Been freelancing for almost a decade and lately I’m questioning everything about how I price my work. Market feels different now - clients are shopping around more, budgets seem tighter.
Used to stick with hourly rates but wondering if I should switch things up. Project-based pricing might make more sense for some clients, but then there’s the whole value-based approach everyone talks about.
Anyone else feeling like their old pricing playbook isn’t working the same way anymore?
I switched to asking for half upfront on any job over $500. This cuts down on price shoppers real quick.
Also started quoting two options for most projects. The basic version gets the job done while the premium version includes extra stuff they usually want anyway. Most people pick the middle ground between my old price and the premium option.
Don’t compete on price alone. I’d rather do fewer jobs at better rates than chase every bargain hunter out there.
Had to completely rethink my pricing after losing three good clients last year to cheaper competitors. What saved me was being honest about my numbers.
I track every hour on projects now, even the fixed price ones. Found out I was undercharging by about 30% on design work because I forgot to count revision time and client calls.
Started offering payment plans for bigger projects. Clients love spreading a $3000 job over three months instead of paying upfront. I get the same money but they feel better about the budget hit.
Also learned to walk away faster. If someone’s main concern is finding the cheapest option, they’re not my client anyway. Better to spend that time finding people who care about quality.
Market’s always changing but good work still sells. I quote jobs three ways now depending on what fits. Small repairs get hourly rates because they’re unpredictable. Bigger projects get fixed bids since clients want to know total cost upfront. Premium work gets value pricing when I’m solving expensive problems for them. Stop overthinking it and test what works with your actual clients. If you’re losing jobs on price alone, either find better clients or get faster at the work.
Yeah everyone’s feeling it. I just raised my rates and lost some cheapskates but kept the good ones.
Pricing feels tricky these days just do what works.
You’re not wrong about the market feeling different. I’ve been dealing with this too and ended up mixing things up more than I used to.
What’s working for me:
The big change for me was being upfront about what’s included. Used to assume clients knew what they were getting. Now I spell out exactly what deliverables they get and what costs extra.
Also started asking clients about their budget range early in conversations. Saves everyone time if we’re not even close. Some people think it’s pushy but honestly most clients appreciate not wasting time on proposals that won’t work.
Still figuring it out myself but being flexible with pricing structure while staying firm on my actual rates has helped.