50 Proven Online Promotion Ideas For eCommerce



As eCommerce business owners, you don't need any introduction to online sales promotions.
Statistics about online promotions state:
However, when it comes to eCommerce campaign ideas, shoddy tactics bust conversions.
The problem is that the majority of out-of-the-box website promotion ideas have already been used to their full potential.
The question now is: what are some effective promotional campaigns for eCommerce businesses that actually work in 2025? Here are answers:
50 online promotion examples for your eCommerce store
How to prepare for eCommerce promotions
After working 500+ stores, we have compiled a list of 50 types of eCommerce promotions that you can discuss at your next online marketing meeting.
Back-to-school sales in July and August allow parents to get their children ready for the new school year in September.
The same is true for Black Friday and the holiday shopping season that follows, as well as any other time of year when there is a higher volume of purchases made by consumers.
All you need to create reliable retail sales promotions: A two-week campaign with 5-7 emails to call out various aspects of the promotion and some promotional ads.
You might like: 25 Black Friday Creative Sales Promotion Ideas (+ Examples)
Best way to engage your audience (and also one of the most creative promotion ideas) – giveaways.
Offer free products or exclusive discounts in exchange for actions like sharing your post or tagging friends on social media.
For example, you could run a contest where participants create and share their own content featuring your products, with the best submission winning a premium gift package.

We recommend you to read: How To Use "Giveaways" In eCommerce (Without Looking Desperate)
If you’re wondering which sales promotion is most effective for eComm stores, exclusive deals still top the list.
Most customers absolutely love it when something is curated especially for them.
Customers who receive unique incentives simply for being a member of a specific club will feel like they've earned their prize— and will appreciate a brand's generosity even more. - Luke Perry, CRO expert, Convertcart
Providing unique discounts and promotions encourages new signups as well.
Take a look at Monki's email exclusive sales promotion example:

Monki values a shopper's decision to subscribe to their newsletter and thanks them by giving first access to their mid-season discount.
Flash sale is a promotional campaign that emphasizes a sense of urgency.
Swanson Vitamins, for example, offers flash promotions with discounts of up to 50% off for only 24 hours.
It's an excellent sale promotion idea for attracting both new and returning clients.

Some great eCommerce promotions best practices dictate that flash sales can be a good idea only when you do them periodically.
Or shoppers may find your urgency fake and lose interest.
Ideally, once every 5 to 6 weeks, and a max of 3 times during peak shopping seasons.
Also read: eCommerce Shopping Cart Optimization: 50 Brilliant Strategies
Offering BOGO deals is one of those promotional ideas to increase sales (and really pull in large numbers of customers).
For instance, "Buy Two, Get Two" or “Buy 3 for $X” promotions encourage shoppers to purchase more because the perceived value immediately goes up.
This tactic is especially effective for clearing out inventory or introducing new products.
Ensure the deal is prominently featured on your website. You can even feature these deals on your entry popups.

Also read: Promote Your Online Store in the USA - 17 Unique Ideas
The average percentage of cart abandonment in eCommerce is around 79.17%. This means, that when shoppers add an item to their shopping cart, they have an almost 80% chance of not purchasing it. - Luke Perry, CRO expert, Convertcart
See how Primally Pure email encourages customers to return and finish their purchase by reminding them that the items in their cart are popular and selling fast.

A few other ideas for creating the best sales promotions:
- Show retargeting promotional ads labeled with social proof.
- Display a pop-up just as they’re abandoning the cart.
- Add a “limited time” nudge in the cart and mini cart pages.
A surprise offer with a disguised incentive not only builds up the tension, but can really help your sales campaign grab attention.
You can create sitewide mystery offers. Or you can apply these marketing offers to specific products that shoppers have browsed.
Consider how American Eagle employs mystery offers in their email marketing as part of their eCommerce campaign ideas—and this one is email-only:

Limit incentives to a time frame, whether it's a discount code or free shipping.
A targeted pitch like “Get 70% off your favorite items for <insert countdown timer>” instead of “This 70% off sale will last for <insert countdown timer>” will help you convert more prospects.
Pura Vida offers an excellent online promotions example—they make it clear that the offer is on the next purchase making it more personalized:

Also read: 8-Step eCommerce Promotion Strategy With Examples
A generous incentive, such as 15% off the first purchase or a free gift with their initial order, can capture attention and encourage immediate conversions.
Promote these enticing offers prominently on your website's landing pages, and utilize targeted pop-ups during browsing time to maximize visibility.
Set clear terms and expiry dates to add urgency.

