Whitewed Advise: To Add Prices To Your Website...Or Not?!

Here at Whitewed, I work with engaged couples, wedding venues and suppliers alike, and 13 years in the industry and many thousands of contacts means I have a true and realistic view into how both sides of the industry react, perform, cope, and what their processes, challenges and wins are.

There are so many conundrums in business - so many different ways to do things, approach things and present things - and the question of whether you should feature your prices on your website is a question that I am asked time and time again. 

There's always a lot of deliberating, 'not sures', mild panics too!  After all, adding your prices to your website means they are officially 'out there' in the public domain, and it can make you feel nervous.

Put your doubts and nerves aside, as my answer to this question is YES, every time...even if it's a guide / 'starting from' price!

...BUT, I am nearly always met with resistance, and nearly all the arguments as to why you don't want to add your prices to your website are based around one or more of the following:

'But if I make them public, my competitors will know my prices.'

But they will know already! Any decent business will regularly carry out a competitor analysis and get their colleague, friend or family member, or indeed themselves under a random email address, to email their competitors and enquire as to their prices – this is good business practice as it ensures that you’re always on target with your competitors and your ideal customer.

If you’re keeping your prices off your website because of your competitors then think again as it’s therefore a decision made at the expense of your clients who need to understand if you fit within their budget BEFORE they continue you on their journey with you / contact you – be what your couples need and focus on your business plan, not that of your competitors!

'If I put my prices on my website, they won’t enquire and they’ll go on price only.'

It’s the wrong approach. People are used to having EVERYTHING at their fingertips and at their convenience. 

They don’t go to a supermarket, pick up an item and go to the cash desk and ask for its price before they make their decision. They don’t email Oasis and ask how much the shirt that they like is before committing to buy – they buy it because they can see the price immediately and it fits their budget, they like it and it’s what they want / need.

All couples have a budget in mind for their wedding, even if it’s not finalised, and putting your prices on your website will mean you get a whole lot more quality enquirers than time wasters. It will also mean that those who don’t have the time or inclination to request your prices will not be lost to another business!

'I can’t price up my service because it’s bespoke.'

This is very true of many businesses in the wedding industry, but not a helpful approach for couples. It is essential for you to make your pricing easy to work out and therefore easy to work with you.

If your pricing is a huge question mark and feels complicated, most couples will give up and go looking elsewhere.

Your product or service needs to be easy to understand, easy to price up and easy to book.

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Overall, don’t be afraid to feature your pricing as you should be proud of it. You should know your worth – and if you’re worried that your competitors will copy you, worry not – you’re an individual, and once the couples understand your pricing and feel comfortable with it, they will then book their venue and suppliers based on the personality of those they're dealing with and the final offering available – that’s unique to you and cannot be matched.

Be confident and add your prices - go for it!

Kindest, 

Natalie Lovett, Director of The Whitewed Directory