“Should I put my prices on my website?” is a weighty question that dredges up a lot of fears for service providers, consultants, and coaches.
Fears like…
If I put my prices on my website, will a bunch of potentially perfect clients get spooked by “how high” the investment is?
If I don’t put my prices on my website, will I end up on sales calls with people who can’t afford me? (Or maybe… will people assume I’m “too expensive” and never reach out?)
My take on this question is…
Whether you put your prices on your website or not depends on what your strengths as a business owner are.
Here’s what I mean.
Both fears I listed above are completely valid. If you put your prices on your website, there is a chance people will see your prices and think, “Way too expensive, bye.” And if you don’t list your prices, there is a chance that you’ll end up on calls with people who, when they finally hear your rates, think, “Way too expensive, bye.”
In other words: No matter when you share the cost of your offer, it’s inevitable that some people will get sticker shock and start backing out. (Especially if you’re in the high-ticket, expert provider stage of your career.)
So… how do you overcome this sticker shock issue?
The answer depends on whether you are stronger at….
- Articulating your value in person (i.e. in sales calls). When you get on the phone with someone, you’re able to relate to that person instantly and powerfully share with them why you think your service, offer, or program is ideal for them. You’re likely someone who makes friends easily, exudes confidence, is great under pressure, or has put a lot of work into learning how to be effective at sales calls.
- Articulating your value in writing (i.e. in your website copy). You thrive when you have time to step back and get thoughtful about capturing the value of your offer. You may be more introverted than extroverted, not totally comfortable on the phone, and prefer low-pressure situations to live sales calls. Alternatively, you may simply not have time to do a ton of sales calls, so you would rather your website sell for you.
If your strength leans more toward sales calls, don’t put your prices on your website. You’ll have a better shot at overcoming the unavoidable price objection when you can confront it where you’re most comfortable: In a live sales call.
If your strength leans more toward writing, do put your prices on your website. You can take all the time you need to craft the perfect message to overcome the price objection before someone ever gets on a call with you. This way, every sales call is more-or-less “pre-approved”. Your potential client is aware of your prices and they’ve read enough to be convinced you’re worth it. There’s also the possibility that you’ll be able to eliminate sales calls from your process with a website that is strong enough that sales calls aren’t needed.
If you decide to put your prices on your website, the next question is…
How do you put your prices on your website?
Again, the answer depends on your business and preferences. Let’s take a look at three common business models to see which one you most relate to.
Model 1: Multiple Pricing Tiers & Packages
The Multiple Pricing Tiers & Packages model means that you’re offering different bundles of services (or possibly products) for different prices. And you’re displaying all the packages clearly on your website.
This strategy is good for you if…
- You have set packages (not everything is custom)
- Your offers are productized (again, not everything is custom)
- You offer one core service/program but have the option to add or take away certain elements
- You want to be super transparent with your pricing (leaving zero surprises for the sales call)
- You’re interested in taking advantage of pricing psychology
If any of these are true for you, then presenting your prices in tiers or packages might be the best option.
With multiple pricing tiers or packages, you can also take advantage of well-documented pricing psychology tactics. These are strategies for lining up your set packages or pricing tiers in a way that helps people feel less price-averse.
There are a couple of common pricing psychology tactics you can experiment with:
The Goldilocks Principle: 3 pricing tiers, arranged from least to most expensive
The key with the Goldilock Principle tactic is to make the middle option the package you actually want to sell. The other two options are mostly there to make the middle option seem more appealing. Most people will instinctively choose the middle option!
You can even nudge people further toward the middle option by including a “Most Popular” badge on the middle option.
For example, check out the Goldilocks Principle pricing tactic I used for one of my website copywriting clients, Great Resumes Fast:
Great Resumes Fast offers a core service: Resume writing and LinkedIn optimization. But I recommended they create three distinct pricing tiers or packages so that their real offer (resume writing + LinkedIn optimization) feels like the best option for the majority of website visitors.
In short, compared to a bare-bones minimum package and a premium package, the middle package is extra appealing.
The Primacy Effect: Any number of tiers arranged from most expensive to least expensive
The Primacy Effect is the idea that people will read the most expensive option first and then perceive the less expensive options as more appealing in comparison to that first, high-cost option.
It’s pretty similar to the Goldilocks Principle…. But one key difference is that it doesn’t require 3 sets of packages. You could do this strategy with only two packages or even 4+ different packages.
Mailchimp uses the Primacy Effect tactic on their pricing page:
When a potential customer first sees $299 a month, it feels like a lot. But then they breathe a sigh of relief when they see the $14.99 or $9.99 option.
Model 2: Starting at…
The “Starting at…” pricing model is when you include just one price on your website for your services, but it’s not fixed. It’s the lowest investment possible, and it’s implied that the investment is often higher than that.
This is a good strategy if you…
- Customize your offers depending on what the client needs or wants
- Don’t want to scare off potential clients with a high price
- Don’t want to lock yourself into a fixed quote before talking to your client
- Want to avoid ending up on sales calls with people who can’t afford you
- Prefer to keep things really simple on your website
For one of my website copywriting clients, Mike Glatzer Photography, we went with the “Starting at…” strategy:
This pricing section is clear and to the point for people who are budget-conscious and want to know the investment before booking a call. But it doesn’t explain too much or lock the photographer into a fixed quote — it allows him some wiggle room to customize based on the client.
Model 3: Signature Offer
The Signature Offer strategy is when you present your prices in the form of a single, signature offer. It’s saying, “This is what I do best, and this is what the investment is.”
The Signature Offer strategy is good for you if you …
- Have a signature offer, rather than offering multiple packages or custom work
- Have a program instead of a service
- Believe in every part of your offer (nothing can viably be taken away)
- Want to be very transparent about what you offer and what it costs
This strategy works by putting all of your energy toward conveying the value of your signature offer.
Rather than hedging your bets by offering multiple different packages on your website or being vague about what you can offer, you lay out what’s included in your signature offer… and share why it’s exactly what your target clients need.
This is the strategy I went with for my website copywriting services page:
With the Signature Offer pricing strategy, I recommend writing your services or program page like a full-blown sales page so that you have ample opportunity to sell your offer to readers. This means that your page may be longer and more detailed (with more copy) than a page that uses a different pricing model.
Are you ready to put your prices on your website with confidence?
In summary…
If you’re great at overcoming price objections in sales calls, don’t put your prices on your website.
But if you’d rather your website convey how much the investment is worth it before you even speak with a potential client, then do put your prices on your website.
And how you display your prices on your website depends on your business model:
- Model 1: Multiple pricing tiers & packages
- Model 2: Starting at…
- Model 3: Signature Offer
So…
Are you ready to put your prices on your website with confidence?
If you’re still feeling hesitant, I can help. Click here to learn more about my done-for-you website copywriting services!
Want to know what elements to include on EVERY website page?
This checklist breaks down what exactly to include (including copy + visual elements) on every page of your website, getting you that much closer to a website that converts!
