Poll: Do You Put Prices on Your Web Design Business Website?
Thursday March 12, 2009
When my friend's prices were low, this was a good situation for her. People could see her competitor's prices, then call her and find out that she was cheaper. But when her prices went up (and her competitor's didn't), the competitor started doing better simply because their customers didn't have to take an extra step to find out what they'd be charged. In fact, some potential customers felt that it was a situation of "if I have to ask, I can't afford it". In other words, proprietors of luxury items sometimes leave the prices off (such as in an expensive restaurant).
What do you think? Do you display your prices or leave them off? Why or why not?
It is pretty impossible to have fixed prices unless you are just doing the exact same work over and over, eg modding templates.
I have a “base” price for installing a Drupal site with basic config – special requirements (ecommerce etc) are additional.
I also recognize that an individual cannot pay the same rate as a corporate entity so I have a kind of “sliding scale”
I often work flat fee but I also bill by the hour, and I use Ora Time & Expense to log my tasks and generate invoices.
I think posting your prices can be good as well as bad.
I used to work for Network Solutions, who’s base prices are splashed all over their site. The prices were also VERY cheap for what we did. But sometimes people would ask for more than the service would offer and would get mad when we told them it would cost more money.
The problem I saw was, 1 out of 5 sites I created for someone had a TON of extras that the $500 package did not include. I would windup working a lot of extra hours doing something that would normally cost someone $5000+.
On the other hand, I have web designer friends that do not post their prices and they don’t get the small business, because the small business thinks it will cost too much. And it probably does when they can go to NetSol and get a 5 page site for $500.
I think if you don’t set your prices, expect to do more and charge more, because your clients are expecting more. But if you set your prices, stick to your guns and your prices, only do what the package includes, and don’t spend 30 hours for $500.
I don’t list my prices on my site, mainly because I offer way too many services to list all of them, and each project is unique. That said, on my FAQs page I state the price range of projects I’ve worked on so a potential customer can get an idea.
And on my Web Development Questionnaire, I offer the following advice to potential customers:
“Answer with your head, not your wallet. The ultimate goal here is to produce a successful website. Know your financial limits, but don’t assume answering ‘yes’ to every question is going to skyrocket your cost.”
@decibel.places I totally agree. It’s difficult to place a flat rate anywhere for web designers/developers without adding a huge asterisk. I too have found that it is best to offer “flexible” pricing depending on the client, as I work with both corporate clients and non-profits (as well as some small businesses), so it’s tough to quote one rate for everyone. Especially when you know the big guy can pay you closer to what you should be earning.
Also, I’ve found that for alot of smaller clients the project-based fee option tends to sit well, but I try to always offer both, at least for mental comparison.
My opinion is that if price is going to drive someone away, I don’t really want their business that much. I never like to base my work on price because the clients that are focused on price above all else aren’t going to appreciate the work you do as much as clients just looking to get it done or clients who want top quality stuff (not as a rule, but as an observation). My focus is not on making as much money as possible, it’s on producing top quality work and valuable solutions. Why would I want a client who is not focused on the same thing? It usually just makes for headaches.
Posting prices does more harm than good. Many clients will disqualify you the moment they see your fees.
However, when you “force” the potential client to inquire about cost, you’ve given yourself an invaluable opportunity to create professional chemistry and price becomes negotiable. I use Elance for web jobs and got this perspective from an Elance blog found here: http://freelancemoney.wordpress.com/
Yani
My web firm added a pricing page in November of 2007. It has invaluably helped us advertise to our target audience. We feel our time can be better spent doing something productive rather than spending two hours with a potential client to find out their cost expectations were way off.
Feel free to browse our pricing page here – http://onwired.com/how-much-will-it-cost/
Tony