- Listing your services at different prices across platforms encourages cross-channel shopping, and risks losing clients to competitors.
- Standardized pricing keeps clients connected to your brand and helps prevent price erosion.
- Learn best practices for pricing success and how to maintain consistency.
Pricing is one of the simplest yet most overlooked areas where centers either protect – or erode – their profitability.
Too often, operators fall into the trap of price inconsistencies or aggressive discounting. On the surface, it looks like a quick way to gain more clients. But it leads to price erosion and cross-channel shopping – a surefire way to lose potential clients.
Working with Alliance Virtual Offices and other aggregators is a proven way to gain new clients while minimizing cost, but that comes with the responsibility of keeping your pricing consistent.
Over decades, we’ve learned the following best practices for pricing:
- Standardize pricing across all channels
- Align with the market on pricing and promotions, rather than relying on price cuts
- Track local pricing with monthly competitor analysis
Here’s why it pays to enforce your pricing across all channels and how to do it effectively.
The Risks of Price Inconsistency
Listing your space at different prices across multiple channels – such as aggregator platforms, directories, and your own website – encourages prospects to shop around.
This is known as cross-channel shopping. Instead of focusing on your space and services, prospects shift into bargain-hunting mode. They leave (and forget) your site to chase deals elsewhere, where they are exposed to your competitors.
What’s more, when you need to raise prices later, it becomes far more difficult.
By standardizing your pricing, prospects remain connected to your brand and are far less likely to seek deals elsewhere.
Mismatched prices or heavy discounts can also lead to price wars. When one operator drops prices, others may follow, leading to a race to the bottom that benefits no one.
You chose that price for a reason – protect it!
5 Reasons Why Price Consistency Matters
Here’s why it’s essential to list each product at one price and one price only:
- Prevents Deal-Hunting. Consistent pricing discourages prospects from chasing discounts across platforms. Instead of leaving your site to compare offers, they stay focused on your brand and services – reducing distractions and limiting exposure to competitors.
- Builds Trust. If a potential client sees one price on Alliance, another on your website, and yet another elsewhere, they will begin to question what’s “real”. Avoid uncertainty and establish trust from the start by maintaining a uniform price.
- Speeds Up Buying Decisions. If every channel tells the same story, clients can confidently move forward without wasting time comparing numbers. Fewer distractions mean quicker conversions.
- Protects Brand Value. Heavy discounting or inconsistent rates can make your space appear cheap – and cheap rarely signals quality. By keeping your pricing unified, you emphasize the value of your services rather than competing on cost alone.
- Enhances Client Experience. If a client books at one price but finds it cheaper elsewhere, frustration lands on you – not the aggregator. Consistent pricing prevents this disconnect and starts every relationship on the right foot.
Best Practices for Pricing Success
We recommend these best practices to protect your pricing:
- Audit Your Listings. Check your center’s pricing across every aggregator, directory, and ad platform. Ensure the same rate is reflected everywhere.
- Use a Pricing Policy. A Minimum Advertised Price (MAP) policy sets a floor for how your services are publicly listed. It’s not price fixing (which is illegal). It simply prevents aggregators from undercutting your rates and protects your brand value. If a reseller doesn’t honor your MAP, you have the right to remove your product from their listings.
- Monitor Competitors Regularly. Keep track of pricing trends in your local market. A simple monthly competitor analysis helps you stay competitive while ensuring your pricing strategy remains aligned with industry standards.
Smarter Discount Strategies
Discounting doesn’t have to mean slashing your rates. Instead of cutting your core product prices, consider a one-time promotion.
At Alliance for example, we discount our setup fee rather than the product. This way, you preserve long-term value while still creating urgency and excitement for prospects.
If you want to offer a promotion, consider:
- One month free with a new membership
- A percentage off the first month
- Reduced setup fees
These tactics create an incentive without devaluing your services or setting unsustainable expectations.
Key Takeaways for Center Partners
Keep your rates unified across all channels to build trust and prevent lost sales through cross-channel shopping. Audit your listings and review competitor pricing regularly to stay aligned and competitive.
To help maintain your pricing, consider implementing a pricing policy. This will protect your pricing from erosion and avoid brand devaluation.
Finally, avoid heavy discounts by using targeted promotions instead of price drops.
Remember that pricing reflects your brand promise. By standardizing your rates and avoiding aggressive discounting, you’ll not only attract more clients but also build stronger, more profitable relationships that last.
At Alliance Virtual Offices, we’re here to help you grow sustainably and profitably. Keeping your pricing consistent is a simple but powerful step in the right direction.