If you asked us to call out the question pretty much every wedding pro will ask, it’s the one in the title. And we asked ourselves that exact same thing as we started and grew our wedding planning business. We put it up, took it down, and put it up again before landing on an answer for ourselves. So today, we wanted to talk through all the things that went through our heads as we grappled with making this decision for ourselves in hopes it helps you make a call for yourself. From what to consider to different scenarios, here are our thoughts about the age-old question: Should you put your pricing on your website?
Reasons to put pricing on your website
If you’re like a lot of wedding pros researching this topic, you’re likely really considering putting at least a starting pricing on your website—and for good reason. Maybe you want to weed out price shoppers before they hit inquire and take up your time. Perhaps you’ve heard from some couples it would have been helpful to see your pricing before they reached out. Regardless of your reason (it’s personal and that’s okay), here are the 3 main reasons we think you should put your pricing on your website.
- Couples are looking for it. In fact, 82% of couples told The Knot it was the most important thing they looked for before submitting an inquiry.
- It signals transparency and trustworthiness. Putting pricing on your website is a great way to show potential customers that you’re open and honest about the services you offer and how much they cost.
- It makes consultations less awkward. When couples already have an idea of what it costs to hire you, you can focus your conversation on things other than money.
The long and short of it? Many couples will have an idea of their budget when planning their wedding, so having the pricing on your website allows them to quickly see if you’re in their budget without needing to contact you—potentially saving you a lot of time responding to under-budget leads.
Reasons to not put pricing on your website
As much as you’ll find reasons to publish your rates, there are valid arguments for leaving it off. And, while we are on team show-them-your-prices, we’d be remiss if we didn’t talk about the reasons listing your prices isn’t a silver bullet.
- It limits the conversations you have with potential customers. Without knowing their exact needs, it can be hard for you to tell if they’d be a good fit (especially if you offer custom services), so having pricing available can limit those conversations and disqualify potential leads before you’ve even had a chance to talk with them.
- It won’t necessarily result in better quality leads. Pricing on your website doesn’t mean people are definitely going to find and read it, so it isn’t a sure thing that you’ll weed out price shoppers.
- Price anchoring is a thing. People can become biased to the first number they see, and if you have listed a starting price (but typically book couples at higher or customized packages), a lead could be surprised to get a quote that is significantly higher—even if you’ve sold them!
The gist? Couples might get scared of the numbers and not inquire—even though you might have a great custom package for them or can direct them to the services that are the best fit.
Common scenarios in the wedding industry
The reason you’ll find so many opinions when it comes to the question should you put pricing on your website? is because there are more than a few common pricing scenarios wedding pros find themselves. So, let’s talk about each in an effort to help you make the best decision for yourself and your business.
“I want to have the chance to sell someone on my services.”
Related to the first reason not to list your pricing, this is the most common counterargument you might hear. And we understand why. There is a lot of magic that happens on a discovery or consultation call with a potential client—you learn a lot about who they are as people, what might be standing in their way, what they are dreaming about, etc. And all of this information can be extremely helpful if you are a confident and competent salesperson. But, in the same breath, we’d argue that there is also an opportunity to “pre-sell” your couples with your marketing. From your social media and blog content to your website copy, we’d suggest making sure this copy and messaging are as strong as they can be—and maybe you’ll have already sold couples by the time they hit “inquire”.
“I only offer custom packages.”
Offering custom packages is a fantastic way to make sure your couples feel like they are receiving services stuffed with value, but it requires a big time investment on your end. Because you have to have a consultation call to learn all the details before you can put together an accurate quote—then you have to take the time to actually build it. But, even if you are up for providing this level of service to your couples from the start, you should have a minimum price that you’ll “get out of bed for.” And we think that number should be clear to anyone visiting your website.
“I’m trying to break into the luxury market.”
If you’ve been in the industry for even a little while, you know about the luxury market. Working to build a portfolio that gets you there takes time. Couples in this category have very high expectations and much bigger budgets—but that doesn’t mean they don’t have them. You can start setting and exceeding expectations with clients as you establish yourself in the luxury market by making it clear how you set your rates (for example, by percentage or package).
Ultimately, the decision is yours to make, but we hope this helps you feel confident about what you choose. And remember, you can put it up, take it down, and put it back up again just like we have done!
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