Every ESB package has its price on our site, with a live calculator in euros, dollars and pounds. Most agencies keep theirs private. Here is why they hold back, what the only controlled test we found shows, and how we keep a published price fixed.
Why most agencies keep prices private
In July 2026, Whito checked 50 UK marketing agencies. Of those, 94% published no price anywhere, and only 2 published a full price list.
HubSpot’s look at the debate sets out the case against. Buyers judge value on their own, without the agency there to explain it, and packages invite side-by-side comparison that can turn the work into a commodity.
A fixed menu also makes it harder to tailor an offer or to price for results. The same piece gives the case for: prices screen out poor fits early, and named packages show what a client gets.
Those are fair points. For a small studio selling fixed packages, we think the screening is worth more.
What the one controlled test found
The only controlled test we found is an A/B test written up by Adam Goyette in 2025. One version of a demo request page showed no prices. The other added a full price table beside the form.
With the price table, leads fell by 8.7%. Lead-to-opportunity conversion rose by 21.4%, and the sales pipeline stayed flat.
Fewer people asked, a larger share of them were a fit, and the pipeline held steady. It is one test, and the write-up gives no sample size, duration or type of company. We treat it as a signal only.
Pravin Kumar, a solo consultant, describes the same pattern after publishing his prices: fewer enquiries, and a much higher share of buyers ready to pay his rate. That is one person’s account, and he gives no figures.
What publishing changes for buyers
- You can rule us in or out before you write to us.
- You can compare like for like. Each package states its limits, such as up to 8 pages for Business and up to 50 products for Commerce.
- You can see the price in EUR, USD or GBP.
- The first call can be about your project, because you already know the starting price.
What it changes for us
- We expect fewer enquiries. The test and Kumar’s account both point that way, and we accept the trade.
- Our scopes have to be tight. A published price only means something when its limits are clear.
- Competitors can see our prices. That is the cost of being easy to compare.
- Prices follow the scope, whoever the client is.
- We are new and have no client case studies yet. A public price and written terms are things a buyer can check today.
How we keep quotes fixed
- A written quote first. After the brief call on Day 0, you get a fixed quote that sets out the package, the pages or products and the features.
- Two rounds of changes. One at the design stage and one at review, both in the price.
- Extras in writing. Anything outside the quote gets a written price before we start it, and you decide whether to go ahead.
- Payment in stages. You pay 50% through Stripe to start and 50% at launch, or in three instalments.
- A way out at design. If the second homepage design still misses, you can stop and get your deposit back.