Should you put your prices on your personal trainer website? I get asked this a lot and it's not surprising. It's one of the most controversial decisions, not just for personal trainers, but for all businesses.
In this post I'm going to tell you why I think you should list your prices on your fitness website, counter your reasons why you think you shouldn't and what you can do to make sure you make the best possible decision for your personal trainer business?
But the Experts Say No to Pricing
I get to talk to personal trainers and marketing experts from all over the world about the listing prices on your website issues. When I do I'm always challenged with these common arguments:
With these valid points in mind, I figured it's going to take some pretty compelling arguments to suggest otherwise so here are my top 5 reasons why you should your prices on your personal trainer website.
- You don't want your competitors to see your pricing
- You want your clients to talk with you first so they understand the value of your service
- You are worried your service will be seen as the same as other personal trainers
- You are worried the client is shopping based on price alone
With these valid points in mind, I figured it's going to take some pretty compelling arguments to suggest otherwise so here are my top 5 reasons why you should your prices on your personal trainer website.
1. Become Part of Your Clients Inner Monologue
A study by the world leader in user experience, the Neilson Norman Group, concluded that showing your pricing gives businesses a competitive edge over their competition.
Here's why:
In other words, when we look for things that we wish to purchase online, pricing is a huge factor for anyone. In fact, your clients will more than likely look for the price before they even check whether you're local to them or provide the service they need.
Whether we like it or not, personal training is still a "luxury" item and the majority of clients, depending on your niche, only have a certain amount of disposable income to spare on a personal trainer.
When a potential lead finds you via Google or social media and checks out your website, they're essentially comparing you to the other personal trainers they have shortlisted to work with.
Simply put, if your prices are not on your website, you might not get on the short list. You get rejected from your clients inner monologue of potential businesses to work with.
Here's why:
- Pricing determines the product category
- Price is a key component in product comparison
- Price is needed for planning.
In other words, when we look for things that we wish to purchase online, pricing is a huge factor for anyone. In fact, your clients will more than likely look for the price before they even check whether you're local to them or provide the service they need.
Whether we like it or not, personal training is still a "luxury" item and the majority of clients, depending on your niche, only have a certain amount of disposable income to spare on a personal trainer.
When a potential lead finds you via Google or social media and checks out your website, they're essentially comparing you to the other personal trainers they have shortlisted to work with.
Simply put, if your prices are not on your website, you might not get on the short list. You get rejected from your clients inner monologue of potential businesses to work with.
2. Be Accommodating
A lot of personal training clients are time sensitive. In fact, it's likely that they are looking for you because they want or need to be more efficient with their "fitness" time. Getting the most of the four hours per week they spend in the gym.
Don't make your client jump through hoops. Forcing them fill in long forms or get in touch to get a custom price is not only annoying but in today's world just looks downright sleazy.
Start the relationship off right and be the most helpful PT you possibly can be by providing them with all of the information they need in all the places they expect to find it.
In fact, take it a step further by offering a price comparison guide between your company and others you might compete with. But do it tastefully. Like we do on our fitness website pricing page:
Don't make your client jump through hoops. Forcing them fill in long forms or get in touch to get a custom price is not only annoying but in today's world just looks downright sleazy.
Start the relationship off right and be the most helpful PT you possibly can be by providing them with all of the information they need in all the places they expect to find it.
In fact, take it a step further by offering a price comparison guide between your company and others you might compete with. But do it tastefully. Like we do on our fitness website pricing page:
3. Save Time
If you are lucky enough to get shortlisted even though you don't have prices, you now have to manage those leads effectively.
This means you'll often get clients who can't afford your price range or try to barter you down. Why waste time on the phone trying to convince them that your services are worth the fees when you could be creating amazing results for your existing clients and getting referrals.
Besides, the ones that can't afford it but really want to train with you will get an idea of what they should be budgeting for before they connect with you.
The counter argument to this is that a client can't possibly make a well informed decision until you have explained the value to them, but let's be honest:
This means you'll often get clients who can't afford your price range or try to barter you down. Why waste time on the phone trying to convince them that your services are worth the fees when you could be creating amazing results for your existing clients and getting referrals.
Besides, the ones that can't afford it but really want to train with you will get an idea of what they should be budgeting for before they connect with you.
The counter argument to this is that a client can't possibly make a well informed decision until you have explained the value to them, but let's be honest:
- If your marketing and results don't explain your value enough, you have other, more serious issues to work on.
- Even if it's true that they can't make an informed decision on their own, they absolutely think they can, and that's what matters. The client doesn't care what you think. They care about what they think they know.
4. Better Sales Conversations
Clients are more likely to barter with and push for a different price if your prices aren't already written in stone.
If you can dictate that they must call to get a "tailor made" price, it's only fair that the client can dictate whether or not they want to pay that amount, right. It's now a negotiation which is fine if you can handle them but for most trainers, including myself... no thanks!
This then leads to awkward sales conversations where the person you're selling your services to questions the value of your service and you feel as though you have to justify the price.
Listing your pricing on your personal trainer website eliminates all of that because clients know or at least think everyone else is paying the same amount, therefore it must be worth it.
