This is something that is going to vary with the industry but my question is about putting pricing information on your website.
This seems like something that would work better for smaller jobs, bigger jobs require estimates which also can eat up valuable time.
Hello,
Of course there are many variables with your question but I would say yes since I believe it does not hurt. I have been criticized by my peers for doing the same thing but it has worked for me and customers appreciate the fact that they have a starting point. In today’s technology driven market information is paramount, the more you put out there the better it will serve you; customers are strapped for time and will do business with a company that understands this concept. I would advise (in your line of work) to display common items in the plumbing industry that could sell online, such as faucets, sinks, tubs, etc. Not that you necessarily have to sell these items and ship them to customers but rather to attract traffic to your site. My motto with this approach is simple, if I can get customers to call or email my job is 50% done.
Spec Development LLCIts worthwile to give credentials and suppositions on the web, but to give prices online prior to doing a job walk is in my opinion guesswork. Every job is different, even new home buildng which ususally can be bid w/o seeing plans or site; but to blurt pricing for any given job doesn’t do justice and usually deems unfair to both contractor and homeowner. Give ballpark/industry averages - yes, then move to concise elemets in person.
As a home builder we put our pricing online which is pretty much unheard of. This helps us save time by weaning out alot of people who have unreal expectations about upgrades or the costs of most things. I can see it as a good and bad thing.
Small projects that require a handyman can be easily priced based off your labor price and materials that need to be used. Now try pricing in a bathroom remodeling project. Its simply not possible because of the different elements that go into the project. There could be mold damage, water damage inside the walls, plumbing related issues, if the customer wants high-end materials like Vanities, mirrors, cabinets, tiling work and more. Same thing goes for kitchen and other projects around the house. Specifics like solar installation can be priced based off fthe watts needed. However, if the customer has no idea on usages it cannot be priced.
Novel Remodeling
Yes, it is. Estimation needs to be done in real time not guessing.
If you put pricing on your website you eliminate possible calls to your company. If a customer wants to know a price they should call so that youor staff has the opportunity to schedule an appointment with the customer
It all depends on what your objective is for putting your prices on your site. When we decided to put our interior painting and exterior painting prices on our website, it was to help solve a twofold challenge. 1. To give quality leads/ prospects the ability to determine what our services would cost, prior to calling us. 2. We offer a quality painting service experience; we wanted to run off prospects looking for Craigslist pricing. So, I’m all for placing your prices on your website. However, make sure you let clients know that this is a general guide line and for an accurate estimate give us a call. Be blessed!
Never. Not in this industry, it simply leads to expectations that may not be appropriate or able to be overcome. You’re providing a personal, valuable trade service and the best projects build long-lasting relationships that go beyond price alone.
Putting pricing for some items on a website is a good idea and it could generate you new customers. By being open and honest with your prices clients feel more comfortable calling your business.
It seems we have divided opinions here and that’s a good thing. The same approach might not work for everybody. I’ve tried both and with mixed results.
What did work best for us was posting pictures of before and after jobs with full descriptions and the cost of that project. This helped potential customers see how their project lined up in comparison. As somebody else said here, it help us also to narrow our leads to customers with a solid idea of what they can expect price wise.
Of course, we put large disclaimers specifying not 2 job are the same and prices might vary signifcantly due to hidden conditions.
www.jaxsharksgc.comYes since it is not as easy to give a price for painting since there are various elements that take away time and adds cost to the contract. Therefore it is difficult to give an exact price when we go see the actual job site.
I would think it would be near impossible to put legitimate pricing on a website for anything other than handyman tasks or hourly charges. There can always be a “starting from” price for a project, but that is usually just a come-on to get people to call you. Every project at every house is different so I am not sure how anyone can nail down a definitive price without seeing a job. To be fair to yourself and to the homeowner every potential lead should be met with a face to face introduction to review the project, details, requests and possible restrictions. Sometimes the potential customers have no idea what a project costs and it may seem like a waste of time, but that is the nature of our business. You just never know!
There are too many variables with my type of work, so I do not post pricing on my website. I find it works best for my clients to meet with me so I can get a real understanding of their project so things don’t become ambiguous or misinterpreted.
Due to the complexities and variations of remodeling projects, it makes much better business sense to sit with a client and get a true scope of work so appropriate pricing model can be offered.
As a Contractor you need to be careful when advertising a price on your website. There are many unseen variables from job to job. Some projects are cut and dry. Always speak with the customer about the details.
I don’t think that’s a good idea simply because there are so many variables on each job. I like to price each job for that particular job based on materials and estimated labor etc. That can’t be done accurately if jobs are all priced before seeing in person. Plus, I like to meet homeowners to be certain of their expectations!
I own a home theater business and have struggled with this question for years. I have friends and competitors that strive off packaged system sales. I have always focused on custom projects.
Recently I have begun setting up package pricing for very specific systems. They include everything needed and very from say 8k up to say 25k. It opened dialog with new clients and provided a platfor to discuss budgets. Still many of our projects are custom. But the client now is better informed and we can weed thru some of the not so serious tire kickers.
Great Topic
It is usually not the smartest thing to do to put a specific price on your website - but you should feel free to put a statement like “prices starting at…”. It is more courteous this way - and you also can keep a competitive egde when prices fluctuate depending on demand.
In my situation, I am a General Gontractor, Registered and Insured in Pennsylvania, who can perform Home Improvements (painting, drywall, plaster, tiles, General home repair and maintenance, etc), but I focus on Residential heating Oil Tank removals (above ground and underground, Oil tank pumping, and retired heating system removal. On my website, I list a price (and monthly price special’s and promotions) for the Above Ground Tank removals, noting that this is generally the price, and that I can confirm the estimate through a basic conversation via email or over the phone, and present any expected differences in price at that time. I also state that if I walk into a situation other than was described, that required re-pricing, that I would communicate that with the client prior to beginning work that day. For underground tanks, I present a bit of information for the potential client, and state that due to many variables, an “On-Site” estimate is required.
For the General Contracting Services, I only put a basic list of the kind of work I am able to perform (and desire most to attain), and refer them to the Email Contact to discuss their project and set up an estimate.