In the freelance community there is often times a debate about whether or not freelancers should publicly share their rates online. The truth is there are many answers to this question with different schools of though. Much of it also depends on your particular model and how you like to run your business.
In some cases it works to share your freelance rates publicly whereas in other instances it doesn’t. I’m going to say right off the bat that I don’t share my freelancing rates on my website. I like having the ability to negotiate. However, I’m not opposed to other people sharing their freelancing rates publicly.
Here are some ways to determine whether or not you should share your freelancing rates on your website.
Are your services productized?
One of the reasons I don’t share my freelancing rates online is because I know my current services are not productized. In other words, I don’t have set systems in place to deliver my service and I have to actually sit down and write. Because there are so many variables at play (how big a project is, how much research is involved, etc.), then it doesn’t make sense for me to share my rates and potentially low-ball myself.
However, if your services are productized or if you have package deals, then it makes sense to share your rates online. For example, a web designer may have a service package that has a done-for-you website template and copy. All the client has to do is purchase the package, download the files and install the template themselves. This is an example of productizing a service and in this case it would make sense to share your freelancing rates for this service online.
For more on how to productize services, check out Pat Flynn’s Smart Passive Income podcast episode, How to Productize Your Service-Based Business.
Are your client projects similar?
If you think that all of your client projects will require the same amount of work then you may be able to get away with sharing your rates publicly online. For example, do your clients come to you for website copy? Then you can create a service package that states how many pages you will write and for how much.
Just note that this may not work for larger projects or things that are highly customized, which is one of the reasons I personally don’t share my freelancing rates online. Each of my clients are so different and the work is so customized that I need the ability to negotiate based on the needs of the client. There can be many factors that go into determining your freelance rates, so keep that in mind as you decide whether or not to publicly share them.
Are you tired of talking to prospects who aren’t serious?
One of the reasons freelancers start to publish their rates online is because they become sick and tired of talking to prospects who aren’t serious about hiring them. By publicly sharing their freelancing rates on their website, they can weed out the people who aren’t serious and focus on those that are.
This method can and does work. While I haven’t had a need to do it with freelance writing, it is something I did with my coaching packages when I got tired of duds wasting my time. I even slapped a price tag on the initial consultation. The end result was that I made sure I was getting paid for my time and started receiving inquiries from much higher quality coaching prospects.
Final Thoughts
Whether or not you decide to publicly share your freelancing rates online is entirely up to you. At the end of the day it’s your business and you can run it any way you’d like. Feel free to experiment and see what works for you.
