This document describes a case study of implementing a ballpark pricing estimator on a homebuilding website. It discusses challenges like homebuilders wanting to control their own pricing and competitors removing similar tools. A process is outlined to create a simple pricing estimator using geographic pricing tiers. This led to increases in website users, leads, and e-lead sales. The key takeaway was that providing an estimated price upfront earned visitor trust and satisfied their main question, making them more likely to inquire further.

1. Case Study
Ballpark Pricing Estimator
CraigMHalliday.com

2. Problem
Website visitors demanded to know product pricing on the
website versus having to contact the homebuilder.
Lack of pricing information on the website discouraged
some visitors from completing contact forms and
converted into a lead – lack of trust.
The website was not satisfying visitors’ search request
with respect to pricing. SEO opportunity.
The company wanted to be the industry leader by
implementing digital marketing strategies customers
demand – providing solutions.
CraigMHalliday.com

3. Recommended Solution
Implement a simple online price strategy necessary to
provide website visitors interested in the product an “idea”
of cost – a solution.
CraigMHalliday.com

4. Challenges
Homebuilders, our partners wanted to control their own
pricing models.
Homebuilders were afraid pricing on the website would
allow the customer [the homebuyer] to hold posted pricing
against them. “That’s what was on the website.”
Sales team concurred with homebuilders.
Competitors spent thousands developing online pricing
models only to remove them a short time later. Why?
Industry content with the status quo – do not like change.
CraigMHalliday.com

5. My Concern
Would implementing a ballpark pricing estimator negatively
affect our efforts to add leads to our sales funnel? If they
learned of pricing on the website, then why would they need
to contact us?
CraigMHalliday.com

6. Process
Create a simple delivery method to provide the customer
a starting from ballpark price for building a new home in
their area.
Sell the ballpark pricing model to our partners and request
their approval to activate estimator for their region.
Clearly define the details as to what the “starting from”
ballpark price includes and does not include. It is critical
for the customer to understand that the “starting from”
ballpark price is just an idea and NOT the actual price.
CraigMHalliday.com

7. Step 1
Define price structure and output.
Assign a value with $10,000 increments starting from the
product delivery hub.
A,B,C,D matrix
Example: A=Cost closest to delivery hub, B=$10,000 increase
from delivery hub, C=$20,000 increase from delivery hub,
D=$30,000 increase from delivery hub. The further away from
the delivery hub, the higher the increase up to D pricing.
Allow participating partners to choose A, B, C or D pricing.
Assign build states and counties with determined A, B, C or D
pricing.
CraigMHalliday.com

8. Step 2
Develop the UX platform using 3rd party agency.
Important to keep price request solution simple for the
user. Hence K.I.S.S.
CraigMHalliday.com

9. Price Search Landing Page
CraigMHalliday.com

10. Price Search Landing Page
CraigMHalliday.com
User inputs the state they
plan to build in and the
county within the state.

11. Price Search Landing Page
CraigMHalliday.com
Disclaimer

12. Price Results Output
CraigMHalliday.com

13. Price Results Output
CraigMHalliday.com
• Single model price
output description.
• Price is noted as “From
the $’s” to inform the
user this model starts
from $180’s for a
specified area
(example: Mecklenburg
Co., NC).

14. CTA’s
Call-to-actions are available throughout the website, but according to
Google Analytics at the time, the CTA “WHAT’S THE COST” button on
the homepage converted more traffic than any other CTA.
Why? The keyword “cost” in long-tail keyword searches produced more
organic traffic. Therefore, we emphasized this keyword in our CTA’s
and landing page content.
CraigMHalliday.com

15. CTA’s
CraigMHalliday.com
CTA strategically placed under the
slider, left and above the fold.

16. Results
The results from this project were impressive.
• Average website users (formally unique)/month before: 16,709
• Average website users/month after: 22,290
• 33% increase
• Average leads/month before: 188 (36 months, low 58, high 295)
• Average leads/month after: 309 (26 months, low 219, high 431)
• 64% increase
• Average CTR before: 1.06% (conversion landing pages/website users)
• Average CTR after: 1.54%
• Average e-lead sales of overall company sales before: 13.22%
• Average e-lead sales of overall company sales after: 21.28%
CraigMHalliday.com

17. Results
CraigMHalliday.com

18. Results
CraigMHalliday.com

19. Takeaways
Including ballpark pricing on the website allowed the visitor to
quickly get their most commonly asked question answered
quickly.
Including relevant pricing related content amplified SEO efforts.
The most important takeaway from this project – TRUST.
Earning the trust of website visitors led to them completing the
contact form and converted into a lead/future sale.
Listen to what the customer is asking, they understand the
difference between “ballpark cost estimates” vs. “real, contract
cost” available only through the homebuilder.
CraigMHalliday.com