Web Price List Sequence

[Chris Harding]

Hi Guys

For those of you that display your wedding packages and prices on your websites, do you put your biggest and most expensive package at the top of the page and progress downwards to your smallest and least expensive package or is it the other way around.

I have never figured out if bride's will scroll down your list of packages and say "not enough coverage", "not enough coverage" until they reach the package they want OR do they start at the top thinking "way too much and too much money" and then scroll down until they find the right combination???

I have always wondered whether I should put the biggest and best at the top (hoping that's the one they choose!!) but I do have it the other way around (and have always had it that way) but brides will still choose a variety of options that suit their budget and what you cover in the package!

Which way around do you have your packages/prices and why????

Chris

[George Kilroy]

Chris. I have three options and lay them out side by side. Each one has a headline offering and price with a link to individual pages where there is a full description of what is offered and cross linked back to the others.

[Michael Johnston]

Every bride is different but ALL are price conscious. Some will log on, see the most expensive price at the top, and immediately have sticker shock and not bother to scroll down. The problem with low prices at the top is the bride may read the description and think that's great and not bother to scroll down to see what other great options are available with the more expensive pkgs. I've tried both ways and low to high seems to bring more business but I sell fewer high price pkgs. When I was listing high to low, I booked more high price pkgs but fewer overall weddings which led to less overall profit. Of course, how I listed prices was not the only factor but it was a trend I noticed.

[Paul Owens]

If you were to be selling your services in person, start with the most expensive package and don't drop down until you've trial closed and she axes it. When you are selling in person you want to get her thinking up. Get them thinking this is going to cost more then a few hundred dollars and get them all excited about the FULL HOLYWOOD production you're going to do for them :-) Then when you move down a notch you can use a feature of the higher package as a close for yourself to get the deal then and there.

For the web page however, convention shows packages going left to right with the cheapest to the left and Most expensive to the right. Put the package name at the top with the price and then you list out below what makes each package different from the one before. Wording is key here in that you again want to bring her thinking up on the price and make each higher package seem SO much more appealing then the one before that she just HAS to have it.

I'd also put somewhere on the page that each package can be customized to meet the requirements of the bride and to contact you for more information. Once they call you, the balls in your court!

[Chris Harding]

Thanks Guys!!

Paul, I do exactly that!! We start with all the trimmings and two shooters and then if needed trim off any coverage the bride feels that she doesn't want (or can't afford)

I often get brides who have already decide what they want and, despite the best package being at the bottom they usually go for that!! They will phone me and tell me to sort out the contract as they have already decided!! (Love those sales too as I have never been a super- salesperson!!)

So far my prices have always been "cheapest- least coverage-single shooter" first and then "most expensive- full coverage- two shooters" at the bottom of the page.

Chris

[John Wiley]

I always went low to high. Currently I don't have the packages listed as I'm not taking any bookings due to recent back surgery. I've scaled back my website to just a few demo's, a blog and contact info for the time being. I've had much more interest now that the site has fewer details.

I think when I start taking bookings again, I'll list the packages left to right, with no prices. That way they get a quick overview, don't have to do any scrolling, and will hopefully then contact me for as chat as has been happening more and more since I removed my packages.

[Philip Howells]

As you know Chris we only offer a single, all-inclusive price which establishes our belief of our position in the marketplace in terms of value. I see no point in encouraging brides who want a less expensive, more modest product than we offer to spend time ploughing through our website.

Unfortunately, I'm not sure that this thread has as many valuable learning experiences as we'd all like because of fundamental differences in our markets' expectations. Having spent three years of my younger life selling in the USA and worked in sales activities in Europe and Asia, there are significant differences which will affect how much we can learn from each other.

For example, (and of course I'm generalising) more Americans will expect to be "sold" a deal than Europeans, most of whom expect to buy at sticker price.

Happily for us all-inclusive packages are becoming more sought after - though people are then wary of the quality ie the real value. A typical UK question when buying an all-inclusive holiday will be whether the bar serves branded spirits or generic, local "brands".

That's why we find our value comparison chart is so important. UK customers are invariably price conscious. We want people to compare our (higher than average) price to see how much better value they get with us compared to our menu-driven competitors whom we portray in face-to-face situations as less than transparent, seeking to drive up the price covertly. Sadly there's more than enough wedding industry suppliers looking to increase their take less than transparently - eg the hotel bar asking double the pub price for a beer. I can almost hear the Americans here arguing that that's simply salesmanship and I'd not deny that - in your market. But they're very different markets.

Another example to illustrate the difference. In France the majority of French people do not tip in restaurants. In the USA the majority of people do. But in France everyone's on a minimum wage, (the SMIC - about $12 per hour for a 35 hour week) decreed by government to be adequate and part of the meal price includes the diners' share of that cost. They see no reason to pay more except in exceptional circumstances. On the other hand a friend of mine in Chicago earns $1.75 per hour as a pizza waitress. She relies on her tips and goes out of her way to earn good tips. Equally her customers understand this.

[Nigel Barker]

Originally Posted by Philip Howells

Another example to illustrate the difference. In France the majority of French people do not tip in restaurants. In the USA the majority of people do. But in France everyone's on a minimum wage, (the SMIC - about $12 per hour for a 35 hour week) decreed by government to be adequate and part of the meal price includes the diners' share of that cost. They see no reason to pay more except in exceptional circumstances. On the other hand a friend of mine in Chicago earns $1.75 per hour as a pizza waitress. She relies on her tips and goes out of her way to earn good tips. Equally her customers understand this.

Then crazy US tourists come over to Europe & leave 20% of the bill as a tip in restaurants even when the bill states 'Service compris'!

BTW Just to clarify here in France everyone's on at least the minimum wage. I wouldn't want anyone to think that we are a low wage economy.

[Philip Howells]

Nigel thanks for the correction - it was a genuine slip of the finger.