Should you list your prices on your website?

Do you list your prices on your website? As a small service-based business it can be difficult to decide due to conflicting information. Today we’ll have a look into some of the reasons why you could choose to list your prices or not. By the end you should have a clearer idea of what’s best for your business.

The first thing to mention is that this discussion is regarding service providers mainly, but is still worth thinking about for product-based businesses. As you read through, make a mental note of how you want your business to be portrayed and the extent that this matches with your ideal customer.

Why you should list prices

Ease of access

My immediate answer to this question is the fact that showing your prices makes it presents all the information at once, allowing potential customers to make an informed decision. They don’t have to contact you first and can immediately get the information they want.

During my internship, I researched a lot of services that a startup would need, such as cyber security and office rental. A lot of companies required you to contact them for a quote, which made it hard to create a budget. This experience always stuck with me and reminded me of the importance of making information available to the customer as and when they require it.

Transparency

Because so many service-based businesses don’t openly share their prices, doing so can show your willingness to be upfront with the customer. It’s also a good way to demonstrate that your prices stay consistent and that you offer the same price, no matter who your customer is.

The way I look at it is like a restaurant. If you’re anything like me, your stomach would immediately drop if you sat down and were greeted with the sight of no prices on the menu. We typically associate services or products with no listed prices as being so expensive that only people with endless amounts of money can afford them.

Preparedness

Building on the last point, listing at least a baseline price means that clients will have an idea of what your services will cost. Therefore, it also reduces the amount of incoming contact from customers who’re just wanting a quote and end up not becoming customers. So, when you do get an incoming message from a potential client, you can focus more on telling them the why of your service.

It’s also worth noting that not all businesses who can’t afford you now may be able to in the future. For example, someone like myself offering social media management packages may be too expensive for a small business at their startup stage. Fast forward a year and their boom in revenue means that they can now afford to outsource their social media marketing, allowing them even more time to grow their business.

Being open to the client is all well and good, but what if you offer services that vary significantly in cost? Let’s see what the other side of the argument says.

Why you maybe shouldn’t list your prices

Complexity

Depending on your service, the difference in cost can vary greatly from client to client. When including things such as materials, and labour and other unexpected expenses, it can be difficult to give a definitive price (or even a starting amount) on your website.

If you’ve ever watched Escape To The Chateau, Interior Design Masters or are familiar with DIY work, you’ll know that we’re not always great at estimating the amount of materials or time we’ll need to get something done. Especially when dealing with the unique situations clients will present to you, you’ll likely need to factor in extra work that you didn’t originally anticipate. Some people may also see it as deceptive if you stray too far from the original price listed on your website.

Value over price

When listing your prices online, you immediately give someone all the basic information they need to make a decision about your business. As mentioned, this can be beneficial, but it also robs you of the opportunity to really tell them why you’re the business they should pick. Especially if you’re good with connecting with someone in-person, you may be doing yourself a disservice by simply relying on your website.

Similarly, I think positioning your services without the price allows a strategy that prioritises the value you can grant the client, rather than what it just costs monetarily. Carrying on with the home improvement field, a carpenter could position their service as providing a bespoke experience where the client is completely in control, and doesn’t have to spend hours trawling through shops or websites to find their perfect furniture. Someone who desires an experience like this will look at it as an investment rather than just an exchange of money for a service.

Flexibility

Lastly, I think it’s important to recognise that running your own business allows you to set your own prices. And with this means that you should be allowed to change them as you wish. Having your prices not immediately available allows you to adjust them throughout the year, like during a slow season or if something unexpected happens in your supply chain (like some astronomical tariffs from a certain president).

As independent businesses, we don’t often have the security that large corporations have and therefore it’s important that we adjust our prices to stay in business.

What do I do?

When setting up Ashen Rose, this was one of the things that bothered me the most. I couldn’t find any competitors that plainly listed their prices and I figured that there was probably a reason for this. Still, looking back at my internship, I couldn’t help but think of how frustrating it was to be met with “inquire for pricing” so many times. So, I decided that being as open as possible would be the right move for me, given that my target audience is small businesses who not only have limited time on their hands, but often also a limited budget.

I personally like to show my prices, so all my clients know exactly what to expect when working with me.

My social media marketing packages come in three tiers: bronze, silver and gold, priced at £250, £450 and £650 respectively. However, I wanted to also leave clients the opportunity to customise their packages more. That’s when I decided on positioning my commissions as an add-on that you can use to make your experience better tailored to your individual needs. Of course, this also leaves businesses who don’t want a full package to commission my services separately. You can see how I present my package prices by clicking the button below.

My Services

Now you’ve heard of some reasons on both sides, as well as my personal strategy, where do you fall in the argument? Ultimately, it depends on what kind of service your business offers and how you wish to portray yourself to customers. If you’re still stuck, it could be worth trying out both and seeing if either gets you any more leads (or if you end up preferring one of them). A nice medium could be to list your baseline prices, to demonstrate what your prices start at, while leaving the conversation open for flexibility.