Pricing Strategy
Pricing model design, competitive analysis, and pricing page optimization.
Install
git clone https://github.com/thatrebeccarae/claude-marketing.git && cp -r claude-marketing/skills/pricing-strategy ~/.claude/skills/
Pricing Models
| Model | How It Works | Best For | Risk |
|---|
| Per-seat | Price per user/month | Collaboration tools | Discourages adoption |
| Usage-based | Pay for what you use | APIs, infrastructure | Revenue unpredictability |
| Tiered | Feature-gated plans | SaaS with clear feature tiers | Complexity, feature gating frustration |
| Freemium | Free tier + paid upgrades | PLG, network effects | Low conversion (2-5% typical) |
| Flat-rate | One price for everything | Simple products | Leaves money on table |
| Hybrid | Base + usage or seat + usage | Complex products | Pricing complexity |
| Per-unit | Price per resource (project, site) | Agencies, multi-property | Usage ceiling anxiety |
Value Metric Selection
The value metric is what you charge for (seats, API calls, revenue managed, etc.).
Good value metric criteria:
- Scales with customer value — as they get more value, they naturally pay more
- Easy to understand — customer can predict their bill
- Measurable — you can track and bill accurately
- Controllable — customer can influence their usage
| Product Type | Common Value Metrics |
|---|
| Email marketing | Contacts, emails sent |
| Analytics | Events tracked, monthly users |
| CRM | Seats, contacts |
| Infrastructure | Compute hours, storage, requests |
| E-commerce platform | GMV, orders, SKUs |
| Design tools | Seats, projects, exports |
Competitive Pricing Analysis
Analysis Framework
- Inventory competitors — list all direct and indirect alternatives
- Map pricing models — how does each charge?
- Normalize to common unit — price per seat/month at comparable usage
- Position on value map — plot price vs. feature completeness
- Identify gaps — underserved price points or segments
Positioning Strategies
| Strategy | Description | When to Use |
|---|
| Premium | Price above market, justify with value | Strong brand, unique features |
| Competitive | Match market prices | Commoditized market, feature parity |
| Penetration | Price below market to gain share | New entrant, land-and-expand model |
| Value | Price based on ROI delivered | Measurable customer outcomes |
Good/Better/Best Tier Design
Tier Structure
FREE (or Starter): Entry point — enough to get hooked, not enough for serious use
PRO (or Growth): Primary revenue tier — designed for most customers
ENTERPRISE: High-touch — custom pricing, premium support, compliance features
Tier Design Rules
- Most Popular = middle tier — anchor it visually and with a badge
- Free tier limits should push to paid naturally (not by being crippled)
- Feature fences should align with customer maturity (not arbitrary gates)
- Price anchoring — show enterprise price to make pro feel reasonable
- Annual discount — 15-20% for annual commitment (show monthly equivalent)
Pricing Page Optimization
Best Practices
- Default to annual billing toggle (pre-selected) with monthly option
- Show savings for annual ("Save 20%")
- Highlight recommended plan (visual emphasis + "Most Popular" badge)
- Feature comparison table with max 8-10 rows (not 40)
- CTA per plan with specific text ("Start Free Trial" vs "Contact Sales")
- Social proof per tier ("Used by 500+ teams")
- FAQ section addressing pricing objections
- Money-back guarantee or free trial prominently displayed
Price Testing Methods
| Method | Sample | What It Tests |
|---|
| Van Westendorp | Survey 200+ | Price sensitivity (too cheap, too expensive, bargain, deal-breaker thresholds) |
| Gabor-Granger | Survey 300+ | Demand curve at specific price points |
| A/B test | Website traffic | Actual conversion at different prices |
| Cohort pricing | New signups | Different prices for different cohorts over time |
Integration with Other Skills
- cro-auditor — Pricing page conversion optimization
- ab-testing-framework — Design price tests with statistical rigor
- landing-page-optimizer — Optimize the pricing page layout
- icp-research — Willingness to pay by segment
