Wedding Online Pricing, yes or no ?

[geo_martin]

<p>What is your experience with having all of your wedding collection/ala carte pricing on your website. I have tried both ways and found that with them online, if the prices are not within the budgetary wishes of the bride then move on and we never hear from them.<br>

With no pricing online, I have found that brides will contact us and I will email them our price list allowing me to make my email sales pitch to them, offer them a "special" or something complimentary. So basically it allows me, the salesman to get my foot in the door. And they leave a phone number also for possible contact.<br>

I currently am not posting my prices and I prefer it.<br>

Your experience and opinions ?</p>

 

[William Michael]

<p><a href="http://www.photo.net/wedding-photography-forum/00Ud45">http://www.photo.net/wedding-photography-forum/00Ud45</a> Oct 01, 2009; 05:02 a.m.<br>

WW</p>

 

[william-porter]

<p>Geo[rge?],</p>

<p>This is a question without a good or right answer. There are pros and cons either way and you just have to figure out what works for you.</p>

<p>I have not posted prices so far. I had good reasons. I don't do so many weddings that I have a fixed "menu", in other words, I'm really willing to negotiate just about everything. When I do get a bride willing to talk, this is what I tell her and most of the time it makes sense. </p>

<p>But when I do get a chance to talk to a bride, I am usually asked pretty quickly for at least a ballpark idea of costs. And I'm not sure how many brides I'm NOT getting a chance to talk to for lack of pricing info - in other words, brides that write me off immediately because they don't want to bother to call. So I am about to start giving more info about my pricing online. Price has become a major factor here in the USA for many brides and there just doesn't seem to be any benefit to being coy about it. At least not for me.</p>

<p>On the other hand, I think really well established photographers whose customers come looking for them specifically can probably get away with omitting info - although I notice that many of the top photographers do include pricing. </p>

<p>Will</p>

[geo_martin]

<p>We have been in business since 1972 so for US, our clients are mostly referrals. But new clients also come from other wedding vendors and those type of referrals are gold. Most low ball brides usually come from yellow pages ads which I maintain for other photography work. But then again, I have booked some large collections off of my yellow pages ad.</p>

[david_schilling___chicago_]

<p><em>"I have tried both ways and found that with them online, if the prices are not within the budgetary wishes of the bride then move on and we never hear from them." -Geo M.</em><br>

<em></em><br>

You may be right but how can you know how many took a look and then moved on without contacting you? My suggestion is to simply put a starting range of prices without going in to details to give your clients an idea of a "ball-park" amount for coverage.<br>

<em><br /></em></p>

[mgk1966]

<p>As a consumer, I immediately walk away from anything where they won't tell me the prices up front. My assumptions are a) it's going to cost too much, which is why they won't tell me the price up front, and b) once I meet with them, they're going to lay on the pressure sales. I don't want to deal with that. So I put all my prices online. Who knows, maybe I could make more money as a capitalist by hiding the prices, but that's not the relationship I want to have with my clients.</p>

[geo_martin]

<p>Matt, how many clients bypass you simply because they "feel" you are out of their price range ? Without even inquiring ?<br>

Call me a capitalist any day of the week. I'm in this to make money at something that I'm good at and enjoy.<br>

As for "hiding" the prices, the connotation that it is somehow a "sleazy hidden" agenda is wrong. It's about marketing and sales. It takes more than just excellent photography to be successful in the wedding photography profession. "Selling" is a huge part of it. The more brides that I get into my studio the higher percentages that I will book more of them. I do this full time, not part time. This is my only profession. I have associate shooters and most weekends we are doing two and three weddings.<br>

If I were a part timer, I could be very selective in my bookings and who i wanted to work with.<br>

As I stated, I have tried both ways of pricing and for ME, having a bride inquire and giving me the opportunity to speak/email with them is more productive than no contact at all.</p>

 

[geo_martin]

<p>"Pressure sales" ? "hiding the prices " ? Who said anything about that ? As a studio that has been in business since 1972 we have a well established clientele and are well beyond trying to establish ourselves in the wedding market. People come to us for our reputation, service and product.<br>

We show them what we offer, and allow them to make their choices. Bottom line is that the more brides you meet with the more you will book. Simple percentages. </p>

[david_schilling___chicago_]

<p>Geo, were you asking a question with this thread or just looking for a platform for your views?</p>

[nuzumphoto]

<p>Our website is our sales pitch...if we really have one...we don't try to "sale" ourselves in any conversation...We rarely use phrases like "other photographers....do such and such, but we do it this way" and "that's why you should go with us." Once you've been to our website you know everything you need to know....costs, what items are in the packages, FAQ on everything from meeting to receiving your album/prints/DVD's of ALL images/etc. </p>

<p>The face to face meeting is just an opportunity to review their specific timeline and make sure our personalities don't conflict. By the time you contact us, you know whether or not you want us at your wedding. The meeting becomes a much more laid back, friendly chat as opposed to us selling vacuums. </p>

[aimee_pieters]

<p>I'm comfortable with a "starting at" type of statement. This semi-qualifies your client. If you're starting price is $3,000, no amount of salesmanship is going to book a couple who want to spend under $1,000. It's just not going to happen. And if it were, they would spend the minimum -end of story.<br>

If you want to book because your prices are really low, then post all of the prices and go for it. But if you want a better clientele, offer them a better quality product and ALWAYS meet with them face-to-face.<br>

If photographs are important to them, they're not going to bite on an email sales pitch...-Aimee</p>

[katrin_d.]

<p>I list my rates. So the only couples I get to meet are the ones that a) like my work and b) can afford my services. If you can't afford something, I see any meeting and sales attempt as a waste of time. Mine as well as theirs. In all honesty, I'd rather spend the time shooting.<br>

Ditto "By the time you contact us, you know whether or not you want us at your wedding. The meeting becomes a much more laid back, friendly chat as opposed to us selling vacuums." by Steve Nuzum.</p>

[mgk1966]

<p>Geo, I was giving my view as a consumer. When I see anybody selling something, be it a service, art, products, consulting - whatever - I don't like it when I don't see the price. I have a very suspicious reaction to it. I'm sure that other consumers do as well. So yes, some people will walk away when they see your price online, but it's debateable whether it's more or less than the number that walk away when you don't show the price. There is no implication that one method is "sleazy" or that capitalism is negative, just that some brides, especially those who are wary of high-pressure sales will be turned off by that. I've had brides tell me that personally.<br />I show prices because that works with my business strategy, but then again, I also haven't hit the high end market yet, so that could change over time.</p>

<p> </p>

[aimee_pieters]

<p>If you're posting detailed pricing and not meeting any resistance, you could be charging more....-Aimee</p>

[alohadave]

<blockquote>

<p><br /> You may be right but how can you know how many took a look and then moved on without contacting you?</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Use traffic analytics on your website. It will give you information on how much traffic each page is getting. You'd correlate that with your calls to see what is working.</p>