I really hate it when IIII'm looking for something all over the internet, and all I can find is websites that are like "call for a quote". Just tell me how much your friekin' folders, cameras, makeup, whatever cost jerk! I don't want to have to call 50 different people to get 50 different prices and then forget who it is calling me back so that I have to look it up all over again after I'm done talking to you and remember the other questions I had in the first place. That is how a consumer sees it. On the other hand, our personalities are a huge selling point for getting the jobs, and having people call and make appointments to view all the prices is a better way of getting the jobs. So, I'm in a bind about what to do. I don't want to be part of the problem of things that I hate, but I don't want to lose business out to the next guy because he/she actually made them call. What to do?

This has been discussed ad nauseam, but my feeling is for wedding photography either no price or a starting price, e.g. "Wedding coverage by Hillary Morgan Photography starts at $15,000...", is the way to go.

Serious prospective clients don't seem to mind firing off an email or filling out a contact form since it's standard practice once you get out of the budget-minded price stratum. Also, these clients tend to take their time in deciding on who to pay the $15k (or whatever) to for wedding photography.

Good luck!

mike colon says the harder you are to get the more they want you. you want to have brides hire you for your style not what you charge. if the first thing they ask is how much, that's where all the value is, not in your work. there will always be a photographer than can undercut you. you don't really want those brides do you? just a thought. of course mike colon can afford to lose brides

I'm with Matt Antonino on this one (hope I spelled his last name right!). An educated consumer is a happy consumer, and when it comes to money people pay to the path of the least resistance.

How many brides will put you on their list and then forget to call you or lose your information or keep putting off calling you until you're booked or until they run across someone whose work they also like who doesn't play hard to get?

Maybe playing hard to get works for Mike Colon, but personally, it doesn't make sound business sense to me. Whether you post up the information or not, IMHO that's not going to gauentee you one type of bride. Some people might hire a $15,000 photographer not because they have a fine appreciation for their work but just because they want to brag to their hoity toity friends. *shrugs*

From the start, brides are looking for vendors who are easy to work with and considerate of their needs. "Please contact me for pricing" can give some people the impression, "HA! Thought I'd actually have some information under this tab that could be of use to you, eh? Fooled ya! Yes, that's right, you'll have to tell me your wedding date, location and email address (maybe even phone number!) in order for me to bless you with my holy pricing details. Put that in your pipe and smoke it."

And maaaaaaaybe it'd be all right to do that if brides weren't already scared to death of being stalked, but unfourtunately the pot's already been ruined. When I was looking for a wedding photographer, after emailing an inquiry to one photographer about pricing info, HE CALLED ME EVERY OTHER DAY FOR THREE WEEKS. I kid thee not. I told him the wedding had been cancelled. He still called three times after that (I didn't pick up). Psycho. Whether it's photographers or bridal boutiques or whatever, brides are sick of being harrassed by vendors and many of them are just plain tired of handing their personal information out like that just so they can see if they can afford you or not.

I don't want to be hard to do business with. Customer service starts at square one, even before they've actually hired you. And luckily enough, posting your prices also means less work for you. You'll have more time to devote to emails with specific questions and such instead of copying and pasting the same old thing.

{From the start, brides are looking for vendors who are easy to work with and considerate of their needs. "Please contact me for pricing" can give some people the impression, "HA! Thought I'd actually have some information under this tab that could be of use to you, eh? Fooled ya! Yes, that's right, you'll have to tell me your wedding date, location and email address (maybe even phone number!) in order for me to bless you with my holy pricing details. Put that in your pipe and smoke it."

Whether it's photographers or bridal boutiques or whatever, brides are sick of being harrassed by vendors and many of them are just plain tired of handing their personal information out like that just so they can see if they can afford you or not.}


That is what I'm talking about! I want the high end brides, but I don't think I'm up to that level yet, and frankly I've seen PLENTY of mediocre sites that use this little ploy, and I'm thinking, "who do you think you are?!? Have you SEEN your own work?" So, I know it doesn't necessarily catapult you into that tier. You can't fool people into thinking you are better than you are. Well, you can. BUt not everyone can is what I mean. Your average bride WILL be looking at price. That won't be her only concern, but not everyone can afford a $100,000 wedding, but that doesn't mean theirs will be cheap and tacky. $20,000 is a perfectly respectable budget, but that bride will STILL be looking at price.

Just look at it this way:

You sit down to find a photographer. Your at work cause thats where everyone sufs the net.
You go to some bride site that lists a bunch of photographers.
you start clicking through those.
Some are really bad websites or bad pictures. So you close those and move on.
You come up to a real nice site with nice images. you wonder what they cost. its not posted. hmmmm. you make a mental note and move on for now cause your not going to call at work.
You click through a few more and come to another one thats nice. The prices are posted and you know what your going to get. You print off that page. Move on. find another. print.
By the end of your lunch and then some, you have 4 photographers prices printed.
You go home and call them. But totally forget to call the ones that didnt have their prices.

Thats reality.

Post your prices.

People go on the internet to find information and they want to find it without any barriers. Give them what they are looking for and don't make them work (even a tiny bit) to get it.

Hope nailed my theory on this - show them. Why not? People buy from places online a lot. They always show pricing. People buy from all sorts of stores - and they know what they're getting for how much.

http://www.pictureinfinity.com/pages/index.html

ALL of our products are clickable. They can make their own package, choose one of ours, find out more info - everything - THEN click contact us. It works out ok both ways I think but I prefer to show people that hey, we're NOT $6000 and up!