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To show price or not show price?

by johndetlefs
14 replies
Hey guys,

I've been researching for helpdesk software lately and have noticed that a lot of companies are not giving prices out unless you give your details and get contacted by a representative.

Personally i'm not a fan of this way of doing things because I don't want to be forced into a conversation while i'm researching a product and it kind of turns me off the product.

But, I run a business that's fairly high ticket, and if this is the way sales are going, then maybe i'll look at it.

I don't think i'd feel good about it though...

Anybody got some data on this, or an opinion?

Cheers,

John Detlefs
#price #show
  • Profile picture of the author nellterry
    I hate sites that make it difficult to find the price. I was looking at Adobe Dreamweaver recently and I had to click around everywhere to find the price for it.
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  • Profile picture of the author Warrior X
    My feeling is that you've got to be in a pretty strong position already in your market to do it (eg Adobe). If you're not, people will go elsewhere.
    -Jeremy
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  • Profile picture of the author johndetlefs
    Yeah that's my feeling as well... I'm wondering if anybody out there has used the model and feels that it works for them?

    I see it as counter intuitive, but I do understand the allure of forcing the customer to talk with you and then using your wiles to hook them in.

    I know SysAid just did it with me, and when the guy called I basically asked him for a price list. He wanted to explain it and I told him that if his pricing model was so complicated that I couldn't work it out then I wasn't going with him anyway.

    Thankfully the guy just emailed me the price list and got off the phone, but I resented the fact that I was forced into a conversation.

    So I wonder, has anybody had that model work for them? Or rather, does it work better than just giving the price of your offering?
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  • Profile picture of the author Joseph Robinson
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    I have no experience on the matter; but I can give you an opinion. Show the price. As you said yourself, it is a pretty big turnoff when you cannot see what you will need to fork up for something.

    On the other hand, people may be doing this for a reason. Your best bet is to split test and figure out what your target audience prefers. Just because guys like you and me want to see things up front does not mean that everyone else feels the same way.
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  • Profile picture of the author iAmNameLess
    I used to hate listing prices and make people call. My sales have gone up since listing my prices, with the same amount of traffic.
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  • Profile picture of the author Warrior X
    To take the other side of the argument though...

    It is a good way to make what you're selling seem exclusive and hard-to-get.

    Like getting into an Ivy League school- there's the feeling that it's very hard to be accepted, so everyone wants in.

    But you really have to pull it off, or you're just shooting yourself in the foot.

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    • Profile picture of the author johndetlefs
      Originally Posted by iAmNameLess View Post

      I used to hate listing prices and make people call. My sales have gone up since listing my prices, with the same amount of traffic.
      Now that's interesting! Was it a major jump in the numbers? And did you get any specific prospect feedback about it?

      Thanks for jumping in, I was hoping somebody would have some actual data to give!

      Originally Posted by TrustedCopy View Post

      To take the other side of the argument though...

      It is a good way to make what you're selling seem exclusive and hard-to-get.

      Like getting into an Ivy League school- there's the feeling that it's very hard to be accepted, so everyone wants in.

      But you really have to pull it off, or you're just shooting yourself in the foot.

      -Jeremy
      Yeah, you really want to get that one right, otherwise it's "don't let the door hit your a$$ on the way out!"
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      • Profile picture of the author iAmNameLess
        Originally Posted by johndetlefs View Post

        Now that's interesting! Was it a major jump in the numbers? And did you get any specific prospect feedback about it?

        Thanks for jumping in, I was hoping somebody would have some actual data to give!
        Well I'm a fan of testing things out. When my sales plateau, or I have a dry spout, I evaluate everything. Maybe it is my site, maybe its positioning of something, maybe I didn't make enough cold calls( I do a lot of offline marketing as well).

        One thing I thought about, a couple months ago is that maybe people aren't calling or showing interest because they think they can't afford it. That's what I think when I go to a site that doesn't display prices. I think that it is some huge price tag since they can't display it.

        I have 2 sites that are exactly the same, no I don't care about duplicate content, lol. I get about the same traffic to each of them. The one I displayed prices on, went from generating about 3K a month to about 4.5-5K a month.

        Maybe it was a hot month. Who knows? I'm still not done testing it.. but in the past 2 months, the site that displays prices, is doing 3.5K more than the other.

        I think the ultimate test would be taking the prices away... and reversing it with the sites. They are ranking for different keywords. So we have it limited right now to it is either because of the prices being displayed... or the keyword is bringing in higher quality traffic. Maybe it is both? After Christmas, I think I may reverse the roles and see what happens.
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        • Profile picture of the author Daniel Evans
          I show prices prominently and still some customers will ask how much a product or service is (and sometimes be deterred as if their brains just skipped it) so I'm not entirely surely it matters!

          Jokes aside, for those people who do pay attention, yes displaying a price matters. I don't even think the bigger companies should hide away prices. It's a key component.
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  • Profile picture of the author godinu
    One other option is to do the "crossout" price model where it says something like: list price: $499, with the 499 crossed out, then have either a call us or email us for price after that. This will show people the ballpark/max price they can expect to pay, so the people who call you will at least be seriously interested.
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  • Profile picture of the author Deezle
    If the product you have doesn't have a lot of competition you might consider it, but I agree that most people who aren't sure about purchasing will likely have their mind made up if there is no price available for them. People want to do price comparison quite a bit.
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  • Profile picture of the author kaper7
    These companies are marketing to in most cases internet marketers so they know all about sales funnel. When they capture your info and give you a price, they will continue to pound on you until you buy and in most cases lower their price after a few days to make the sale.

    Many IM do they same buy offering a discount if prospect refuse to buy the first time. I personally don't mind giving my email because I unsubscribe to anyone that emails me an offer more than once in a month.
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    • Profile picture of the author johndetlefs
      Originally Posted by godinu View Post

      One other option is to do the "crossout" price model where it says something like: list price: $499, with the 499 crossed out, then have either a call us or email us for price after that. This will show people the ballpark/max price they can expect to pay, so the people who call you will at least be seriously interested.
      That's a great idea... I hadn't thought of that... a way to get the best of both worlds perhaps?

      Anyone tried this?

      Originally Posted by iAmNameLess View Post

      I think the ultimate test would be taking the prices away... and reversing it with the sites. They are ranking for different keywords. So we have it limited right now to it is either because of the prices being displayed... or the keyword is bringing in higher quality traffic. Maybe it is both? After Christmas, I think I may reverse the roles and see what happens.
      I'd be very interested to hear how it goes.

      At this point it sounds like at least having some indication of price is the way to go. Saves prospects from worrying that there might be a huge pricetag heading their way, and also they don't get forced into a conversation they don't want.

      Thanks for your help everybody!

      Cheers,

      John Detlefs
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      Everyone else also gets just one crack at it - help make theirs awesome too... or, politely step out of their way.

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  • Profile picture of the author JerrickYeoh
    because they wish to get your detail and use for future even you not order.
    And they may send you newsletter and upsell you again with other product or give you special promotion .
    If you would like to know the price, the best is you send ticket to their sales team or live chat to check it out before go to order page.
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