between a one-time spike in traffic and a long-term increase in Customer Lifetime Value (LTV).

The purpose of this guide is to provide a masterclass on how to make sale items on Shopify, moving beyond the simple "change the price" button to a strategic framework that builds brand loyalty. We will explore the technical nuances of the Shopify admin panel, the psychology behind different discount types, and how to seamlessly integrate digital learning experiences into your promotional calendar. At Tevello, our mission is to turn any Shopify store into a digital learning powerhouse, and that begins with mastering the art of the offer.

We believe that merchants should own their customer data and brand experience. This is why we created a solution that keeps customers on your own URL, ensuring that when you run a sale, the entire journey—from the first click on a discounted product to the final lesson in an online course—is cohesive and professional. In this post, we will cover inventory preparation, the technical steps for creating sale prices, and advanced strategies for bundling physical goods with digital products to maximize your recurring revenue stability.

The Mechanics of Discounting: How to Make Sale Items on Shopify

To start, we must address the fundamental technical steps required to adjust your pricing. On Shopify, "putting an item on sale" usually refers to the "Compare-at price" feature. This is what creates the visual "strikethrough" effect that tells a customer exactly how much they are saving.

Using Compare-at Prices for Visual Impact

The most effective way to signal a deal is to show the original price alongside the new, lower price. This creates immediate cognitive ease for the shopper; they don’t have to guess if the deal is good—they can see the math right there.

1. Navigate to Products: From your Shopify admin, go to the "Products" section.
2. Select Your Item: Click on the specific product you wish to discount.
3. Find the Pricing Section: Scroll down until you see the "Pricing" card.
4. Enter the Compare-at Price: In the "Price" field, enter your new, lower sale price. In the "Compare-at price" field, enter the original, higher price.
5. Save: Once you hit save, Shopify will automatically calculate the discount and display it on your storefront, often adding a "Sale" badge depending on your theme settings.

For merchants managing hundreds of SKUs, doing this manually is inefficient. This is where bulk editing becomes your best friend. By selecting multiple products in the "Products" list and clicking "Bulk Edit," you can add the "Price" and "Compare-at price" columns to a spreadsheet-like view, allowing you to update your entire holiday sale inventory in minutes.

Strategic Use of Discount Codes vs. Automatic Discounts

While "Compare-at" prices are great for site-wide visibility, Shopify also offers robust tools for targeted promotions through discount codes and automatic discounts.

• Discount Codes: These are excellent for "exclusive" offers. You might provide a unique code to your email subscribers or as a reward for a customer's first purchase. This makes the customer feel like part of an inner circle.
• Automatic Discounts: These apply once certain criteria are met (e.g., "Buy 2, Get 1 Free" or "10% off orders over $100"). These are fantastic for increasing your Average Order Value (AOV) because the customer doesn't have to remember a code; they simply add more to their cart to see the savings kick in.

At Tevello, we recognize that all the key features for courses and communities must work in harmony with these Shopify native tools. Because our app uses a native Shopify integration, any discount code or automatic discount you create in your Shopify admin will apply perfectly to your digital products and course memberships at checkout.

Strategic Sale Types for Modern Merchants

Not all sales are created equal. The type of sale you choose should align with your specific business goals, whether that is clearing out old stock or building a stable community of recurring members.

Percentage vs. Fixed Amount Discounts

Percentage discounts (e.g., 20% off) often perform better for lower-priced items, where the number "20" feels more significant than a small dollar amount. Conversely, fixed amount discounts (e.g., "$50 off") are usually more compelling for high-ticket items like premium equipment or comprehensive certification courses.

Think about your audience’s psychology. For a merchant selling coffee beans, a "Buy 3, Get 15% Off" promotion is a great way to move volume. However, if that same merchant offers a "Professional Barista Masterclass" for $200, a "$40 Off" coupon feels like a more tangible, "real money" saving than a percentage.

The Power of Bundling Physical and Digital Goods

One of the most effective ways to run a sale is to bundle a physical product with a digital companion. This increases the perceived value of the purchase without significantly increasing your shipping or inventory costs.

Imagine a merchant who sells high-end yoga mats. During a seasonal sale, instead of just discounting the mat by 10%, they could offer the mat at full price but include a "30-Day Guided Morning Flow" video course for free. The customer feels they are getting a massive bonus, and the merchant protects their physical product margins while introducing the customer to their digital ecosystem.

