Some copywriters will tell you putting prices on your website makes you more transparent. When phrased like that, it sounds like a no-brainer, right? However, as Nicki and Kate dig into in this episode, no two homepages or emails or any other project are 100% alike, so how can you put a price on your website if you don’t even know what the project entails?
Listing prices can prevent you from landing some really fantastic projects with great clients. If you’ve been tempted to list your prices because you feel like you have to, you’ll want to listen to this episode to find out why that is, why listing prices isn’t a must, and what to do instead.
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Looking for closed captioning or a transcript? Check out the episode on YouTube!
A Sneak Peek at the Episode
[1:40] Nicki asks the all important question, should you put copywriting rates on your website? Kate notes that you shouldn’t and gives you a few answers as to why.
[2:30] Kate explains that if you put a price or price range on the site, you’re anchoring your clients to that price point, making it more difficult to negotiate. You can possibly lose a ton of potential clients because they may see a rate and thing it’s too high or too low, but it’s not even based on their specific projects and needs.
[7:10] You may be missing out on tens of thousands of dollars of work over time because someone wants to find the right fit. Clients won’t throw their biggest project at you right out the gate, because they’ve never worked with you before. But maybe they have a $100 project that will take you 30 minutes, and that leads to bigger projects down the line.
[8:36] The scope in any kind of project is so broad, you can’t possibly know the pricing for the project without knowing all that it entails. By putting a price on your website, even if it is a range, you’re still quoting a price before you know any details about the actual project. Maybe it’s a project that’s a lot more than your typical range!
[10:20] Kate mentions that looking at clients as an opportunity to receive the highest price point can turn you away from the core of what you should be doing, which is being a service provider. It can be stressful to constantly chase the big ticket projects rather than possibly having consistent work with clients with those big projects every now and then.
[12:00] Nicki notes that it’s not about you, it’s about what you can do for your target audience. Yes, you are looking for the right fit, but to find that fit you talk to that client about the project. This gives you the room to figure out if that’s something you even want to work on or someone you want to work with.
[15:48] Nicki dives into how trying to force fit a potential client into a price or a template of a project can make a relationship with that client end up badly. Every client and project that you deal with is different. The focus shouldn’t be on you selling those packages, but it should be on what the client actually needs.
[19:40] You may get clients that want to see your rates, but that’s when you tell them no and have that conversation as to why that is. If clients don’t want to work with you after that, then that shouldn’t be your ideal client.
[20:25] Nicki notes that most clients will start out by asking what your rates are, because clients don’t know what else to ask. They’re not professional clients. That shouldn’t throw you, instead you should make sure you understand more about the project and then give them a price after you know the work you need to do.
[22:28] Nicki and Kate wrap up this episode by noting the importance of doing the work. Any time your instinct is to save time, ask yourself if this is actually saving you time and benefitting your client and project? If the answer isn’t yes to both questions, then reconsider rethinking your strategy. It needs to benefit your clients as much as it benefits you.
Related Links
- What Copywriters Charge for Content Writing
- How to Price Copywriting Project Rates: By the Minute? The Hour? The Word?
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About the Build Your Business Podcast
Ready to turn your love of writing into a successful copywriting career?
Join professional copywriters Nicki Krawczyk and Kate Sitarz to get the tips, tools, and training to help you become a copywriter and build a thriving business of your own. Nicki and Kate have 20+ and 10+ years of experience, respectively, writing copy for multi-billion-dollar companies, solopreneurs, and every size business in between.
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Last Updated on September 10, 2023
