Website Business Tip #1: Packaging.
You want to make a sale to a potential customer or client? Make it easy for them to understand what the cost is for your service. A lot of times as developers and designers we try to get away with quickly shouting out the number of hours it’s going to take for us to complete a job as a scare tactic into thinking that whatever we are selling is going to cost a lot. If your quality of service meets their needs, it doesn’t matter if it takes a year or 3 days to complete. Ok we understand that it’s going to take 320 hours to complete your job, but what does 320 hours equate to in value for the customer? Be quick to give value than a dollar amount. At the end of the day if what you are providing is valuable to your customer, they’ll pay anything. When a customer hears “it’s going to cost $100-$150 an hour”, all they see is “cha-ching”, “cha-ching”, “cha-ching”.
As an expert, it’s your job to know exactly what’s incorporated in a project. If you don’t know the cost off rip, let the customer/client know that you’re going to have to do some research and get a better estimate about the cost and time it’s going to take to complete the job. A customer shouldn’t be charged extra hours because you misquoted or running behind schedule to complete a task. Stop being a lawyer. Nobody really wants to pay a lawyer. Remember that, but people do what to know what it’s going to cost them at the end of the day. I believe it’s our job to make every experience as smooth and comfortable as possible.
Package Your Services
Remember I said earlier that “you are the expert and you know what your typical customer/client needs to complete the task”? Good, well this is where you will implement your expertise. Create a minimum of 3 packages that customers can pick from. When they see your packages in a pamphlet or on a website, it makes the decision process quicker and it helps them to realize what they need and want. It also helps with determining what their budget is without asking. Packages is not the end all be all. It’s just a starting point that creates what the price is going to be at the end of the day. In other words, what you would say to your customer is “this package starts at “X amount of dollars, depending on the exact features and functionalities it can go up from up here.” The best part is that your customer has a piece of mind to know that they are paying this amount and this the value they are receiving in exchange.
Packages Help with The Website
Packaging your services for your website will provide a positive experience for your visitors. Packaging helps with the website because it makes requesting a quote easier. When creating a quote you always want to know the budget of what whatever project you’re dealing with. You’re able to get back with the customer a lot quicker which either turns into a meeting that allows you to dig deeper into the needs of the customer or lets you know if it’s not within budget. Customers quickly understand their needs when they know what the possible cost is going to be. Having packaged services makes for great content on the website as well. Original content is what drives ranking on google. Check out our blog post about SEO factors. Your website is to reflect your face to face interaction and possibly make sale for you while your not physically there. In other words your website is suppose to do the speaking for you. It’s ok to have packages on your website. You doesn’t necessarily have to have pricing on your website, but definitely the content surrounding your packages should be there.
Your website should be a huge reflection of everything that your offer in your package. Not only are they getting whatever you are offering, but they are getting you as well. They are getting a service performed by your brand. Your brand is doing the work for them not you anymore.
Conclusion
Stop charging by the hour and only add a la carte items into the package after it’s understood what’s included in the package. Every project or task is different so not every project you receive is going to be same and fall right into the package evenly. So yes, you do have a la carte items into the package, but the customer understands that and they are increasing their price not you. Be fair to your customer and be fair to your business.