This strategy is exactly how we help merchants scale. We’ve seen incredible results, such as how one brand sold $112K+ by bundling courses with their physical craft kits. By providing the "how-to" alongside the "with-what," you create a customer who is far more likely to succeed with your product—and a successful customer is a repeat customer.

Selling Knowledge: Sales Strategies for Digital Products

Digital products—online courses, exclusive communities, and downloadable resources—offer unique advantages during sales periods. Because there is no "cost of goods sold" (COGS) for each additional unit, your margins remain exceptionally high even during deep discounts.

Diversifying Revenue Streams

If you are currently only selling physical items, adding a digital sale item can provide recurring revenue stability. While physical sales might fluctuate based on supply chain issues or shipping delays, a digital course is always "in stock."

At Tevello, we advocate for keeping customers at home on the brand website. When you put a digital product on sale, you want that customer to stay within your Shopify environment. Redirecting them to a third-party course platform ruins the brand experience and creates "leaky" data. By staying native to Shopify, you ensure that the customer who bought your discounted gardening tools today is the same customer who receives an email for your "Mastering the Soil" course tomorrow.

Upselling to Increase Lifetime Value (LTV)

Sales aren't just for attracting new customers; they are a powerful tool for re-engaging your existing base. This is a core retention strategy. For instance, you can look at your historical data to see who bought a specific product and then offer them a "member-only" flash sale on a related digital masterclass.

Consider the success of photography brands that use this model. They might sell a camera or lens and then follow up with a discounted "Portrait Lighting Secrets" course. We have seen brands generating over €243,000 by upselling existing customers through these targeted digital offers. This approach transforms a one-time purchaser into a dedicated student who values your expertise as much as your physical inventory.

If unifying your stack is a priority, start by a simple, all-in-one price for unlimited courses.

Maximizing Visibility for Your Sale Items

You can have the best discount in the world, but if no one sees it, it won’t convert. Highlighting your sale items requires a multi-channel approach.

Creating Automated Sale Collections

One of the most effective ways to showcase your discounted products is to create an "Automated Collection" in Shopify.

1. Go to Products > Collections.
2. Click Create collection.
3. Select Automated as the collection type.
4. Set the condition: "Compare-at price is greater than 0."

This collection will now automatically populate with every item you have put on sale. You can link this collection in your main navigation menu under a "Sale" or "Clearance" tab, making it the first place deal-hunters go when they land on your site.

Leveraging the Community Element

Don't just sell a product; sell a transformation. When you run a sale on a course or membership, use your community features to build hype. Tevello includes community profiles, member directories, and social feeds within your Shopify store.

Before a sale goes live, you might host a "free challenge" inside your community. As the challenge ends, you can offer the participants an exclusive discount on your full curriculum. This "pre-warming" of the audience significantly increases conversion rates. We have documented strategies for selling over 4,000 digital courses natively by using this exact blend of community engagement and well-timed Shopify sales.

Technical Preparation for High-Traffic Sales

Large-scale sales, like Black Friday Cyber Monday (BFCM), can put immense pressure on your store. While Shopify handles the server load for your checkout, you need to ensure your content delivery is just as robust.

One of the technical advantages of using Tevello is that we provide unlimited video hosting and bandwidth. This means that even if 10,000 students decide to buy and watch your discounted course at the same time, your site won't lag, and your videos won't buffer. We believe in predictable pricing without hidden transaction fees, allowing you to scale your traffic during a sale without worrying about a surprise bill from your video host or course platform.

Furthermore, ensure your "Drip Content" schedules are set correctly if you are launching a new course during a sale. You may want all students to start at the same time to foster a sense of community, or you may want them to move at their own pace. Our Unlimited Plan supports these complex scheduling needs, ensuring that your "Power Users" are kept engaged while beginners aren't overwhelmed.

Tracking Sale Performance and Adjusting in Real-Time

A sale is a live experiment. You should be monitoring your Shopify Analytics dashboard daily to see which items are moving and which are stagnant.

• Conversion Rate: Is the discount deep enough to move the needle?
• AOV (Average Order Value): Are people buying just the sale item, or are they adding full-price items to their cart?
• Refund Rate: Sometimes deep discounts attract "low-quality" leads who are more likely to ask for refunds. Monitor this closely, especially with digital products.

