Anthony Should You Show Prices On Your Website
Yes, show something. If you can post a flat price, post it. If you cannot, post a starting price or a range and say what moves it. Hiding every number makes visitors assume the worst, and the first thing most people do on a service site is look for what it will cost. A page that answers that question gets more calls from people who are ready to buy and fewer from people who were never going to.
I run a marketing agency, and I co-founded an auto repair company, so I live on both sides of this question. We post a $150 hourly rate at Supercanic. We sell pre purchase inspections at a flat $225 on PPI Auto. I have also built sites for businesses where a single number would have been a lie. Here is how I decide.
Key points
- Visitors search for price first. If you hide it, they leave to find someone who does not.
- Flat prices work for repeatable jobs. Ranges work for jobs that vary.
- Always say what is included and what changes the price.
- Posting a price filters out the wrong customers before they call.
- You can change a price. A posted number is not a contract.
Why Hiding Prices Backfires
Owners give me the same reasons for hiding prices.
- "Every job is different."
- "My competitors will see it."
- "I want to talk to the customer first."
Fair. Each has some truth. But look at it from the customer's chair. They have no idea what this costs. They have three tabs open. One site says "Call for a quote." One says "From $150 an hour." Guess which one they trust more, and which one feels like a trap.
A missing price reads as one of two things: expensive or evasive. Neither helps you.
What Customers Do With A Price
A visible price does a few jobs at once:
- It builds trust. You look like a business with nothing to hide.
- It pre qualifies. People who cannot afford you leave. That saves your phone for real buyers.
- It cuts the first call short. They already know the ballpark.
- It sets the frame. Your number becomes the one competitors get compared to.
- It backs up your reviews. Customers who read "fair price" in a review want to see the number.
On our own Supercanic homepage the hero shows a $150 posted hourly rate and the line "You get a price before we start." Those two things take the fear out of calling.
Three Ways To Show A Price
Not every business can post one fixed number. Pick the model that fits.
| Model | Best for | Example | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flat price | Repeatable, defined jobs | "Pre purchase inspection, $225" | Edge cases that cost more |
| Starting at | Jobs with a common baseline | "Oil change from $79" | "From" prices that nobody actually pays |
| Range | Projects that vary | "Bathroom remodels: $X to $Y" | A range so wide it says nothing |
| Hourly rate | Labor based work | "$150 per hour" | Not saying how many hours is typical |
| Package tiers | Services with levels | Basic, Standard, Full | Too many tiers |
Pick one and keep it honest. A "from $49" price that no real job costs is worse than no price. Customers feel tricked, and they leave reviews about it.
Explain What Changes The Price
A number with no context raises questions. A number with a short explanation answers them.
Add three lines under the price:
- What is included. Parts, labor, travel, taxes, disposal.
- What can raise it. Size, age, access, rush work, hard to find parts.
- What you do to avoid surprises. "We quote before we start" is powerful.
For example, a repair shop can say: "Our rate is $150 an hour. Most brake jobs take one to two hours. We give you the price in writing before we touch the car." The customer can do math and relax.
When Not To Show A Price
There are cases where I tell clients to hold off.
- Truly custom work, like a one of a kind build, where hours range from ten to a thousand.
- High ticket sales where the conversation matters more than the quote, such as commercial contracts.
- When your costs are in flux, and you cannot honor what you post.
- When you are brand new and do not yet know your numbers.
Even then, give something. "Most projects land between X and Y." Or "Projects start at X." Or explain how pricing works. A page that says nothing is the worst option.
How To Handle Your Competitors Seeing It
They already know. Customers share quotes. Employees move between shops. Anyone can call and ask. Hiding your price does not hide it from the people you worry about. It only hides it from the people you want.
If you are afraid of being undercut, compete on what a number cannot show: reviews, speed, warranty, certifications and communication. Those are harder to copy. I wrote about the value of credentials in Why An ASE Certified Business Should Say So In Its Marketing, and the review side in How Mechanics Can Get More Google Reviews.
Where To Put The Price
A price buried in a PDF does nothing. Put it where people look.
- Homepage. One clear number or starting point near the top.
- Service pages. The specific price for that service.
- A pricing page with the full picture, if you have more than a few services.
- Google Business Profile. Services and products can include prices.
- Ads and posts. If you advertise, say the price in the ad.
Keep it updated. Nothing damages trust faster than a posted price you do not honor. Put "Prices updated May 2026" on the page. A date signals that someone is looking after it.
What I Tell Clients To Test
You do not have to commit forever. Try it.
- Pick your most common service.
- Add a price or a starting price to its page and to your homepage.
- Track calls and form fills for 30 days.
- Ask each caller if the price mattered. A simple question.
- Keep it, change it or remove it based on what you learn.
In my experience, most owners find that fewer calls come in and the calls that do come in close better. If your phone rings less but your booked jobs hold steady, you saved time. If you want to dig into the phone side, see Missed Call Text Back.
Questions
Will showing a price scare customers away?
It will scare away some, and those are often the ones who would have wasted your time. Customers who want the lowest price at any cost were rarely going to be a good fit. A clear price and a clear explanation keeps the rest.
What if my prices change often?
Post a range or a starting price and date it. If your costs move a lot, say "prices subject to change" and keep the page updated. An honest range beats silence.
Should I show prices for custom projects?
Give people something to work with. A starting price, a typical range or an explanation of how you price. If you really cannot give a number, at least describe how the quote works and how fast you respond.
Does showing a price help SEO?
Not directly. But pages that answer the question people are searching for, including cost, tend to hold visitors longer and generate better calls. Searches like "how much does X cost" are common, and a page with a real answer matches them.
If you want a site that shows your prices in a way that closes jobs, look at our work or book a strategy call.