Pricing Decisions
Having the correct pricing strategy is essential to the success of any organisation; keeping the price set too low can quickly lead to running out of profits, while setting the price too high will discourage customers. Pricing decisions must be carefully and strategically formed.
This decision is often one of the most difficult considerations for a marketing team, due to the range of internal and external factors that can be involved. Internal factors are those that are within the control of the business, such as cost restrictions, optimal available resources, customer loyalty, and quality of the product or service. An organisation must consider difficulties associated with costings such as shipping, labour, production, and material costs. It must also select the most suitable resources such as utilising the appropriate staff, advertising channels, promotional activity, and distribution networks. Externally, an organisation must consider factors such as competitor pricing, seasonality, legislations, technological changes, and consumer buying power. When researching external factors, it is important to assess whether the demand for a product or service will increase or decrease in response to a change in a certain price.
Many businesses use factors such as quality, convenience and customisation when setting prices. Quality considers whether a product or service is of high enough quality to justify the associated total cost. Convenience considers any additional features added to a product such as refunds, warranties, and delivery methods which can give the customer added value for his expenditure. Customisation considers offering customers the ability to tailor a product or service to their specific needs, creating a more personalised offer.
In order to effectively and accurately determine the most suitable pricing strategy, businesses must carefully examine and assess both internal and external factors. Through this research process, an organisation can evaluate the best pricing point that will ensure that its products remain in demand and that it maintains profit margins.
Many factors influence the success of a pricing strategy. Quality, convenience, and customisation must be taken into consideration in order to create a beneficial offer that stands out from the competition. By considering both internal and external factors, an organisation can effectively and accurately determine the most suitable pricing set point that will generate the maximum amount of profits. Pricing is an important decision that requires a lot of research, but when it is done correctly it can result in long-term success.