You might also like: Boost eCommerce landing page conversions: 18 scientific strategies
Create targeted consumer promotional campaigns to appeal to a certain type of audience (those more likely to stay loyal). Like, recurring discounts for college students, military personnel, and/or the elderly.
Refine and amplify these promotional offers during certain times of the year. Base it on how shoppers engaged with your individual offers.
But you don’t always have to exclude shoppers who don’t fit in the intended audience – like Best Buy does. Their discounts apply to everyone, even if their "Back to School" promotion is geared toward high school and college students.

Also read: Back To School Email Marketing: 24 Amazing Examples From eCommerce Brands
Tiered discounts are discounts that grow as the cart value grows, incentivizing shoppers to spend more – here’s how Pottery Barn employs a multi-tiered buy more save more strategy:

Before you launch your online promotions, remember to set conditions like:
- capping the maximum possible discount amount
- whether offers apply per item or once per order
So, if you’ve pre-set bundles that can help shoppers achieve the discount quickly, you also end up creating a really smart bundle promotion idea.
Be it individual customer promotions or sitewide sales promotions, your homepage should display only the best promotions possible.
The first fold of the homepage should especially display attractive offers for customers – here’s one of the best website promotion examples from Pottery Barn:

Your online promotions should always be visible in three key areas - starting with your:
Here are some of the best marketing promotion ideas using social media marketing:
- Run promotional ads to target similar audiences
- Team up with influencers to publicize a discount campaign or promotional marketing offers
- Create discount coupons for followers (you can promote in posts or stories, like EatDeux does)

Need more website promotion ideas for Instagram? Read: 47 eCommerce Promotion Ideas for Instagram That Drive Sales
Offer a substantial but limited 24-hour period discount (like 40% off or a BOGO deal) on a few high-demand products.
Prominently display the featured products on your homepage with a dynamic countdown timer to highlight the limited-time nature of the deal.
Feature products that complement recent bestsellers, as well as products from a category a shopper viewed before (maximizes cross-selling opportunities), or even some seasonal discounts.
You should also check out: 51 Marketing Promotion Ideas For Online Pet Stores (With Examples)
Tailor your promotions to align with holidays–such as Christmas, Black Friday, or Valentine's Day. Offer special discounts, themed products, and limited-time offers.
Create visually appealing banners and dedicated landing pages to showcase seasonal discounts.
Then, promote them through targeted email campaigns, social media ads, and influencer partnerships.
Enhance the shopping experience with gift guides, bundled deals, and exclusive early access for loyal customers.

Also read: How to Build High Converting eCommerce Sale Pages (+ Examples)
Give shoppers an instant incentive to sign up, like a 10% off or $10 off their first order.
Promote it sitewide with pop-ups, banners, and callouts. Once they sign up, send an automated welcome email with a single-use discount code and a short intro to your brand, plus a preview of your top products.
Of all online sales promotion strategies, this one not only captures potential customers' contact information for future promotions but also encourages them to make their first purchase:

You must also read: 26 Secrets to Running Successful Facebook Ads (For eCommerce Stores)
Offer value beyond price in your subscription eCommerce promotions to keep shoppers around longer.
What you can offer at signup to create flexible deals: free shipping, simple pause/skip/cancel options, and multiple bundle choices.
This way, consumers don’t feel locked into your business promotions, and discover more of your product range (which is exactly The Patch Brand’s approach to encourage subscriptions).

