Pricing is the act of attaching value to the products and services a business provides to its customers, and it’s one of the most critical marketing decisions, given that it has a direct impact on sales and revenue. Setting the price too low might lead to a loss of profit, while setting it too high might scare customers away. There’s a fine line between the two, so it can be quite challenging to find the right balance.
Unfortunately, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to pricing. Since each business has its own requirements, there are numerous internal and external factors influencing and shaping pricing decisions, including utility and demand, manufacturing costs, and competition. Apart from these, there are also government and legal regulations to consider. For example, in certain industries, providers employ a legionella risk assessment template as they are required to conduct safety inspections regularly to ensure compliance with health and safety regulations. All these elements and tasks add up to the price of the products/services offered.
Therefore, businesses need to assess their specific needs and goals and choose a pricing method that makes sense to them. So, let’s take a look at six of the most common pricing strategies that can help companies determine the ideal price point for their products/services
Cost-plus pricing
Cost-plus pricing is one of the simplest and therefore one of the most popular pricing strategies used by businesses. In this case, using a pricing audit checklist can come in handy as it can help businesses evaluate the effectiveness of their pricing strategy and identify potential flaws.
Competitive pricing
Businesses that are just starting out or don’t have much data to base their pricing decisions on can draw inspiration from their competitors’ data and use their prices as a benchmark. This strategy is known as competitive pricing. By analyzing the prices of similar products in the industry one can establish a competitive price for their own products/services.
Price skimming
Businesses that use this strategy initially charge a high price for their products and then lower it over time. It can be a risky method, but it seems to work well in emerging markets where demand is high. The higher initial price creates the perception that a product is valuable and makes it more desirable while lowering the price helps expand the customer base.
Penetration pricing
Penetration pricing is considered a very effective pricing strategy for businesses looking to break into a highly competitive market. This can be done by pricing products/services lower than the competition in order to stand out from other companies and create a loyal customer base that won’t walk away later on when the prices increase.
Value-based pricing
This strategy is based on the idea that a product/service’s worth lies in the eye of the consumer. In other words, it’s about pricing products and services depending on the value they deliver to consumers. In order for this method to work, companies need to communicate clearly the value of their offering.
Dynamic pricing
Dynamic pricing is a strategy that takes into account the demand fluctuations that take place in a market. The method is used predominantly in sectors where the demand for products/services changes on a daily or even hourly basis, such as tourism, transportation, event planning, food delivery, etc.
Pricing strategies vary from case to case, so businesses that want to find the right price for their products/services need to assess their pricing methods regularly and adapt them to their current needs and requirements.
