By now, you’ve probably heard a lot of people saying that updating your website is a great way to make use of your time in isolation right now. Refresh your galleries, update the copy and make sure it represents you well and is attracting your ideal client. But while you’re at it, it’s also a good idea to revisit your pricing page. 

Your prices are obviously one of the determining factors in whether or not a client hires you. But the way you display your prices on your public website can also play a part. Do you list out all your packages and details? Or just a starting price? Or do you not display any pricing info at all?

In a service based business, like photography, where client interaction is vital to the customer experience, we want to make sure we are given the opportunity to interact with our prospective clients. So that means that we want to list our prices in a way that encourages our ideal client to reach out! That way we get the opportunity to demonstrate the kind of experience they can expect to get from us which adds to the value of what we have to offer.

So should you list your prices on your website? 

Yes and no. In my opinion, you want to share enough of your prices for them to determine whether or not you are within their budget, but withhold the full details so that they have to reach out to you. This puts you in a position to be able to connect with them and demonstrate your excellent customer service!

What you should display on your website depends on your pricing structure. If you offer 1-2 packages that are close in price and contain what a client generally needs without having to add too many extras, then you could list a starting price on your website. This tells the client the minimum they would have to spend, but isn’t too far off from what they will likely need to spend for what they are looking for. For example, say you have a basic package that is $3000 and includes 8 hours of wedding day coverage, engagement session, second shooter and printing rights. And you also have a package that includes those same things plus an album for $4000. You could say ‘wedding photography starts at $3000’ on your website. 

But if you have 3+ packages that vary greatly in price, listing a starting price could be misleading. Say your lowest package is $2000, but it only includes 4 hours of wedding day coverage with no second shooter or engagement session. If a bride only has a $2000 budget and reaches out excited that your prices ‘start at $2000’, they may be frustrated to find that your $2000 package doesn’t include what they need. So in this case, it would be better to list an average price on your website. So you could say ‘couples spend $xxxx on average’. This gives them an honest idea of what they can expect to spend, but doesn’t scare away those with a budget slightly lower than that average number.

But what about not listing any pricing info at all? Wouldn’t that encourage more people to inquire? I think it’s important to give people a general idea of your price point. This ensures that only those that are in your price range are inquiring which will save you a lot of work by not having to correspond with people that cannot afford you. I also think that people are more likely to inquire when they have a little bit of information to start with. When there isn’t any pricing information listed at all, I think there is a little bit of fear that they are going to be disappointed that you are way out of their price range so they just don’t inquire at all. 

So I hope these tips help you as you determine the best way to display your prices on your website. In the end, the goal is to create minimal frustration for both you and your prospective clients. While also ensuring that you get the opportunity to correspond with your ideal clients and show them all that you have to offer!

To get photography and business tips delivered straight to your inbox, be sure to sign up for the email list! CLICK HERE to get on the list and receive my Bridal Details Checklist Template for free!