Price online or quote?

[yourdj]

I have seen many people demand quotes online for gigs to compensate for size, equipment required, time playing etc. i understand that as every party is different:

my website should go live next week is nominet transfer my url. I want to have set prices for numbers of people and a set time(ie: 4 hours) (with an hourly cost after that). Something like a bronze (dj only) gold silver (small sound system) and platinum packages (large sound system), which are clear, concise and down to the point.

Generally 9/10 bookings have been women as they tend to organize stuff and really don't understand wattage, equipment etc. maybe im wrong but they seem to concentrate on how many guests, the venue (which i visit beforehand) and what music they want.

is it a good idea to have a set pricing on my website? if i was looking for dj thats what i would want as i hate filling out online forms :confused:

[Vectis]

I tried all options - no prices online, set prices online, variable prices online. I watched webstats closely and married enquiries and phone calls back to the stats. Putting "from" prices and a quote generator online was the best thing I ever did. It virtually stopped the "how much..." questions dead in their tracks and now most customers have an idea which package and options they want before they call. Nowadays the only "how much" questions come from referrals and yellow pages.

It also let me get a LOT of optional stuff in front of potential customers instead of offering as upsells after the event. Quite often the options I offer can be dealmakers so this was a good move too.

I kinda follow the bronze/silver/gold reasoning but settled on:

VV Platinum - top package, early setup, customer meetings, choice of gear (any/some/all), video, project management

VV Premier - really good package, customer meeting for weddings, fixed gear, video

VV Junior - basic package, small venues, no video or anything special

Then there's ClubVibe which is kids parties and a variant of Junior for DIY/iPod weddings.

[yourdj]

Thanks, great answer. how did you set up a quote generator? Ta

[Andy Westcott]

I'd agree that it is a good idea to at least give a guide online, otherwise the potential client wouldn't know whether you charge £80 or £280, and it seems many wouldn't even bother to fill out an online form - they want the price right there in front of their eyes.

Many people still go for the best price, and by having a price guide you can filter out a good number of the 'Price?' type of enquiry, as already mentioned.

I use a simple formula to determine the cheapest likely fee, which would be a local informal gig:
Basic starting fee.
Add 'X' for each half hour before midnight.
Add 'Y' for each half hour after midnight.

Obviously you add for various refinements, distance or time.

[Vectis]

Thanks, great answer. how did you set up a quote generator? Ta


Nifty little product called 'Easyestimates' - go google it. Not easy to learn but once you get one running it's easy to modify and clone :o

[CRAZY K]

I tried all options - no prices online, set prices online, variable prices online. I watched webstats closely and married enquiries and phone calls back to the stats. Putting "from" prices and a quote generator online was the best thing I ever did. It virtually stopped the "how much..." questions dead in their tracks and now most customers have an idea which package and options they want before they call. Nowadays the only "how much" questions come from referrals and yellow pages.

It also let me get a LOT of optional stuff in front of potential customers instead of offering as upsells after the event. Quite often the options I offer can be dealmakers so this was a good move too.

I kinda follow the bronze/silver/gold reasoning but settled on:

VV Platinum - top package, early setup, customer meetings, choice of gear (any/some/all), video, project management

VV Premier - really good package, customer meeting for weddings, fixed gear, video

VV Junior - basic package, small venues, no video or anything special

Then there's ClubVibe which is kids parties and a variant of Junior for DIY/iPod weddings.

Good points here to follow--I do have prices clearly stated on my Western Website to deliberately put off tyre kickers but tonight despite having a minimum spend of £375 shown clearly on the price list ---I get someone who has £60 to spend.

Theres always one out there:eek:

CRAZY K

[yourdj]

Many people still go for the best price, and by having a price guide you can filter out a good number of the 'Price?' type of enquiry, as already mentioned.

Yes i have had lots of people who want allot for nothing. im used to it being in the print business! I know the type the minute they call :) I like the use of a simple price guide and the estimator seems good :)

Just have to do some local marketing to see what everyone else is charging :rolleyes: All i need is the time :)

[Sam]

yeh you always get some who will say well fred will do it for £50.
I geneally wish them luck and congratulate them for the wedding or whatever it may be.

[yourdj]

Generally what would you charge?

i have been doing gigs for £180 with small bins, tannoy tops, two dmx lights, etc.

I thought that would be an appropriate charge as i was learning the mobile trade. my learning curve is over and i deserve more now as i have a better set up and lots more experience!

i want to give the option of a dj only, small event, medium event and large event.

[Vectis]

Generally what would you charge?


I occasionally bring VV Premier or Platinum to the North Island and charge the rate on the website plus £100 and a bit extra for mileage if it's more than 20 minutes from Pompey, Soton or Lymington.

