Displaying Photography Prices Online: The Eternal Question
Just as I was beginning to think I had no idea what to write for today’s post, someone asked the question, “Should I display my prices on my website, or not?” I’ve lost count of the number of times this one has been asked, and I’m sure this won’t be the last time!
Usually, when someone brings up the subject of pricing on websites, the photography world instantly fragments into two warring factions: Those in favor of disclosing prices, and the others who believe that prices don’t belong on the website. Before too long, a fierce battle ensues!
I’ve yet to see a satisfactory outcome to any of these discussions, with no clear winner ever emerging. (By the way, if you’re wondering how the photo above ties in with the idea of a battle, this was where they trained the famous dam-buster pilots of WWII).
Therefore, it seems pointless to try to argue the issue yet again, using the same old arguments, both for and against. Better to avoid all the yelling, pointing of fingers, mud-slinging, and the obligatory flame-war…
But where does that leave us, except with the same old question:
“Should we display our prices on our website or not?”
The Question Is More Important Than The Answer
On this occasion I got to thinking as much about the reason why this question keeps rearing its ugly head, than about the question itself, together with it’s two diametrically opposed answers.
So, rather than focus on whether the answer is “yes“, “no“, or “somewhere in between“, I thought it would be more interesting to consider the possible reasons why this question exists in the first place.
One of the biggest mistakes made by photographers new to the business (myself included) is to literally give their work away for little or no profit. People new to the business often mistakenly believe that to become successful they need to compete only on price. I was once naïve enough myself to think that if I could penetrate the market by offering cheaper products than the competition, I could gain ground and then raise my prices once my name became better known. Unfortunately, that’s probably not the best way to go.



















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