There’s something that keeps popping up in eCommerce and honestly, it needs to stop; strike-through pricing. You know what I’m talking about. That little trick where a product’s original price is shown with a line through it, and a lower price is slapped next to it to make people think they’re getting a deal.
I know. It sounds like a great idea. You’ve probably seen it everywhere, so it must work, right? Wrong. Most people using it have no clue what they’re doing. They’re just following the crowd without understanding why it might actually be killing their sales. If you’ve got a website filled with crossed-out prices, you need to listen up because this might be why your store isn’t making money.
Why Strike-Through Pricing Backfires
Here’s the problem. Strike-through pricing works only when it’s used correctly, which, let’s be real, almost nobody does. It’s supposed to create urgency and highlight a real deal. The issue is, most people just throw it on every single product, whether it’s on sale or not. And guess what? Customers aren’t stupid. They see that every item in your store has a discount and immediately think, “This is fake. The original price was never real, and this ‘sale’ is just a gimmick.” And once you’ve lost credibility, good luck getting it back.
Another reason this backfires is because it actually makes your products look overpriced. If everything’s always on sale, people start assuming the lower price is the real price and that the original number was just a lie. So instead of making them feel like they’re getting a great deal, you’re training them to never trust your pricing. And when customers don’t trust your prices, they hesitate to buy at all.
Your Site Looks Cheap, Not Professional
Oh, and let’s not forget about how bad it makes your site look. A website covered in strike-through pricing is a mess. It’s cluttered, distracting, and honestly just screams “cheap.” People don’t want to shop somewhere that looks like a dollar store liquidation sale. A clean, simple, well-organized site builds trust and makes people feel like they’re buying something valuable. But when every product’s got a big, bold discount sticker on it, it just looks desperate.
When It’s Actually Okay to Use Strike-Through Pricing
Now, I’m not saying you can never use strike-through pricing. If you’re actually running a real sale, fine. If a supplier gives you a temporary discount or you’re clearing out stock, then sure, go ahead and show the markdown. But if you’re using it across your entire store as some kind of psychological trick, stop. It’s not working, and it’s probably hurting your business more than helping.
Focus on Real Value Instead of Gimmicks
Instead of playing pricing games, focus on making your site actually appealing. Build trust by presenting your products clearly. Use solid descriptions. Make your site easy to navigate. If people believe in what they’re buying and feel good about your store, they’ll pay the price; no gimmicks needed.
So if you’ve got strike-through pricing slapped all over your site, do yourself a favor and start deleting. It’s not fooling anyone, and it’s probably costing you sales.
Here Are Five Things You Can Do to Price Right
First, remove strike-through pricing from any product that’s not actually on sale.
If everything looks like it’s always discounted, customers stop believing any of it. Go through your store and get rid of fake markdowns. If you want to run a real sale, fine, but stop making every product look like it’s on some never-ending clearance event.
Second, clean up your product pages so they don’t look like a bargain bin.
Your website shouldn’t look like a discount warehouse. If every price tag’s got slashes and bright red numbers screaming about a sale, you’re making your store look cheap. Keep things clean, professional, and easy to read. The less visual clutter, the better.
Third, set real prices that don’t rely on fake discounts to seem appealing.
If your product’s price only looks good because it’s “marked down” from some inflated nonsense, you’ve got a problem. Price your products fairly from the start. Customers should feel confident buying without needing a flashing discount sign to convince them.
Fourth, stop training your customers to wait for fake sales.
When shoppers realize your prices are always discounted, they stop buying at full price. They assume there’s always a better deal coming, and they’ll hold off on purchasing. If you want people to buy now, they need to trust that today’s price is the real price.
Fifth, focus on making your store look trustworthy instead of gimmicky.
People buy from stores they trust, not ones that look like they’re running a clearance sale 24/7. Invest in high-quality product images, write real descriptions, and make sure your site looks professional. When your store feels legit, you don’t need pricing tricks to convince people to buy.
That’s it. Ditch the strike-through pricing, build trust with real prices, and stop making your store look like it belongs in a bargain bin. Your customers will thank you, and your sales will actually improve.
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