You’ve likely witnessed the heated discussion of whether you should (or shouldn’t) list your prices on your website. And let’s just say there are a lot of differing opinions coming from a lot of different industries — so why not add my own “hot take”?
Like most “hot takes,” I really don’t think mine is THAT spicy, but I do think it’s worth hearing if you’re debating whether you should put your prices out there.
My Hot Take: List Your Prices on Your Website
Listing your prices on your website does two things: pre-qualifies your leads and brings transparency (and accessibility) to your offers.
When you list your prices on your website — even if it is just your baseline price — people will instantly know if your pricing is in their budget, handling most money objections before they inquire.
Plus, listing your prices avoids the super awkward moment at the end of your discovery call when you share your prices and instead of confidently saying “yes,” they’re staring at you, wondering how they’re going to say no because their pricing expectations were nowhere near what you actually charge (whoops).
Putting your pricing behind a wall — whether you’re asking for an email or pushing a discovery call — makes your offers less accessible. You’re automatically pushing away clients who may be a good fit but aren’t comfortable getting on a call when you’re potentially way outside of their budget (because they know the value of their time and yours).
Why Do Business Owners Hide Their Prices?
In most situations (note I said “most,” there are always exceptions), business owners hide their prices because they’ve been given outdated advice or they’re convinced people won’t invest because their prices are too high (which isn’t true).
Booking a call or collecting an email in exchange for your pricing won’t suddenly make your services fit their budget, but it CAN lead to them being pressured into a “yes” and booking your services before they’re ready, leading to a poor client experience.
Some business owners are worried about others in the industry copying their prices (but, really, how much does it impact YOU if someone is charging the same for their services?) and managing out-of-scope work or custom quotes (which can be handled by using “starting at $$$” on your services page).
If it’s difficult to provide a specific price or price range for your service, try your best to provide CONTEXT around your pricing. Give a general idea of what your clients can expect before they take the next step.
Why is This Such a Debate?
Honestly, I have no idea. There’s even been studies done showing customers appreciate seeing prices listed by products — that and the fact I have yet to meet a single consumer who prefers hidden pricing.
When I brought this discussion to Threads (my favorite platform right now and for the foreseeable future), most service providers were in agreement: the only ethical way to run a business is to be transparent about your pricing and listing it on your website.
Since I’ve officially shared my “hot take,” I’d love to hear yours! What do you think? Is it better to list your prices on your website or not? Let me know in the comments down below.
