As an Etsy seller, you know that one of the most essential factors for success is standing out from the competition and attracting new customers. One way to do this is by offering discounts and sales.

But how can you approach this strategy for effective results?

In this blog post, we’ll dive into the ins and outs of running discounts on Etsy. We’ll cover the perfect timing for sales, what types of promotions to consider and how to structure your discounts.

Whether you’re a seasoned seller or just getting started, read on to learn how to use discounts to drive sales, build customer loyalty, and grow your Etsy business.

The types of sales you can run on Etsy as part of your sale strategy

There are three separate discount options to choose from that will make your store stand out from the crowd:

• Running a regular sale
• Offering a coupon
• Personalized offers to clients

As you can imagine, each option comes with its unique set of peculiarities. Let’s find out more about them.

Running a regular sale

This classic approach to discounts is a tried-and-true method for generating buzz around your products.

Sellers can run a sale through the Marketing section of Etsy’s Shop Manager. The platform enables you to schedule and run percentage-off sales ranging from 10% to 70% on selected items in your shop for a defined period of up to 30 days.

Whether you’re looking to promote a brand new product or collection, or liquidate slow-moving items, running small or large percentage-off sales can turn your performance around. Etsy also allows merchants to encourage shoppers to spend more via creative promotions such as “15% off when you purchase three or more t-shirts” or “30% off on orders above $150”.

Although price is not everything, this is an effective way to make your listings appear more attractive than those of your competitors.

Offering a coupon

Etsy coupons are another popular discount option that a lot of sellers take advantage of. Offering a bargain through coupon codes is a fantastic way to attract new customers and keep your existing ones happy. You can choose a percentage markdown or a fixed-amount discount. No matter your choice, creating a unique coupon code is a proven way to pamper your clients and encourage them to purchase your handmade gems.

Coupons are not only a fantastic way to incentivize customers to return and shop with you again, but they can also be a great tool for increasing engagement across your social media channels. By tracking engagement for certain promotional channels, such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and email marketing, you can target customers in a more bespoke way and tailor your promotions to their interests.

Personalized offers to users

Apart from rewarding your buyers with coupon codes, you can also boost sales via special offers to interested shoppers.

By sending personalized discount offers to customers who have added items to their cart but haven’t yet made a purchase, you can increase your sales without lifting a finger.

When is the optimal time to offer discounts?

So say that you’ve decided that you want to entice shoppers and boost your sales via promo codes or sales. When is the best time to act?

There are several occasions or scenarios that are ideal for sales:

• Holidays
• Market penetration
• Clearing inventory

Holidays

One effective strategy is to time your sale with a popular retail shopping holiday. During these holidays shoppers are actively looking for bargains and discounts, so it’s the perfect time to showcase your products and drive sales.

Using Sale Samurai’s calendar feature, you can easily stay up to date on upcoming holidays and events, and plan your promotions accordingly. Some of the most popular festivities for discounts and promo codes on Etsy include:

• Thanksgiving
• Halloween
• Christmas
• Valentine’s Day
• International Women’s Day
• Mother’s Day
• Black Friday
• Easter
• Back To School

Of course, it’s important to communicate the reason for your sale to your customers. Let them know why you’re having a promotion and how long it will last. This creates a sense of urgency and encourages them to act quickly.

But be strategic with your discounts – too many promotions can train your customers to always expect savings, which can hurt your brand perception in the long run. Use discounts selectively and thoughtfully, and watch your sales soar!

With these tips in mind, you’ll be well on your way to running successful sales that attract new customers and build brand loyalty.

Market penetration

Running a sale or offering a discount coupon can also bring lucrative rewards when entering a new market. Making your Etsy shop visible in a niche or category you have no experience in can be a daunting task. Especially considering the fierce competition, it could take you months to start getting your products recognized.

One of the quickest ways to attract attention is to offer something that others aren’t. Of course, this special treat shouldn’t be limited to price. But it certainly helps to show Etsy consumers that they can take advantage of a good deal with your shop.

An attractive sale for new entrants can be a powerful technique to generate interest in your products, stimulate new customers to try them and ultimately drive sales.

Clearing inventory

Another reason to consider reducing the prices of your products via a sale or a promo code is to clear your inventory. The last thing you want is to have unsold items that no longer fit in with your strategy or are out of season.

One of the best examples for this case is seasonal products, like clothing, gifts or decorations. Let’s take Christmas home decor. Naturally, users will be ready to spend more on such items as the year comes to an end and the special day approaches. Having Christmas decor items in stock after the start of the new year often turns into a problem for sellers. It translates into the need for storage and money locked up in products that are no longer trending.

The best way to clear money and space for items that can generate returns is to get rid of what’s no longer necessary. And to motivate shoppers to buy out-of-season products, you’ll need an inspiring price.

So how exactly should you structure your discounts on Etsy?

How to structure your Etsy discounts

Let’s say that you’re ready to get started with Etsy discounts. The key to conducting an efficient sale is structure.

Structuring your Etsy discounts necessitates finding the right balance between attracting customers and making a profit. To make sure you’re on the right track, follow these steps.

Step 1: Choose a discount type

Above, we noted that there are three types of Etsy sales that you can choose from (regular sales, coupons and personalized offers). At the same time, you can select between percentage-based discounts and fixed-amount discounts.

Percentage-based discounts take a percentage off the total order, while fixed-amount discounts take a set dollar amount off the order. Consider which type of discount will work best for your shop and the products you sell.

We strongly recommend considering consumer psychology when making the choice. Make sure to present your discount in the most attractive way. For example, let’s say that you’re reducing the price of a handmade furniture piece by 30%. The nominal value of this percentage is $100, for instance. Naturally, the shopper’s mind will be more tempted to save $100 rather than 30% (even if they are the same thing). This is simply because the number is larger, indicating a better deal.

Step 2: Decide on the discount amount

Next, determine the amount of your discount, whether you are offering a percentage-based discount or a fixed amount discount. Ideally, find a balance between offering a lucrative price drop, yet making sure the sale doesn’t hurt your profit margins.

For this purpose, carefully analyze your expenses and ensure that the price of the product never drops below that number.

Step 3: Choose a discount code

Choose a unique discount code to apply to the discount. This will be the code customers enter at checkout to receive the new price.

Make sure the code is easy to remember and unique to your shop. Optimally, use words or phrases that are relevant to the occasion, the category that is on sale or another specific element from the discount.

For example, imagine you’re creating a promo code for a Christmas sale on your t-shirts. The code provides your shoppers with a 20% price reduction. It could be structured along the lines of “Xmastshirt20”.

Step 4: Set discount timeframe

It’s also important to decide on the timeframe for your discount. You can choose to run the discount for a limited time or for a specific event or season.

Setting a time frame helps create a sense of urgency and can help increase sales.

Step 5: Promote your discount

Once you’ve structured your discount, it’s time to promote it. Share the discount code on your social media channels, in your shop announcement and in any email campaigns.

Make sure to highlight the savings and encourage customers to take advantage of the offer.

Step 6: Monitor your results

After running your sale, track your results to analyse its effectiveness. Look at how many people used the code, how much revenue was generated and if there was a change in customer behaviour.

Use this information to inform future promotions and discounts.

In conclusion

Setting up an Etsy sale is a guaranteed way to attract attention and give a competitive edge to your listings. With the diverse discount options provided by the marketplace, you can explore different avenues to offer shoppers one more reason to choose you over competitors.