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How To Use Dynamic Pricing To Attract Customers

Stuart Crawford

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Dynamic pricing is one of the best ways to attract customers and retain existing ones. I will teach you how to use dynamic pricing to your advantage.

How To Use Dynamic Pricing To Attract Customers

Dynamic pricing, also known as time-of-day pricing, offers customers the option to buy products and services according to their needs.

A dynamic price model can adjust prices based on demand, inventory, and current market conditions. It can help companies better manage their resources and achieve optimal profitability.

There's no question about it — pricing is one of your most important decisions. However, only a few businesses know how to price their products and services effectively. This article will show you how to use dynamic pricing to attract customers and drive sales.

The easiest way to sell more products is to offer them lower prices. But what if you have thousands of products to sell? How can you determine which items are selling best and offer lower prices?

It's easy to see why so many people fail to achieve this. They need to learn how to find out which items are selling best or how to adjust their prices accordingly.

But it doesn't have to be that hard.

You'll discover how to create a simple dynamic pricing algorithm and automate it to work for you, not against you.

What is dynamic pricing?

Amazon Dynamic Pricing Graph

Dynamic pricing refers to any service where the price of your product or service changes daily. This includes hotels, airlines, rental car companies, restaurants, etc.

Dynamic pricing offers excellent value as a consumer since you can often get more for your money when the price is right. However, it can be confusing for consumers to know whether they're getting a bargain.

Dynamic pricing is often used in times of high demand. For example, in a seasonal business, a restaurant might raise the prices of popular dishes during the spring and fall when the business is booming.

When the business slows down in the winter and summer, they may drop the prices of the same dishes, helping the restaurant to avoid being empty.

You can also use dynamic pricing to reduce prices in times of low demand, such as after Christmas, when businesses want to clear out their inventories. The prices of their products, services, and discounted items may drop dramatically, enabling them to make room for new inventory and clear out the old.

Is dynamic pricing fair for consumers?

When I buy my clothes online, I don't expect the price to fluctuate based on the weather. Why should I expect the price of a hotel room to change based on the season?

It's no secret that airlines and hotels have used dynamic pricing (sometimes called “noise” pricing) to increase revenues. Dynamic pricing increases prices based on demand and drops prices when demand declines.

Dynamic pricing can be a double-edged sword for consumers. While it may be convenient, it also makes the sale less predictable. We pay more for the same item at the same time of year, even though the product may cost the same amount as last year.

This dynamic pricing model is used by airlines and hotels to maximise revenues by offering the lowest price to the highest demand.

For example, consider the following hypothetical travel plans:

  1. Travelling for a week in August, staying at an all-inclusive resort and travelling with two friends.
  2. Travelling for a week in September, staying at a moderately-priced hotel and travelling with three friends.
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Based on this scenario, we expect 1 to be the cheapest option and 2 to be the cheapest. But what happens when the dynamic pricing system changes the prices of both options?

In this case, we expect 2 to become the most expensive option and 1 to drop in price.

Dynamic Pricing and Consumer Protection

While dynamic pricing is a common practice for airlines and hotels, it's also unfair to the consumer. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and other consumer protection organisations have expressed concern about this practice.

There's little doubt that dynamic pricing maximises profits for airlines and hotels. However, the practice may hurt their customers in the long run. Consumers who pay more for an item during high-demand times may need to be made aware that the same item is available for less.

Some might think, “Why pay the higher price when the item is the same, right?” However, the truth is that dynamic pricing is designed to maximise profits for the company. For example, if the identical item is available for less, the airline or hotel doesn't have to offer discounts, thereby reducing their profit.

As a result, they often use dynamic pricing to maximise their revenues instead of offering low prices on more expensive items.

Benefits of a dynamic pricing strategy

A dynamic pricing strategy can help you increase sales and profits, but it needs some clarification among your customers. You may need to spend more time educating them about the benefits of your services and products, or you may find that your sales team needs additional training.