You should also read: 20 Experts Share Proven eCommerce Growth Strategies (2025)
The "free gift promotion strategy" is a straightforward eCommerce campaign idea that lifts AOV and remains cost-effective for the company.
What you can do: Pick a complementary high-perceived-value online promotions gift with a minimum spend. Cap one gift per customer and promote the best free product promotion deal in pop-ups and homepage hero banner to maximize the impact.
Take a look at Societe Clinical Skincare’s sales promotion example below:

You should also check out: Valentine’s Day: Low-Budget Marketing Ideas for eCommerce Stores
Many customers think that spending money is less painful when you get something in return. It's almost as if you pay less upfront and then have more money to spend on more appealing products later on. - Mike Hale, UX specialist, Convertcart
Nike’s site offers one of the best customer promotion examples of this kind:

Plus, rewarding customers in this way frequently leads to increased loyalty and revenue (a perfect win-win situation)
You must read: How to Boost Sales with Smart eCommerce Merchandising
Loyalty’s one of those consumer promotions that actually pays off. Offer double points for a weekend or a signup “lump sum” points bonus to push people to buy more (which covers the cost of the discount promotions).
But keep your loyalty promotions tight. Set caps, make them time-bound, so your shoppers have a reason to come back.
Here’s a consumer sales promotion example of a loyalty program that offers tiered benefits for a tiered spend level:

Check out: 14 eCommerce Loyalty Programs Backed By Science (Examples)
It's tempting to obtain more value for less money, so consider bundling your most popular products with relatively less popular ones.
Bundles and branded gifts can both generate a lot of new interest in your company. And also works great for new product promotions (when a new product sells slow).
Alternatively, offer a one-time bundle promotional offer where, for over a certain spend value, the shopper gets the bundle for free.
For orders exceeding €100, Respire offers Breath Travel Kit, a product bundle consisting of two products.

With cross-sell and promotional ads campaigns, online stores can increase the AOV of those in the decision stage of the conversion funnel.
But, this promo idea is a form of quiet discount advertising – you reduce the perceived cost.
In a promotional marketing campaign, the best incentive has proven to be free shipping. A free shipping feature nudges shoppers to add more to the cart, increasing overall AOV rates. - Luke Perry, CRO expert, Convertcart
Tarte's cross-sell campaigns skillfully incorporate free shipping. Take a look at this sales promotions email with the subject "1 + 1 = Free shipping":

You'll also love reading: 18 Killer Examples Of eCommerce New Years Marketing
Brand-made holidays are one of the most unique promotional ideas to connect emotionally with niche audiences.
So, the best way to create this online brand promotion: pick holidays that closely align with the values of your brand and the products you sell.
Why? Holidays truly are among the best times to market products as the best gift options without being pushy, but capturing a shopper's attention during holidays like Christmas or Black Friday can be challenging.
Here's how BarkBox takes advantage of National Dog Day to provide a seasonal product promotion discount as it appeals to the company's target audience.

You must also check out: Selling on FB Marketplace - 15 Key Considerations for Higher Conversions
As far as eCommerce website promotion ideas for small businesses go, clearances are a great promotion marketing campaign to clear inventory for a new product line.
Works great as part of your eCommerce advertising ideas.
Customers equate clearance discounts with discounted prices, thus they're effective. Furthermore, because the number of available things is restricted, it features scarcity and urgency. - Mike Hale, UX specialist, Convertcart
In their emails, American Eagle uses this eCommerce campaign approach. Take a look at this email with the subject line "Up to 70% off clearance:”

You should also read: 33 "Underrated" Conversion Rate Optimization Ideas For eCommerce Stores
Lack of trust is a common factor in abandoning a cart.
Customers may be apprehensive about the quality of your items or whether you are worth their money if your brand is new.
Use social proof such as reviews, UGC, and founder’s notes across your website and even in your emails to convince skeptical shoppers (a timeless online shop promotion idea):

Check out: eCommerce social proof: What, why & how (with proven examples)
Run joint social contests to keep eCommerce sales promotions fresh and reach new audiences.
Keep it simple — ask shoppers to @tag a friend for a chance to win (helps expand reach and generate user-generated content).
Equator Coffees created a giveaway with four other brands on Instagram to increase their following and overall engagement.

