During mentorship sessions and when teaching workshops there are a few things that come up over and over and over again. Most of the things that come up regularly are about the technical aspects of photography (many I answered in my recent editing course), about offering prompts instead of posing my clients or even little things like camera settings, etc. Lately, one question is coming up time and time again… should I put my pricing on my website?

 

Putting your pricing on your website is a pretty big question. We understand the value of our websites and how important it is to create a beautiful and safe space for people to come and see our work. We understand that social media is rented land and that our website is where the interested clients come to find out if we are the photographer for them– the photographer who creates images they can imagine themselves in, the photographer that can bring to life their story in an emotive way that connects them to their loved ones in powerful ways to create memories that stand the test of time.

 

With so much importance on a website, it’s understandable to wonder if you should be putting your prices on your website. While there is no hard and fast rule about putting your prices on your website, I have a few thoughts I’d love to share with you so you can decide if it’s best for you to put them on your website or to save your prices for when you email a potential client their options.

 

Thought 1 – Emailing Back and Forth

If your prices aren’t on your website, chances are one of the first emails you will receive from a potential client is asking what you charge. When clients are shopping around they are often looking for a) someone whose work they love and b) someone that is their budget. The odd time a potential client doesn’t actually know what their budget is and they are emailing just to gain an understanding of what the price of a session would be so they can plan for the future. If you wanted to cut down on emails being sent back and forth between you and people just sending an email saying “I love your work, what do you charge for a session?” then putting a price on your website might be a great idea, which leads to thought 2…

 

Thought 2 – Starting Price

A great option is to put a starting price on your website. This gives people a baseline idea of what you charge for a session. Knowing the baseline lets a potential client know if you are in their budget. A starting price also eludes to potential clients that they will have pricing options when working with you and that you don’t have a flat rate. If someone has never had a session before, this is all new information for them and they’ll be more willing to reach out and explore all of the options, even if your starting price is at the top of their budget. With the mention of budget, we come to thought 3…  

 

Thought 3 – Gather Information from Leads

When collecting inquiries on your website, put in a little spot that asks for a budget for a few months. Gather information in from people to see what their budget is before inquiring. A lot of potential clients really have no idea what a photographer costs so seeing what their budget is allows you to respond letting them know you are either within their budget and you can send them a welcome guide letting them know your packages, or you can let them know that you are out of their budget but include the welcome guide anyways to let them know what you charge so they know for the future. Even if you are out of their current budget, they may love your work so much they decide to save up for their session with you because they understand the value you bring to the table. If you find you’re receiving a lot of inquiries that aren’t in line with the price you charge, putting a starting price on your website might be helpful.

 

Thought 4 – Don’t give it all away.

At this point, you might think it’s best to put your pricing information on your website for the sake of transparency and cutting down on the back and forth of emails with potential clients that won’t end up booking with you. I’d advise you to, at most, put a starting price on your packages. You don’t want to reveal everything to a potential client before you have the opportunity to connect with them. Even if your price is a little out of their price range, a personal connection will often make a client wait and save up to work with you then pick a different photographer they may not love as much but who is in their budget. If you want to put any kind of pricing on your website, make it your base price and not all of your packages. This is exactly what I do. On my pricing page, I have testimonials, information about working with me and I mention I have two packages available with my base price starting at $1000

 

When it comes right down to it, putting your price on your website is a very personal decision and can be whatever works best for your business. Consider how long you’ve been a professional photographer for and how much your work speaks for itself. If you’re newer and have a more affordable starting price, you probably don’t need to put that on your website. If you’re a travel photographer who photographs luxury weddings, a starting price would be a good idea.

 

Do you have your prices on your website? Share why this has worked for you or if you want to make the switch. If you’re interested in more information about pricing, packages and even how to market yourself, you’d love my newest course Navigate The Wild: A Marketing and Pricing Guide for Family Photographers. Click here to join the list to be the first to learn more.