To Post or Not to Post: Should You Display Pricing on Your Website?

Let’s talk pricing—specifically, whether or not you should display it on your website. This topic tends to be controversial, and honestly? Both approaches have their place, depending on your sales style and the type of leads you want to attract.

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer, but there is a strategy behind whichever route you choose. So, let’s break it down.

1. Not Showing Your Pricing: Ideal If You Love the Sales Game

If you prefer to keep your pricing off your website, you’re probably comfortable with a more traditional, hands-on sales approach. This method tends to attract more inquiries, but—and it’s a big but—you’ll need to be ready to navigate a lot more “price shoppers.”

Without clear pricing upfront, people will reach out just to find out what you charge. Now, if you love getting on the phone and walking someone through a proposal step-by-step, this might be perfect for you. You’ll need to get really good at turning cold inquiries into warm leads with a strong follow-up process, sales funnel, and killer customer service.

Pros of Not Showing Your Pricing:

• Leads, leads, and more leads: You’ll get a higher volume of inquiries because people aren’t disqualifying themselves based on price.
• Sales opportunity: If you enjoy the back-and-forth of sales calls and emails, this method lets you sell the value of your service before the price comes up.
• Control the conversation: You can tailor your proposal based on the specific needs of the client, potentially increasing your chance of upselling.

Cons:

• Time-consuming: Be prepared to spend a lot of time on inquiries that might not go anywhere once they see your price.
• Price shoppers: You’ll get more people just looking for the cheapest option, which can lead to frustration (and a lot of “Thanks, but no thanks” emails).

Who Should Consider This Approach? If you’ve got a strong sales game and a sales funnel that’s fine-tuned for converting colder leads into bookings, not showing your pricing can work. But, it requires dedication to follow-up emails, phone calls, and probably a bit of cold-calling confidence.

For this approach to work, you need a killer follow-up system, like the one I’ve mapped out for myself. If you’re going this route, it’s crucial to have a tight process in place to prevent leads from falling through the cracks. Automating your emails and creating a proposal system in a CRM (I swear by Dubsado) is a game-changer for staying on top of those inquiries.

2. Showing Starting Prices: Attract Warmer Leads from the Get-Go

Listing a “starting at” price on your website helps filter out clients who aren’t ready to pay for your services. It’s a middle ground between transparency and keeping some flexibility in your offerings.

When clients see a starting price, they’re basically saying, “Okay, I can work with that budget. Let’s find out more.” You’re attracting people who already have a sense of what you charge, which saves you time and brings in higher-quality inquiries.

Pros of Showing Starting Prices:

• Fewer tire-kickers: You’re weeding out people who can’t afford you without wasting anyone’s time.
• Warmer leads: If they reach out, they’ve already agreed to your general pricing, so your follow-up is more about sealing the deal rather than negotiating the cost.
• Saves admin time: You’ll spend less time filtering low-budget inquiries, leaving you free to focus on hot leads.

Cons:

• You might scare off some clients: People who are looking for the cheapest option won’t even bother contacting you (is this really a con though….?).
• Potential loss of customization: If you thrive on creating custom proposals and pricing for each client, listing a starting price may limit that flexibility.

Who Should Consider This Approach? This approach works well if you’re looking to save time and attract more serious, budget-ready clients. It’s great if you still want a little wiggle room to upsell or offer customized packages but don’t want to go through the whole sales pitch just to find out someone’s budget is $200.

3. Showing Full Pricing: For Hot Leads Only

Now, let’s talk about showing your full pricing on your website—the whole menu, so to speak. When clients come across your packages and pricing in full, they’re making a conscious decision to reach out because they’re already on board with your rates. If they inquire, they’re usually ready to book and are just checking on details, like whether or not you’re available for their date.

This is my favorite strategy. Why? Because it not only attracts the hottest leads but also shaves hours off my weekly admin work. I’ve built out clear proposal templates for each service we offer and created an automated follow-up system to get clients onboarded and booked with minimal back-and-forth.

Pros of Showing Full Pricing:

• Serious inquiries only: If someone reaches out, it’s because they’re ready to book or at least seriously considering it. They know your pricing, and they’re cool with it.
• No more awkward price conversations: You’ve already set the expectation, so there’s no need for uncomfortable pricing negotiations.
• Automation heaven: With your pricing clear, you can automate the rest of the process—proposals, follow-ups, and bookings—saving you valuable time.

Cons:

• Fewer inquiries: You’ll get fewer leads overall, but the ones who do reach out will be much more qualified.
• Less flexibility: With your pricing laid out, there’s less room to adjust or offer custom packages, though you can still leave room for add-ons or upsells.

Who Should Consider This Approach? If you’re all about efficiency and prefer to spend your time working with serious clients rather than fielding tons of inquiries, showing your full pricing is the way to go. It works especially well if you’ve already refined your services, packages, and process, and want to focus on booking quality clients quickly.

Which Method Is Best for You?

It all boils down to your sales style and business goals. If you love the thrill of sales and don’t mind chasing down leads, keeping your pricing off your website might suit you. But if you’re like me and prefer to automate as much as possible while working with clients who are already on board with your rates, posting your pricing upfront will save you time and attract the right people.

No matter which route you choose, having a solid follow-up system is key. Whether you’re nurturing colder leads or responding to hot ones, you need a process that keeps the momentum going and gets people to book. Want to get your follow-up game on point? Check out Top Strategies for Closing More Photobooth Sales Without More Leads for more tips on turning inquiries into bookings.