Don't forget to read: eCommerce Video Marketing Ideas That Actually Improve Sales
Birthday emails are extremely successful, with 481% greater transaction rates and 342% higher income per message.
For example, Spalding offers a birthday sale with a 20% discount on any item.
Want to make it more compelling? State that it only applies for that day!

Not only to offer a discount promotion to abandoning shoppers, but also to explain the terms of your eCommerce sales promotion campaign to them.
State who qualifies, what they need to do to access the deal, and how long the deal lasts. Exit popups work as an excellent online promotion tool in eCommerce stores.
Take a look at how GAP achieves this with an exit-intent pop-up to help steer some customers back to the sale.

Sales promotional programs can overlap, so decide upfront if shoppers can stack discounts or if only one applies.
Spell it out in your emails, sale ads, campaign offers, and checkout, so customers know exactly which deal(s) they’re getting.
Always default to the consumer promo that drives your business objectives while still giving the shopper clear value. Note how Amazon does this to create an additional incentive for new customers:

Do give this a read: 5 Things That Harm eCommerce Domain Reputation (+ 10 Ways To Recover It)
Create a sense of urgency to persuade prospects to buy right now.
Like the following example, the alert bar across your website is a good place to position this online sales promotion technique:

Consider featuring an added incentive, such as free shipping or free returns, for additional impact.
Surveys are a great way to get direct feedback from customers on products, navigation, and overall shopping experience.
But only a few customers will fill them out. So, offer a small incentive (discount, points, or freebie) to get more responders and eventually boost sales.
See how My Protein’s sales promotion example ran a survey:

Fast Company reports: brands that factor minority groups into messaging not only outperform but also saw stocks rise by 44%. So, you can definitely use inclusive promotions as an eCommerce campaign tactic – however, here’s some valuable sales promotion advice to remember:
Nowadays, it isn’t merely enough to support causes. It’s also critical that you do the work and show it through actions. - Luke Perry, CRO expert, Convertcart
Some eCommerce stores go beyond supportive copy in online brand promotions and encourage real action, like backing equal employment programs. A great example of this retail sales promotion idea in action: Martha Stewart & Marley Spoon.
They show appreciation for community heroes by offering them discounts. All that’s needed is a valid ID:

Affiliate marketing works for your sales, brand, and marketing promotion ideas, all at the same time. It helps you promote products, reach new shoppers, grow brand awareness, and improve SEO through backlinks.
An affiliate picks a product they like, promotes it to their audience via a trackable affiliate link, and earns a cut of every tracked sale.
See how Martha Stewart & Marley Spoon use their affiliate program to reward customers as well.

You should also check out: Top eCommerce Events in India (Updated for 2025)
If you sell products in bulk or offer product ‘refilling’ options, then offering a discount will help you boost the bottom line.
Eco Egg offers exclusive discounts for students who are reusing their products through ‘refills’.
They have a dedicated landing page that outlines the core benefits of adopting the refill program.

Referral programs increase your customer lifetime value and business revenue.
Just make sure the rules are easy and the prize you offer is redeemable immediately.
Rebag has a dedicated landing page that encourages referrals with a strong selling point.

Also read: eCommerce Referral Marketing Cheat Codes: Hacks from 6 Amazing Programs
Pre-order campaigns can not only increase sales and build hype around a product. It gives shoppers a sense of access while helping you gauge demand.
Barnes & Noble does this with clever pre-order nudges on their product page.
They offer perks like free shipping, “reserve now, pay later,” and membership-only discounts to nudge towards loyalty program signups.

Also read: Lessons From 6 Kickass Pre-Order Campaigns (eCommerce)
The go-to strategy to drive organic traffic to your website is SEO. Can’t ignore it!
Start by optimizing your product descriptions, titles, and meta tags with relevant keywords.
Regularly update your blog with valuable content to engage visitors and improve search engine rankings. Additionally, ensure your site is mobile-friendly and has fast loading times to enhance user experience and SEO performance.
Don't forget to read: Top 15 eCommerce Conferences to Attend in 2025
Another aid to your SEO is blogs. And, they establish brand authority.
Share stories, tips, and brand values through blog content to connect with your audience on a personal level.
Also share valuable, relevant content that highlights your products and industry insights–while incorporating relevant keywords.