From dealings with local DJs this makes me about 25%-30% dearer than expected for venues in the cities, but out-of-town in some of those posh country piles I'm still competitive.

[rob1963]

is it a good idea to have a set pricing on my website? if i was looking for dj thats what i would want as i hate filling out online forms :confused:

Yes it is...I do!

When people are deciding whether to book a service, they also need to know the price...so put them (or at least "from" prices) on your website.

It also saves you having to waste your time asnwering calls for low quality work which go "What's your cheapest disco mate?"

In addition, it saves you having to sell yourself or justify your prices. If someone calls with an enquiry, they are obviously happy with the price, or they wouldn't be contacting you.

I think people would much rather see set prices on your website rather than having to spend time putting a load of details into some quote generator in order to get a price. For me personally, that would be too complicated & time consuming.

[Vectis]

I think people would much rather see set prices on your website rather than having to spend time putting a load of details into some quote generator in order to get a price. For me personally, that would be too complicated & time consuming.

Do you think I have the right balance then Rob? I have "From" prices with a brief description of each package, then a link to get a detailed quote...

eg. http://www.vectisvibe.com/easyestimates/Qtopplat.php

[rob1963]

Do you think I have the right balance then Rob? I have "From" prices with a brief description of each package, then a link to get a detailed quote...

eg. http://www.vectisvibe.com/easyestimates/Qtopplat.php

vectis,

I think you have it spot on!

The "from" prices will give prospective clients a pretty good idea of what they're paying, and the quote generator will then give them a specific quote.

Sounds fine to me!

:)

[mb3]

I think that advertising prices, in print or on the web, is a good move to get rid of the "cheapy" customer.

Advertised prices also make the customer more aware that your prices are set firmly, and that "can you do it for less?" is not welcome.

I get frustrated when buying, either privately or for my business, when I can't get a price indication... last year alone 4 reps have each wasted half a day telling me about their product, before getting to the cost, which I could not justify. An early indication of price would have saved their time, saved my time, saved some cups of coffee and let us all get on with more productive work.

[rob1963]

I get frustrated when buying, either privately or for my business, when I can't get a price indication... last year alone 4 reps have each wasted half a day telling me about their product, before getting to the cost, which I could not justify. An early indication of price would have saved their time, saved my time, saved some cups of coffee and let us all get on with more productive work.

I couldn't agree more.

When you're deciding whether to take a service, you need to know what is offered AND the price. Until you know the price, you don't know if it's within your budget.

I would much rather see a price, or at least a "from" price on a website rather than having to email them to ask, and possibly having to wait up to a week or more for a reply.

If one of the major supermarkets decided to remove all prices from their shelves & website, what would their customers think & how would it effect trade?

I for one would stop using them.

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

People aren't buying a product though are they Rob - they are buying a service. A landscape gardener wouldn't have an all in one price on their website for landscaping your garden would they?

[Corabar Steve]

If price is that big an issue then we aren't the company for them & they can go elsewhere.

Bloody tyre kickers!

[rob1963]

People aren't buying a product though are they Rob - they are buying a service. A landscape gardener wouldn't have an all in one price on their website for landscaping your garden would they?

No...because I don't have a garden! :p

However, they may well have a "from" price to give prospective clients some sort of idea.

On a serious note, I just used the supermarket example to stress how important it is to know the price of something (be it a product OR a service) before being able to decide if you are prepared or able to pay the price asked.

Some gigs I do are up the road, and some are an hour's drive. Some have very easy access, and other aren't so easy. Some finish at 1am, and others at 11pm.

The point I'm making is that although each gig will be different in terms of how easy it is, that doesn't mean you have to charge differently for each individual gig. I could charge more for harder gigs and less for the easier ones, but It's swings & roundabouts, as the easy gigs make up for the harder ones, so it all evens out in the end anyway.

[Have a disco]

Must admit that people are blind to the obvious, my pricing structure clearly states prices from on each package, and also explains there is an early set up fee and a milage distance fee after a certain milage.

But I still find that people do not bother to read the website let alone get past the yell.com website or yellow pages??? or any other site I may be listed upon. Im afraid in a dog eat dog world customers are just plain thick and only want a fixed price, they do not care how far I travel or how many different packages I provide. Let alone worry about an early set up time

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

customers are just plain thick

Let's hope that they are not reading this then, eh?

Comments like that aren't going to gain you many customers. :rolleyes:

[A1DL]

Badger - as has been pointed out to you so many times before, if you pitch your business at the bottom end of the market, price will be the only driver.

It sounds to me like you have no time or respect for the customer, and because you're chasing the bottom end of the market, your potential customer base have no time and respect for you - unless your answer is "£75 cash on the night mate + as much beer as I can drink". A viscious circle...

Bottom end business will always be out there, as long as there's DJs out there who continue to feed that market, believing there's nothing better to be had.