Price lists can be dangerous, but they can also be great. How do you know if you should expose your hand and show one on your site?
Why you must know your price
If you are making a living out of your photography, then you have to figure out some sort of pricing model. Well, you can only guess, but it is much better to create a pricing plan based on your specific business and target market. It is certainly better to know that you will cover all expenses and make enough money from your work rather than just wing it and hope for the best. So regardless of whether you choose to display your prices or not, you need to know what you charge and why.
Self-calculation
Copying what other photographers do seems like a good idea, especially if you’re just starting out and want to experiment. But this approach assumes they are working profitably, which they may not be! It also assumes that their expenses and income requirements are the same as yours. Again, that could easily go wrong. By all means, use other people’s prices as an insight into the market. However, don’t use it as an excuse not to do any of your own research.
To run a profitable business, you need to know that you’re charging enough. You also need to be aware of the market around you so you can adjust your prices to reflect how you are positioning yourself in the market. You shouldn’t be the cheapest if you’re targeting high-end customers. Similarly, if you offer cheap service, you shouldn’t be the most expensive person around. So you should at least have a price list for your own benefit. But, should you put it on the screen?
If other people show their prices, don’t I need to?
Just because other photographers choose to publish their prices on their website doesn’t necessarily mean you need to do the same. Creating a brand is about setting yourself apart from others. So don’t be afraid to be different. Choose whether or not to publish a price list based on what you think is best for your business and based on the evidence you gather from trying out the price list. Let’s take a look at some of the pros and cons of making your price list public.
Why show your price
You are aiming for the cheapest price
If you’re happy with a business model that’s deliberately price-competitive, you’ll probably want to show it off. It’s important for businesses to highlight what’s different about them. So if you’re trying to be the cheapest, you’ll most likely want your numbers front and center.
Save your time and money
In the end, it can be cheaper to display your prices because you can then spend less time interacting with queries. Writing emails to answer many questions can take time and cost your business money. Cutting out unnecessary communication can help streamline the process.
Easier for customers to choose
Customers can decide faster if you are the right supplier for them. Once they know how much it costs, people can decide if they can afford you. Showing your price list can be a way to help them make purchasing decisions faster and easier.
transparent
Some people feel the price display is more transparent. Customers may feel more secure in the thought that everyone is charged the same because of the displayed metrics. Some people may have had a bad experience with on-demand pricing when they felt they were overcharged. Making things clear can make it easier for some customers to connect because they don’t feel like they have to work hard to get what they want and everyone can come and buy on an equal basis. The absence of a price may suggest a degree of exclusivity that some people may find snobby or simply irrelevant.
Why is there no price list on the screen
Chance price
When you have fluctuating costs from your suppliers, you may find it necessary to have relatively stable prices. If you don’t display them, then you’ll have less maintenance on your website and any other marketing materials as you won’t need to update everything if your pricing needs to change.
Avoid confusion
If you offer a wide range of services, your price list can start to get quite long and complicated. The last thing you want to do is frustrate people by making it hard for them to understand what they’re getting or making it difficult to find each item they need. This can work if you’re selling physical items, but for a service-based business (like most photographers) it’s not necessarily the best approach. Perhaps you could choose a halfway house that shows some indicative prices. But if there are too many permutations, it’s best to make separate estimates and quotes.
You are pursuing a more exclusive group of customers
If your business model is aimed at people with larger budgets to spend, then you may not want to put a price list on your website. Customers who spend more often have specific needs or wants that you tailor to them. In some high-end retail contexts, there is a saying that if you have to ask how much it costs, you can’t afford it. Hiding your price can hint at a more exclusive, premium service, provided the rest of your brand points in that direction as well.
You want customers to put value first
One danger of having a price list on your website is that people can quickly compare it to another business and assume you’re offering the same thing. If one photographer says they shoot a day of wedding photography for $2,000 and another says they shoot a day for $4,000 then you might think as a client that you have could choose a cheaper place because they are doing the same thing for that money. That may not be the case at all. In fact, there can be a huge difference between what you will get from the two providers.
Not going straight to the price means you have the opportunity to explain to the customer all the value they will get from you. When someone understands the true value of your services, you may find that some are quite willing to pay a premium.
As a commercial photographer, I often find that people don’t really know exactly what they want when they first search. Interacting with me helps them define their brief and get better results.
Relationship with customers
Encouraging contact from potential customers allows you to start building a relationship with them. If they simply come to your site, look through the price list, and then leave, that doesn’t get you a response at all. It doesn’t allow you to build a relationship with them that might convince them to work with you. People are more likely to contact you because they like your work and the way you approach it than because of the cost.
competitor
Hiding your price list will prevent others from doing quick and simple research to learn about their competitors. Like it or not, your competitors will research your business. They will want to know what you are offering and how much you charge for it. The question is, how easy do you want to make it for them? Do the benefits of showing costs outweigh any potential negatives?
Is Bespoke Pricing Right for You?
There is no one size fits all for this type of thing. Selling landscape prints can be matched with a simple price list based on size and print medium. Product photography can vary from packaging to promotional photos, simple low-level retouching to complex Photoshop work, etc. On-demand pricing is often more effective when the service can be fine-tuned to tailored to the needs and budget of the client.
What is the answer?
So should you have a price list on your website? Whichever way you decide, make sure there’s a good reason for it. If it doesn’t seem to work, try something else and compare the results. I do not post prices on my commercial photography site, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t either. It’s your business and your brand, so do what works for you.