If you can dictate that they must call to get a "tailor made" price, it's only fair that the client can dictate whether or not they want to pay that amount, right. It's now a negotiation which is fine if you can handle them but for most trainers, including myself... no thanks!
This then leads to awkward sales conversations where the person you're selling your services to questions the value of your service and you feel as though you have to justify the price.
Listing your pricing on your personal trainer website eliminates all of that because clients know or at least think everyone else is paying the same amount, therefore it must be worth it.
5. Search Engine Optimization
If all of your competitors aren't listing their pricing because the experts told them to, it's highly likely that the words "personal trainer", "price", "cost" and "*your location*" are SEO gold!!
You can take advantage of easy SEO wins by creating a pricing page and optimizing for these terms, and even including free offers to capture that qualified traffic and engage them in a sales conversation.
You can take advantage of easy SEO wins by creating a pricing page and optimizing for these terms, and even including free offers to capture that qualified traffic and engage them in a sales conversation.
The Cons Of Listing Your Prices And What To Do About Them
With some pretty compelling reasons above as to why you should list your personal trainer prices on your website, let's dispel some of the negative factors that might cause you to think twice about revealing all!
1. You don't want your competitors to see your pricing
You might have a some local competitors that are less qualified and try to mimic your services and pricing.
What to do about it: Let them. If they are less qualified than you are, they will offer a sub par service for a higher price and ruin their own reputation.
2. You want your clients to talk with you first so they understand the value of your service
This is all too common with personal training. You feel as though the client needs to speak with you in order to get the connection and see if you're both a good fit.
What to do about it: People are buying you as a person as opposed to your product or service. Use professional copy and videos on your website to help clients understand the type of person you are and service you offer.
3. You are worried your service will be seen as the same as other personal trainers
Your service appears to be exactly the same as what your competitors are offering and that makes you a commodity.
What to do about it: This is where picking a specific niche becomes important. Cater to a specific type of client. Preferably the type you love to train. Have pictures of that type of client on site and identify yourself as the solution to their problems.
4. You are worried the client is shopping based on price alone
You don't want to lose loads of leads because they were put off by your prices.
What to do about it: The type of clients that shop on price alone are NOT the type of clients you want around long term. They'll leave you the minute they find a cheaper alternative and clearly don't understand the value of your product. Plus, if they DO want to buy something on the cheap they will undoubtedly take you up on your free offer in exchange for an email. In that case, you can sell them something for cheap later on.
1. You don't want your competitors to see your pricing
You might have a some local competitors that are less qualified and try to mimic your services and pricing.
What to do about it: Let them. If they are less qualified than you are, they will offer a sub par service for a higher price and ruin their own reputation.
2. You want your clients to talk with you first so they understand the value of your service
This is all too common with personal training. You feel as though the client needs to speak with you in order to get the connection and see if you're both a good fit.
What to do about it: People are buying you as a person as opposed to your product or service. Use professional copy and videos on your website to help clients understand the type of person you are and service you offer.
3. You are worried your service will be seen as the same as other personal trainers
Your service appears to be exactly the same as what your competitors are offering and that makes you a commodity.
What to do about it: This is where picking a specific niche becomes important. Cater to a specific type of client. Preferably the type you love to train. Have pictures of that type of client on site and identify yourself as the solution to their problems.
4. You are worried the client is shopping based on price alone
You don't want to lose loads of leads because they were put off by your prices.
What to do about it: The type of clients that shop on price alone are NOT the type of clients you want around long term. They'll leave you the minute they find a cheaper alternative and clearly don't understand the value of your product. Plus, if they DO want to buy something on the cheap they will undoubtedly take you up on your free offer in exchange for an email. In that case, you can sell them something for cheap later on.
What if You Really Can't List Your Prices
There are certainly scenarios where you actually can't list your prices because of your business structure or legal agreements. If that's the case, there are a couple of things you can do:
Each of these options won't get you removed form the shortlist and encourage your website visitor to get in touch and become a lead.
- List a from and to price. A price range is better than nothing.
- List a scenario price. If the client chose three features it might cost this much.
Each of these options won't get you removed form the shortlist and encourage your website visitor to get in touch and become a lead.
What To Do Next
It's completely up to you as to whether you list your prices on your fitness website or not. As long as it fits your business and marketing strategy, it's helpful to your customer and right for your marketing plan.
The thing is, you’ll never know if something works or not until you try it. Test it out. You plan on being in the business for a long time, right? Then there's no better time to get proactive and find out what system works best for you and your personal trainer business.
Do you put your prices on your site? Why or why not? When visiting other sites, do you want to find pricing there? Share your comments, ideas and suggestions below. We’ll all benefit from understanding the pros and cons. I can’t wait to hear from you!
The thing is, you’ll never know if something works or not until you try it. Test it out. You plan on being in the business for a long time, right? Then there's no better time to get proactive and find out what system works best for you and your personal trainer business.
Do you put your prices on your site? Why or why not? When visiting other sites, do you want to find pricing there? Share your comments, ideas and suggestions below. We’ll all benefit from understanding the pros and cons. I can’t wait to hear from you!
