21 reasons to add a price estimator to your MSP’s website

Over the last few months I’ve been working with Marcus Sheridan, bestselling author of They Ask, You Answer and Endless Customers, and tech genius Steve Auchettl to launch something BIG.

Drum roll...

It's MSP Price Guide. A smart AI-powered tool that lets prospects get a rough idea of price for IT support before they speak to you.

And you know what?

This idea freaks out many MSPs.

• “It’ll scare prospects away”
• “What we do is too complex for that”
• “Our competitors will see our prices”

But here's the thing... if you embrace this the right way, a price estimator becomes one of the most powerful marketing assets on your entire website.

If you haven't yet read Endless Customers (which is an insanely great marketing book for MSPs) let me tell you that Marcus Sheridan is a huge advocate for adding price estimator tools to your website.

He’s very clear about the impact they can have. He’s shared examples showing that when a business prominently introduces a pricing estimator, they often see leads jump by 300% or more overnight.

And he even predicted in a recent podcast interview, that within the next five years over 90% of all service-based businesses will be forced to offer some kind of pricing estimator on their site... simply because buyers now expect fast, transparent, self-serve guidance on cost.

You still not convinced?

OK, let me give you 21 very real, very practical reasons why you should put a price estimator on your MSP's site.

1) Buyers hate mystery

Nothing spikes anxiety like hidden pricing. Transparency builds trust.

2) It eliminates tire kickers

People with tiny budgets? They remove themselves before wasting your time.

3) Your best prospects lean in harder

High-value buyers LOVE clarity. It signals maturity.

4) It positions you as the honest MSP

Every market has a hero. Be the one who says the quiet part out loud.

5) It reduces price objections

Because they’ve already “pre-accepted” the price range before you speak.

6) It speeds up sales cycles

Estimators move prospects from “curious” to “ready to talk” much faster.

7) It removes awkward “so… how much is it?” calls

Buyers respect you more when they know you’re not hiding the basics.

8) It filters in better-qualified leads

Your pipeline becomes easier, calmer, saner.

9) It shows your value more clearly

When you explain what drives cost, prospects understand why good IT isn’t cheap.

10) It reframes you as a strategic advisor

You’re not selling support hours. You’re showing business outcomes and risk levels.

11) Your competitors almost certainly won’t do it

Instant differentiation. Zero effort.

12) It builds trust before the first conversation

Transparency = credibility.

13) It’s exactly how humans shop now

Whether we're using AI or doing it ourselves, we don't want to have to actually talk to someone during research. It's not 2008.

14) It lets people “customize” their own solution

And when buyers build their own bundle? They’re already emotionally committed.

15) It increases engagement on your website

People stay longer, click more, and interact more.

16) It gives you valuable data

You learn what prospects choose, what they avoid, and what price brackets are most common.

17) It reduces friction for introverts

There are business owners who simply won’t call until they know the ballpark. I wouldn't... would you?

18) It makes your future content stronger

Price questions? You’ll see patterns. And then you build content around those patterns.

19) It attracts higher quality prospects

People who use estimators usually have serious intent.

20) It proves you understand buyer psychology

Modern buyers want autonomy, clarity, and speed. A tool like this gives them all three.

21) It’s the top performing format in Marcus Sheridan’s world

Across industries (not just for MSPs), “build & price” tools consistently outperform standard contact forms.

So… what does this look like?

Put a clear and easy to use tool on your website where prospects:

• Pick a number of users
• Choose a service level
• Select extras (security, backup, strategic support)
• And get an instant rough idea of pricing

That’s it.

If you ask for their details before you give them that rough idea of pricing, this will become one of the best lead generators on your website.

Ask for name, email address, and optional phone number.

Oh, and pro tip: If they give you their phone number, phone them the second they submit the form. I'm not joking. Don't wait 10 minutes, don't wait till tomorrow. Someone who's given you their number having just completed a price estimator is such a hot prospect they are smoking.

Your challenge...

Go look at your website. And ask yourself...

“If I was an uneducated buyer (like an ordinary business owner buying from me), would I contact a company if I couldn’t get a rough idea of pricing?”

If the answer is NO, then your prospects feel the same way.

Adding a price estimator is one of the smartest marketing decisions you can make.

How do you feel about this right now?

Let me know.

And please take ACTION on this. Get an estimator on your site.

Of course you can vibe code one.

You can hire someone on Upwork to build one for you.

Or if you just want to solve this problem in 30 minutes, get the one that we've pre-built and already thought through in huge detail at https://www.msppriceguide.com/

(and yes there's clear and transparent pricing on that site!)