A dynamic pricing strategy is most effective when the products or services are differentiated. You want your customers to understand why they need your product or service, which means getting to the core of the problem and providing a solution.

Customers respond well to being able to customise solutions for specific problems, and a dynamic pricing strategy enables them to customise pricing for their situation. It saves them money and helps them budget for projects and services they value.

There are several advantages to a dynamic pricing strategy. Here are some of the most common reasons businesses choose dynamic pricing:

1 – Increase Sales and Profits

According to the International Customer Service Institute, approximately 58% of customers will pay more for a higher-quality service or product if the price is right. You can make more money by providing customers with multiple options that fit their budget by increasing sales.

For example, if you sell computer support, you may offer a one-time introductory discount or a higher level of services, such as telephone, email, or chat support. If you sell office supplies, you might offer discounted pricing for large orders or the option of having supplies shipped directly to your customer's home or work site.

With a dynamic pricing strategy, you can offer several options that appeal to customers based on their budgets, preferences, and needs. By tailoring your offerings, you create more value for your customers.

2 – Create Loyalty

A dynamic pricing strategy can help your customers build loyalty. When your customers have the opportunity to customise their experience, they're more likely to return. In addition, you can communicate the value of your product or service to your customers through your pricing strategy.

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For example, if you offer free shipping to your customers, you can tell them that it is part of your company's mission to help customers save money, even if they don't order every single time.

3 – Reduce inventory

Managing inventory is challenging when you offer a limited number of choices, and it's costly. Instead of stocking a warehouse full of expensive products, you can make your inventory more valuable by selling them at discounted prices to a broader audience.

You can also reduce your costs by offering fewer, larger quantities to your customers. Customers appreciate the convenience of having more of something at a great value, and they'll feel less anxious about ordering when you offer more choices.

4 – Reduce the Cost of Customer Acquisition

By offering discounts on services and products, you can help your customers get the service or product they want without spending much money.

When you offer a high-value service, you're more likely to attract customers to your website and make a sale. In fact, according to the American Marketing Association, for every dollar spent on customer acquisition, you're more likely to acquire two customers.

5 – Increase profitability

As you continue to grow, finding ways to increase your profit margins is essential. For some businesses, customer acquisition costs are high, and the margin on every sale is slim. If you're offering a limited number of products, charging enough is challenging to cover both the acquisition costs and your operating expenses.

However, offering more options to your customers makes them more likely to buy from you, meaning they will move quicker through the ecommerce sales funnel, increasing your sales.

6 – Improve Relationships With Your Customers

They're more likely to trust you if you provide a better customer experience. For example, suppose you can answer their questions, resolve their problems, and provide support during their transition from one product or service to another. In that case, you're more likely to win their trust and become their partner.

7 – Keep Customers

As a business owner, it's easy to overlook the importance of retaining your current customers. In fact, according to the American Marketing Association, the cost of acquiring a new customer is three times more than retaining an existing one. In addition, new customers spend more than repeat customers, so it's crucial to ensure you're keeping your current customers happy.

The best way to keep your customers happy is by offering them more choices. By offering more products or services, you give your customers more customisation options, enabling them to get the desired experience.

8 – Simplify the Customer Experience

If you can simplify the process for your customers, they're more likely to feel comfortable and satisfied with your service or product. If you provide options for the type of support they need, the number of options they select, or how quickly they receive their products or services, you can simplify the customer experience.

Examples In Action

Examples Of Dynamic Pricing

Many well-known companies, including Southwest Airlines, Zappos, and Tesla Motors, have used dynamic pricing to increase revenue and customer satisfaction.

Southwest Airlines uses dynamic pricing as a form of customer loyalty program. If you reserve a flight on Southwest, the price is calculated based on the day the reservation was made. For example, if a customer booked a flight for 4:30 pm on a weekday, they pay $50 for their flight. But if the same customer booked their flight for 4 pm on the weekend, they would pay just $10.

