pricing-strategy

name	pricing-strategy
description	Pricing model design, competitive positioning, value metric selection, price testing, and pricing page optimization. Use when the user asks about pricing strategy, pricing models, price testing, value-based pricing, or competitive pricing analysis.
license	MIT
origin	custom
author	Rebecca Rae Barton
author_url	https://github.com/thatrebeccarae
metadata	{"version":"1.0.0","category":"strategy","domain":"pricing","updated":"2026-03-18T00:00:00.000Z","tested":"2026-03-18T00:00:00.000Z","tested_with":"Claude Code v2.1"}

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:

1. Scales with customer value — as they get more value, they naturally pay more
2. Easy to understand — customer can predict their bill
3. Measurable — you can track and bill accurately
4. 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

1. Inventory competitors — list all direct and indirect alternatives
2. Map pricing models — how does each charge?
3. Normalize to common unit — price per seat/month at comparable usage
4. Position on value map — plot price vs. feature completeness
5. 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

1. Most Popular = middle tier — anchor it visually and with a badge
2. Free tier limits should push to paid naturally (not by being crippled)
3. Feature fences should align with customer maturity (not arbitrary gates)
4. Price anchoring — show enterprise price to make pro feel reasonable
5. 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