Discounts are the easiest lever to pull and the easiest to overuse. Done well, a discount gives a hesitant buyer a reason to act now. Done badly, it teaches your whole audience to wait for the next sale — and there's always a next sale.
Make it a reason, not a habit
- Tie it to something real — a launch, a season, a milestone — so it has a start and an end.
- Give it a deadline people believe, and honour it.
- Never run so often that full price starts to look like the sucker's price.
Sometimes hold the line
If your product delivers, a confident full price is its own signal of quality. A permanent discount whispers that the real value is lower than the sticker. Protect the number when you can.