Should a photographer list their prices on their website?

Yes and No: It Depends

This depends on what type of customer you have. If you are shooting for the public portraits and weddings then yes you should have your prices listed.

Another way to think of it is are you doing B2B or B2C? B2B is contemporary shorthand for a longtime sales practice called business-to-business while B2C represents business-to-consumer. In essence, B2B deals primarily with other businesses, not the general public, and B2C provides products and services directly to the end user.

Having your price listed helps you and the customer.

How it helps you is as a filter. Once the customer has gone to your website and seen your prices then when they are calling they are already aware of your prices.

When I am looking for a gas station I use the GasBuddy App to help me locate a station and also see the prices before I drive to them.

If you choose to tell people to call you, then you better be ready for phone calls during dinner time, bedtime or anytime.

For the most part many of your portrait and wedding customers want to know if you are in their budget before starting their conversation with you and frankly most photographers want qualified leads.

Two ways to list pricing

First you can put your full menu of prices up. What you charge for a sitting fee and your print prices is perfectly fine to post.

If the fear of the photographer down the street seeing your prices and undercutting you is your greatest fear, then you have a lot more problems. You see they can always get a friend to call and get your prices.

There will always be someone cheaper than you. This is very true once you have been in the industry a few years. You have to raise your rates sooner or later if you have kids at home to feed.

Second, you can also indicate that your prices start at $300 with an average order of $500. Be careful that you are truthful. Don't try and get them in the door with a low price that is so insignificant that they must go up in price to get what most people need.

Be sure not to use a link to a pricing page and then just give them prices starting quote.

You can also list your basic packages and what they include and then state to call for higher end packages. Remember how you word this can make those upper packages more desirable.

21 Jewel High End Railroad Pocket Watch Hamilton 940--Not your $19.95 Timex Watch

Sidebar about Prices

There are customers who have the ability to go very high end. One of the reasons they like to buy things like Rolex or a Lamborghini is they don't want what they get to be what all their friends have. They want the exclusive package that is not easily attainable.

There are photographers who list their prices, which are out of sight to go after this market. If you can pull off the high end service necessary to go with this type of photography, you might just be able to lure people with your prices.

Commercial, Advertising and even Editorial photographers

Due to the nature of the clients and how they will use the photos is not boiler plate you are best not having any prices published.  This is not because of your competition finding out, but the number of variables to figure a price makes it almost impossible to have standard prices.

A portraits could be used for mug shot on a website to accompany the bio of a sales person. The very same type of photo could be their brand and using it for a national ad campaign. You might charge $1,000 for one use and $5,000 for another use and then even $30,000 for another kind of usage.

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How do I find out the going rates?

You might be new to charging for your photography. I get calls all the time from beginners wanting to know what they could charge.

First of all there is no going rate. If photographers got together and decided what they would all charge for headshot in a market then that would be illegal.

For comparison purposes, just think if you were just starting out as a construction worker. It might take you a day to do a job that after about five years of experience you could do in a couple hours. Also the quality might even be better with all that experience.  If you always charged a day laborer rate then the person hiring you will most likely get ten times more work from you in five years than they would when you first started for the same day rate.

Remember there are a lot of things affecting what you can charge. Your experience, quality of your work and expenses can all impact that price.

My advice to those starting out is to keep your overhead as low as possible. Don't buy the most expensive gear, most expensive car, most expensive house and eat out all the time when you are beginning. Do just the opposite.  Cut out every luxury you can so you can charge a rate less than those with years of experience.  Be sure your rates will cover all your living expenses and ability to run your business.

The first few years you will have suck it up until you have enough clout to charge higher rates and actually get them.

Jay Maisel, Bernie Boston, Hugh Morton & George Tames at the Southern Short Course in Charlotte, North Carolina on May 10, 1986. 

Warning About Other Pros

Too many seasoned pros try and tell those beginning to charge rates similar to their rates. Remember until you are established it will be difficult to get good rates. With this said, you also need to be sure you are charging enough to make a living. This is why I recommend keeping your overhead as low as possible when starting out.