Use wishlists as targeted customer promotions by randomly discounting one or two saved items.
Instead of five emails, send a push nudge, SMS, or a WhatsApp DM. Say, “Hey, surprise! 20% off your wishlist favorite today only!”
Bonus tip: Put some pressure on the urgency (e.g., the discount appears on their next login for 24 hours). It works because it feels personal, taps into desire, and makes the deal more exciting than a scheduled sale.
Generic “You might also like…” product promotions kind of go unnoticed. AI helps you curate not only the most effective but also the best sales promotions, down to each individual shopper.
Plus, you can also test multiple types of eCommerce promotions and check which one’s most likely to convert.
For example, you can switch up website promotions dynamically with browsing, purchase history, and even weather. Like, you can show a “Rainy Day Deal” on cozy indoor products if it’s pouring in a shopper’s city.
Personalized customer promotions convert 2–3x better, and you can gamify it further with unlockable, behavior-based deals.
Offer a promotion like: "Pick any 3 products from this collection and get 20% off your custom bundle."
This way, shoppers feel they’re in control while you lift AOV, without being pushy. Here’s some inspiration on how to use the idea of custom product bundles to create the best sale ads, from Bon Parfumeur:

Bonus tip: Create a “Bundle Leaderboard”, feature the most popular custom bundles for extra inspo (and FOMO).
The best surprises are often unexpected. Pick a day at random, maybe even call it your brand’s own “Kindness Day,” and gift customers something delightful, like: free shipping, a mystery freebie, or even a no-strings $5 credit.
Why this small sales promotions idea works: The unexpected timing makes it memorable.
Plus, if you share customer reactions on socials (with permission), you add to the reach and good vibes.
Also read: How To Get More Orders On Your eCommerce Store - 46 Proven Ideas
The sale is never the finish line. It’s when customers feel most connected to your brand. Whenever we give suggestions to improve online shopping examples, this promotion idea is always on our list.
Use it to spark engagement: launch post-purchase challenges like:
Bonus tip: Create a mini badge or certificate they can proudly share ("Official Brand Superfan").
Gift cards work better when shoppers know what to do with them.
This is one of those totally underused website promotion ideas. Tie them to major holidays (BFCM, Valentine’s, Mother’s Day, Back to School) or brand-specific holidays, so they feel gift-worthy.
That’s exactly what Last Crumb did for their Black Friday marketing promotions: a $1,000 gift card bundled with free cookies + 20% off the card itself.
If you’re a smaller business, tie your gift card to a platform people already buy from to build trust (e.g., Amazon).

Also read: eCommerce Thanksgiving Marketing Strategies (and Brilliant Examples)
Most eCommerce brands don’t bother with this brand promotion idea, because they think: I don’t have a store.
However, if you’re on the lookout for sales promotion ideas for small businesses, this is the one to take advantage of.
And, if you have a manufacturing unit or sell on marketplace stores like Sephora, Walmart, Ace Hardware, etc., you can also get yourself on Google Business.
First, list your manufacturing unit as a factory outlet. Then, feature in-store promotions, marketing promotions tied to local events, as well as tie your entire Google Shopping product catalog.
Or, you can do like Supergoop does – note how a search on Google Maps shows stock from relevant marketplaces:

A new product deserves more than a banner ad. Some new product promotion ideas you can try:
- Bundle it with early access to livestream demos
- limited-run merch
- or you can double loyalty points
Here’s an example of this sales campaign idea in action from Welle, the supplement store – they offer a 30-day challenge and bundle new products together:

If returns are a huge pain, and you sell high-consideration products (skincare, furniture, sneakers, etc.), this buy & try sales campaign promotion idea is the one for you.
Let shoppers “test-drive” at home. You cut down on hesitation, because shoppers need not worry about raising returns, or worry about choosing the wrong product.
This strategy for marketing products online triggers the endowment effect (meaning once people experience ownership, they rarely want to let go).
Check how Warby Parker creates a trial program allowing shoppers to try 5 glasses for free, at home:

The promo idea here: take products that’ve been returned up for sale and are still in ‘sellable’ condition, put a good discount (not so much that you lose margin) - and call it an ‘open box’ deal.
You can also carry out this type of sales promotion campaigns on refurbished items or used items.
This is one of the best eCommerce website promotion ideas. Here’s why: you create the best offers to attract customers who would otherwise never convert because of the price.
Plus, you also get to clear stock of returned products. Note how Wayfair brings out the difference between new and their ‘open box’ products:

If you’re wondering how to promote a sale in an exciting yet non-pushy way, this is the advertising promotion to try.
You can get product promotion posts, as well as group-specific promotions, that you can promote on your social feeds. 🙂
Plus, gifting isn’t just about exposure; it’s about advertising promotion rights.
Even if the collab doesn’t move sales, you’ve got authentic UGC you can re-run in ads for months (way cheaper than a studio shoot).
Think old-school QVC, but fun. Livestream shopping is one of the most underused advertising promotions.
Livestreams are a great way to demonstrate products and promote introductory offers while showing personality.
It’s also one of the most creative ways to promote a product – here’s what you can do:
Drop flash discounts mid-stream, run quirky formats (product hackathons, stand-up comedy with a promo code), and keep viewers engaged while you sell.
If you’re wondering “how do I run promotional campaigns for my online store?”, here’s what to keep in mind:
Running online campaigns is always a good idea from time to time.
Now, how you go about your online sales promotion strategies depends on your intent, budget, and goal—but here are some steps you must cover before:
From the way your navigation works to how well your search is optimized to how easily scannable your pages are—this is the first step that will ensure your sales promotion ideas have a good starting ground.
Especially pay attention to A/B testing important elements like the CTAs, hero headers, category pages, product pages and the way your checkout flow is designed.
When it comes to eCommerce campaign ideas and ad campaigns, landing pages can be the ultimate conversion drivers.
However, for them to be successful as part of your eCommerce promotion strategy, they need to:
- Be distraction free (free of navigational links, etc.)
- Be used for ONE promotion at a time (cramming one with multiple offers will only lead to confusion)
- Spell out the UVP clearly
- Feature relevant social proof
- Align with the messaging you use in your promotional ads
This will include revisiting the cadence, the kind of emails you’re sending in your promotional campaigns, and the messaging you’re using to connect with your audiences.
Moreover, keep email segmentation in mind, especially if you want more of your store's visitors to convert during an upcoming sales promotion.
Also, it's quite important that you actively keep growing your email list, so as to reach the right people when the promotions are in full swing
What this will entail is you looking at what online promos you will post, how often you’re going to post, and building a content calendar.
You may even have to shorten the time between a query and when you provide an answer from the brand side.
Making it easy for your followers (many of whom will become customers during promotions) to get through to customer support will also be crucial.
Also read: TikTok eCommerce: 40 Brilliant Ideas (With Examples) For 2025
Before you begin creating a promotional offer, you need to arrive at ONE goal.
Do not give away something for free "simply to see how well it works."
As an example, if your goal is to bring in new consumers, you'd present a special offer for individuals who haven't yet made a purchase.
Wondering how to analyze eCommerce promotions?
First, define your online promotion goals—will your eCommerce promotion strategy aim at more signups? Will it be only about conversions? Will it be about referrals?
Next step: define the numbers clearly so that when you look at data later, you can clearly see what meets the mark and what doesn’t.
Once you have a fair idea about your eCommerce campaign goals, you’ll need to look at aligning them with your business goals: traffic, leads, and revenue. This way, you’ll be able to analyze eCommerce promotions on your store and how they perform for each customer segment.
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98% of visitors who visit an eCommerce site—drop off without buying anything.
Even when you feature the best ecommerce promotions.
Why: user experience issues that cause friction for visitors.
And this is the problem Convertcart solves.
We've helped 500+ eCommerce stores (in the US) improve user experience—and 2X their conversions.
How we can help you:
Our conversion experts can audit your site—identify UX issues, and suggest changes to improve conversions.