Very few dog pros I know are comfortable talking about their rates with potential clients. Let’s face it: We’re dog lovers, not salespeople. But you shouldn’t let that discomfort extend to your website. In fact, handling the numbers right on your site can make the over-the-phone or in-person sales process much easier on yourself—and on your potential clients, too.
Tell People What They Want To Know
We are often asked whether rates should be included on websites. The answer is a resounding YES. We see a lot of dog pro sites—particularly training sites—with no pricing information. This is a huge mistake. People go to websites to make purchase decisions, to decide if you’re the right dog pro for them. By asking them to contact you for your rates, you run a real risk of losing many potential clients. Some will move on to competitors’ sites, looking for one who answers all their questions—including “What will this cost?” Some will assume that if they have to ask, it’s more than they can afford. And if they do call? You have to have that dreaded numbers talk. Imagine the peace of mind of knowing a potential client called you after seeing what you charge—how much easier is that sales conversation for you both?
Trainers often leave rates off their websites because they customize the training to each client. In this case, explain how the process works and list your initial consult rate so potential clients at least know what the first step will cost them. You might also consider sharing some ballpark figures to give people a range of what different types of training scenarios can run. Take the worry and guesswork out of the equation for people. When they call, you’ll know they’re serious and they’ll know you’re honest and not likely to try a hard sell.
Help People Choose The Right Fit
If you provide pricing choices—various daycare packages, for example, or different types of training (coaching, day training, board and train), help people choose the right fit. First, keep your choices few and simple. Marketing research shows that having too many choices often leads to no choice at all. Second, tell potential clients how to make the decision. Who is each type of training best for? What kinds of situations are best served by which of your packages?
Put Your Prices Where They Belong—With Your Services
Your prices should be on your services pages, not dangling by themselves on a separate page. You especially don’t want your pricing page accessible via your main menu, where people can go straight there without first learning what you’re all about—and what you can do for them. And you don’t want rates hidden on another page only accessible from an internal service page, either. One of the central rules of good website design is to make important information easy to find so people stay on your site.
Include your pricing on your services page. Make it easy to see, and surround it with your marketing message. What benefits will I see from sending my dog out with you for daily walks? What do I get for that $XX per day?
Convince People They’re Making The Right Choice
It’s great to have a separate page of testimonials, but those only do you good if a potential client chooses to click over and read them. So whether or not you have a dedicated testimonials page, place short testimonial excerpts throughout your site, and especially on your services pages near your pricing. Set them apart with a larger font size or a pull out box or other design element to draw the eye. Reading testimonials can help people jump down off the fence and make a purchase—so make sure potential clients see yours right as they’re considering your pricing and all you have to offer.
A well-designed website should do much of your sales work for you, increasing the number of inquiries you get and sending folks your way who have already decided you’re the dog pro for them, rates and all. If you’re like most dog pros—more dog lover than salesperson—this can make life quite a bit easier.
