Do you put your prices on your website?

[Party Picassos Facepainting]

I am always trying to get my business to run smoother and get better results from my website.
Currently, I do NOT list my prices on my website. I have the request a quote.

But I am wondering:
Do some clients pass me by because they want the price question answered NOW
and not wait for a quote?

I don't list my prices because I would like to be flexible depending on distance
or if they are a friend/fellow parish member etc.

So I have been trying to have a few different prices:
$75 per hour for friends and folks in my neighborhood and non profits.
I also will do one hour gigs as long as it's close to home and I have nothing else going on.

If I don't know the customer and it's relatively close in distance, then I have asked for $90.
If I drive an hour or more to an event, I insist on 2 hour minimum and may charge $100 or $125 per hour.

I like to give people a break, but sometimes it bites me back.
"Well you charged my friend $75, so why are you quoting me $90?

Do I need to explain that I knew her friend, so she got the friend discount?
Do I ask my friends NOT to disclose the discounted rate I give them,
just in case any of "their" friends want to hire me?

HELP ME! Give me some of your opinions, please!

[Sherry]

I feel like I get more calls just price shopping when I don't list my prices on my website and I don't like the hassle of calls, if they're not going to seriously book a party.  Even though I list my prices, I find that I still get the price shopping calls.

I've never had a customer complain though about the difference in prices that I've charged their friends, even when I raised prices, so I haven't had to deal with that.  I think I would tell them that there are different factors that go into why you quote a different price.  Maybe that your prices have went up and their friend got a cheaper rate, because you don't raise the rate on repeat customers? 

If someone is far from my area, I do quote a higher rate or add on travel fees or 2 hour minimums to make it worth my while.

[sparklingfaces]

I post my prices up on my website, however, I do offer discounts once in a while.

If someone said something like that to me, my response would be...

I completely understand, your friend actually took advantage of a special I had for the month of January.
My regular prices are XXX. If you check around, you will see that my rates are comprable to other artist in the area, if not better than their prices.

Other than at, it just depends on the situation in which you gave the discount.

If you're tired of getting the pricing question, I would just list them up on your site, it kind of sifts through those calls as well as people who can't afford you or low ball you.

But once again, during slow months, you could offer a discount to everyone which lowers your rices for a limited time.

I dunno, that's jus what I do.... it makes people feel like they are getting a deal.

[Wildcatfin]

No.

Each booking is so different - timings (late at night I may need a taxi, during rush hours travel takes longer/ more petrol, if I'm a;ready nearby at another booking, etc), length of booking, distance, what they want done.

Plus round here we do get a lot who just undercut to try and make sure they get the job, not you. Not that I'm likely to lower prices but its annoying.

I'll give a general approximate hourly quote when asked but make it clear that depends if its faces, bodies, glitter, where, etc.

Cat x

[Psalmbook]

I have my prices on my site. I got tired of the hassle of haggling. The funny thing is people will say the love my site & pics & then ask my rates anyway. It helps at big events when people want my card I can give it to them & say, "Check out my site & you'll see more of what we do besides face painting & get all my prices." When I'm painting I can't think how much a 3 1/2 hour job with face painting & balloons is. That would make the left & right sides of my brain crash into each other

[ChaCha]

LOL @ psalmbrook for "make the left and right sides of my brain crash together".  I am so going to use that.  ....It is funny how when you are creatively engaged, left brain activities seem impossible...