A visitor reads about your service, likes it, and looks for the price. There is none, only a button that says "Contact us". Some visitors will write. Many will go to the competitor whose page shows a number, even if that number is higher.
This article is for the owner of a small service company, such as an accounting practice, a design studio, an installer or a consultancy, who is deciding what to put on a pricing page. You do not need to publish every price. You need to give enough that the right customers recognise themselves and the wrong ones leave early, which saves you both time.
Show a price or a range
If your work is repeatable, show the price. A fixed package such as "Monthly bookkeeping for companies with up to 50 invoices: from 120 EUR" is easy to understand and easy to compare.
If every job differs, show a range and say what drives it. "Most websites for small firms cost between 2,500 and 6,000 EUR. The price depends on the number of pages, whether you need a booking system and how much content we write for you." The range tells the visitor whether they are in the right place.
If you truly cannot give a number, show a starting point or a typical example. A page with no figure at all is the one most likely to be skipped. Whatever you choose, make sure the figures are ones you would honour in a real conversation. A range that is far from the final quote damages trust.
Explain what is included
The same price can mean very different things. Under each package or range, write down in plain language:
- What you get. Deliverables, number of meetings, number of revisions, response time.
- What is not included. Extra rounds of changes, travel, third-party fees, rush work.
- What the customer must provide. Content, access, decisions by a certain date.
- How long it takes. A typical duration from start to finish.
This list does half of the selling. It shows that you have thought about the job, and it prevents the argument that begins with "I thought that was included".
Use one or two worked examples
A table with five tiers and fifteen ticked features is hard to read. A short example is easier:
A three-person landscaping company wants a website with a gallery and a quote request form. Four pages, our copywriting, two rounds of changes, ready in five weeks. Price: 3,200 EUR.
Examples help visitors place themselves. Use real kinds of jobs you have done, and change details so that no client can be identified. If you do not have a typical job, say so and explain how you price instead.
Answer the usual objections on the page
Think about the questions that come in before every sale and put the answers where the price is.
- "It is cheaper elsewhere." Say what your price covers that a cheaper offer often does not, such as a named person, a written scope or support after delivery. Do not criticise competitors.
- "We are not sure what we need." Offer a small first step, such as a paid one-hour review, with a clear price.
- "What if it does not work out?" State how you handle changes, corrections and stopping a project. A short, honest paragraph is enough.
- "How do we pay?" Mention deposits, invoicing dates and payment terms.
- "Are there extra costs?" Name the usual ones before the customer has to ask.
If you later raise your prices, the page also makes that easier. The article Price change announcement to existing customers shows how to tell people who already work with you.
When to ask for a call
A pricing page should not hide the call, and it should not force it either. Offer a call when it helps the customer, not only to capture a contact.
- Ask for a call when the price depends on facts you cannot see, such as the state of existing systems, the size of the team or a legal requirement.
- Let them order or book directly when the job is a fixed package. A short form with three fields is better than a long questionnaire.
- Give both options when you are not sure. "Choose a package, or book a 20-minute call if your case is different."
Say what happens after the click: "We reply within one working day with a short list of questions" or "You get a written proposal within three days". The next step should feel small and predictable. When the enquiry arrives, a one-page proposal keeps the conversation moving; Writing a one-page proposal for a small client: scope, price, timeline and what happens after yes covers that stage.
A short checklist before you publish
- Can a stranger tell in thirty seconds roughly what it costs?
- Is it clear what is included and what is not?
- Is there at least one realistic example?
- Are the three most common objections answered?
- Is there one obvious next step, and does it say what happens next?
- Are the prices and terms the same as in your quotes and invoices?
- Does someone own the page and review it at least twice a year?
Check the page after a month. Note how many enquiries arrive, how many fit your usual jobs and how many ask a question the page should have answered. Then change the text, not only the design.
Sources
- Practical guidance based on common small-business marketing and sales practice, offered as a planning aid. The prices, ranges and examples are illustrations to adapt to your own services. No client results or performance figures are claimed in this article.