If a particular course isn't selling as well as you’d hoped, don't be afraid to pivot. You could change the "Compare-at" price, or perhaps add a "bonus" digital download to the offer. The beauty of digital products is that you can create a new PDF guide or a "bonus module" in an afternoon to sweeten the deal.

The most successful brands often see driving 50% of sales from repeat course purchasers, proving that if you deliver high value during their first "sale" experience, they will return to pay full price for your next offering. To ensure you can grow without penalty, we recommend securing a fixed cost structure for digital products rather than losing a percentage of your hard-earned revenue to success fees.

Post-Sale Strategies: Building Lifetime Value

The period immediately following a sale is the most critical for customer retention. A sale shouldn't be the end of the transaction; it should be the beginning of the relationship.

Automated Onboarding

When someone buys a sale item—especially a digital one—they should receive an immediate "Welcome" sequence. With Tevello, the login process is unified with the Shopify customer account. This means there is no "where is my password?" friction. They use the same login they used to buy the product. This reduction in friction is a key driver of positive reviews and long-term retention.

Nurturing Your New Community

Once the sale ends, shift your focus from "selling" to "serving." Use your community social feeds to ask new members how they are enjoying the course. Host a "Live Q&A" for everyone who joined during the sale. This turns a "deal-seeker" into a "brand-advocate."

By focusing on the benefits of the business model—diversifying revenue streams and increasing LTV—you build a resilient business that isn't dependent on the next "flash sale" to survive. Instead, you create an ecosystem where physical goods, digital wisdom, and community engagement live side-by-side on your own terms.

Conclusion

Mastering how to make sale items on Shopify is a fundamental skill for any merchant looking to thrive in the modern e-commerce environment. By leveraging "Compare-at" prices, creating strategic bundles of physical and digital products, and maintaining a high-quality brand experience, you can turn a simple discount into a long-term growth engine.

At Tevello, we are committed to providing you with the tools to make this transition as seamless as possible. Our Unlimited Plan, priced at just $29.99 per month, offers a flat-rate plan that supports unlimited members without ever taking a cut of your sales. We believe you should keep 100% of your earnings, which is why we charge 0% transaction fees. Our all-in-one ecosystem is designed to amplify your existing efforts, allowing you to host unlimited courses, manage a thriving community, and schedule drip content—all from the Shopify admin you already know and trust.

Whether you are just starting out or looking to migrate a massive community to a more stable home, now is the time to take action. You can build your entire curriculum, set up your community tiers, and test your sale structures during our 14-day free trial without paying a cent.

To build your community without leaving Shopify, start by reviewing the Shopify App Store listing merchants install from. We can't wait to see you install Tevello from the Shopify App Store today and start turning your store into a digital learning powerhouse.

FAQ

1. Can I sell both physical products and online courses in the same Shopify sale? Absolutely. Because Tevello is natively integrated into Shopify, your courses are treated like any other product in your catalog. You can include them in site-wide automatic discounts, bundle them with physical goods using Shopify’s "Buy X Get Y" features, or create specific discount codes that apply to both your inventory and your digital curriculum.

2. How do I prevent people from sharing their course login after a big sale? Tevello uses the native Shopify customer account system. This means that a user’s course access is tied directly to their store login. To share access, they would have to share their entire Shopify account, including their saved credit cards and address, which significantly discourages unauthorized sharing. Additionally, our platform is designed to track progress per user, ensuring the integrity of your educational content.

3. Does Tevello charge extra if I have thousands of students join during a flash sale? No. Unlike many platforms that charge "per-user" or take a percentage of your success, Tevello offers an Unlimited Plan for a flat fee of $29.99 per month. Whether you have 10 students or 10,000, your price remains the same. We also offer 0% transaction fees, ensuring that the more you sell during your promotion, the more you keep.

4. Can I offer a "free trial" of a course as a lead magnet during my sale? Yes, this is a highly recommended strategy. You can set up a smaller "introductory" course as a free product on Shopify. When customers "purchase" it for $0, they are automatically enrolled and given access to your learning portal. This allows them to experience your teaching style and community before they commit to purchasing your full-priced or discounted premium masterclasses.