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In this case, Southwest makes more money by selling the same flight for a lower weekend price. Travel customers often book their flights months or years ahead, making them less likely to switch airlines.

Zappos uses dynamic pricing to encourage customers to buy shoes online. Customers who order shoes on Monday will pay $20 for their purchase. If the customer orders the same shoes on Tuesday, they will pay just $14.99.

However, if the customer orders the shoes on Wednesday, they will pay $39.99. This encourages customers to shop on the website and purchase the shoes the same day they want to wear them. This type of dynamic pricing is called “up-selling”.

Tesla Motors uses dynamic pricing to encourage customers to pre-order their Model S cars. If you order a Model S on Friday, you will pay $62,500. However, if you place your order on Saturday, you will pay only $42,000.

This dynamic pricing method encourages people to pre-order their cars immediately. If the company does not get sufficient pre-orders, the price will rise to $63,000.

How to implement dynamic pricing

E Commerce Tech Trends Dynamic Pricing Strategy
Source: Eleks

Begin by collecting data to help you identify the best price point for your goods or services. You can gather this information through surveys, analytics, and customer feedback.

Once you know the average prices and profit margins, you can begin creating pricing plans that match your business goals and the needs of your target audience. Your first plan should include a combination of static and dynamic pricing.

Static pricing is typically used as a base for your first plan. A customer who has previously purchased from your business may still receive this discounted price without having to show proof of loyalty.

This strategy is also helpful for new customers who still need loyalty to your business. Static pricing lets them start at a more affordable price and encourages them to buy more from your business.

However, once customers reach a certain threshold of purchases, you can introduce a dynamic pricing plan. At this point, you can offer the same lower price to every customer while increasing the price when more customers purchase at a higher rate.

For example, if you sell products that cost $10 each, you may start your business at a fixed price of $10 for a single product. Then, when the first five customers purchase, you can increase your price to $12. If the next 25 customers also purchase, you can increase your price to $14. If you only reach 50 customers, you can increase your price to $15.

You can make similar adjustments to the price of your products and services as you collect customer feedback and experience market trends. For instance, you may charge more for a product that's out of stock or reduce the price for a popular item as it becomes more in demand.

In other words, the price of your goods or services constantly changes based on what the marketplace is willing to pay.

Conclusion

I recommend using dynamic pricing if your product/service has a price elasticity that allows you to profit.

This method works because people will pay more for a product or service they can only get once.

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For example, if you sell a high-priced item that people can only get once a year, they will pay a premium.

If you have a low-priced product, you can use this method to attract customers more likely to purchase multiple times.

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FAQs

What is dynamic pricing?

Dynamic pricing means that you can change the price of your product or service based on customer demand. For example, if you have a limited supply of a particular product, you can increase the price when your supply is low and decrease the price when your supply is high.

How can I implement dynamic pricing?

You can use a spreadsheet to track sales. This helps you see the average cost of a product or service per sale. Based on this data, you can then adjust the prices of your products or services to maintain an optimal profit margin.

How can I track the cost of a product or service over time?

You can create a chart showing the costs associated with each product or service. This helps you to monitor the effects of dynamic pricing.

Why do some companies offer discounts?

Companies may offer discounts to customers to attract new customers. For example, a company may offer a product discount during a specific period.

How can I use dynamic pricing to increase my revenue?

You can use dynamic pricing to increase your revenue by attracting more customers. For example, if you sell products online, you could offer a discount to customers who purchase products in bulk.

What are some examples of how you can use dynamic pricing to attract customers?

Examples of how you can use dynamic pricing to attract customers include:
– Offering a free sample to potential customers to promote a new product.
– Discounting the price of a product or service when there is a seasonal event.
– Offering a promotional product or service for a limited time.

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Written By
Stuart Crawford
Stuart Crawford is an award-winning creative director and brand strategist with over 15 years of experience building memorable and influential brands. As Creative Director at Inkbot Design, a leading branding agency, Stuart oversees all creative projects and ensures each client receives a customised brand strategy and visual identity.

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