Should you put pricing on your website?

Many small business owners hesitate to put pricing on their websites. Some worry that clients will think they are too expensive. Others worry they will lose opportunities before having a chance to explain the value of their services. And, in some cases, it can be that the value of their services can’t be estimated well enough to put on a public-facing website. However, for the majority of micro businesses, it is a very good idea to list prices, which I will outline in the following paragraphs.

There are a few good reasons why you would want to keep your prices private, and they usually have to do with the nature of your products or services. If you do a lot of custom work and issue estimates or proposals, rather than charging by the hour, it can be much easier to have a potential client contact you for an estimate. An example of this is a muralist, who may charge differently based on the scale or complexity of work, and will need to see the worksite before being able to accurately create a bid. In this case, a prominently displayed button under a call-to-action (CTA) should be enough. In this case, making it easy for a potential client to contact you is even more important.

And there are some folks who shy away from putting prices on their websites because they feel that they might be seen as too expensive, which might either encourage price haggling, or drive away clients altogether.

These are valid reasons, and in the case of the muralist, it makes sense to either include a clear call-to-action and a button to contact, or, as far as pricing goes, you could give a possible range of prices per size of project, stating that in order to have a final price, a visit and an estimate would need to occur.

If you are still figuring out your pricing and would like guidance, I have written a separate article on pricing your products and services. In the meantime, you can start by researching businesses similar to yours in your area and choosing a reasonable starting point. Pricing is not permanent. It can evolve as your experience, confidence, and business grow.

When people visit your website, they will see your prices and know what to expect when they go to book your services. The more transparent you are, the more potential customers trust you.

Publishing your prices helps people decide whether your services are a good fit before they contact you. This may sound harsh, but if you are working for pay, you will want to ensure that people are able to pay you for the work that you do. If your business model is different (or if you work on a donation basis), state that on your pricing page (which will increase trust).

If you are anything like me, I like efficiency. I do not enjoy going to a website, liking what I see, and then having to jump through several hoops in order to purchase a good or a service that I want. Of course there are exceptions to this (like, if I want to begin coaching with someone, I expect to need to make contact with them before jumping into session planning and payments), but for the most part, I want to see it, learn about it, and then purchase it right then and there. And if it does not fit into that criteria, I will usually just move on. There are plenty of businesses that are transparent about their pricing.

Putting pricing on your website shows a base level of confidence, one that signals that you are acting as a business, rather than a hobbyist or volunteer.

Below are some examples of pricing options. Please note, the actual prices included in these images are not suggestions for how you should price your services and/or products. Pricing is based on many factors, including your experience, time and materials, where you live, and so on.

Here is an example price list for a massage therapist. It helps to be as transparent as possible, and include information on whether or not insurance is accepted. Here is what a screen could look like:

This could also work for personal trainers, estheticians, and others who provide wellness services.

For the most part, coaches will offer packages such as one-on-one appointments, group coaching, workshops, and multi-week packages. They might also offer companion products such as ebooks, self-paced courses, or sell community memberships. There are many ways to display pricing for these services on a website. A few examples are below.

As I spoke about before, muralists and others that rely on estimates can have a different strategy for pricing on their website. Many choose not to have pricing at all, and instead make it very easy to contact them by placing buttons and calls-to-action in various places on their website. However, it is also easy to put a range of prices for potential work performed, which helps build trust and attracts clients who are prepared to invest in the service.

Portrait artists, like muralists, if they choose to list prices on their websites, can offer a range of prices or offer an hourly or by-piece rate. I chose the portrait artists for this case, rather than a fine artist, because it is more of a service type business. Either approach works. As with every other example, the clearer the pricing is, the more confident the potential client will be when contemplating whether or not to work with you. Here is an example of portrait pricing by size, with a custom option:

While not required, conspicuous pricing establishes a baseline for potential clients, and also reinforces your business decisions. What I mean by that is if you’re not totally confident in your pricing, you can make an estimate of what it is you might charge for your services, publish it on your website, and use it as a reference point during client conversations. If it’s public and in writing, it becomes real, and something for you and your clients to go on. Also, if you do happen to be confident in your pricing, having it on your website inspires trust and helps direct the right customers that can pay for your services to you.

So, in conclusion, put pricing on your website.