It’s no secret – consumers value transparency. Whether price shopping online or in person, they want to see prices before they decide on a product or service – 81% of shoppers browse for prices online before they purchase.
Purchasing in the funeral space is no different. Many funeral homes provide their general price lists online, but some may be afraid to, for fear of exposing their prices to competitors. While the skepticism is fair, we’ve outlined reasons you might want to consider putting your GPL online, and what to expect from potential requirements in the future.
Possible Legal Requirements
According to an NPR article, the Federal Trade Commission may soon require funeral homes to publicly display their GPL online. In a decision from the commission in October 2022, they would require funeral homes to disclose prices like burial and cremation packages for customer review. After a review, the articles sites that only 25% of funeral homes reviewed displayed their prices online, and 60% didn’t have any visible.
The Myth Behind Price Disclosing Fears
The reality is, it’s beneficial to put your prices online. Hodroff Epstein Memorial Chapels in Twin Cities, MN, shared with us that after those initial fears, they realized that it was favorable. “I had those same fears, and what I learned is that it’s the opposite,” said Funeral Director, Michael Epstein.
The numbers don’t lie for the success of transparency either. As an eFuneral Partner, Hodroff-Epstein has seen 93% of their online burials were upsold – and that’s with displaying each part of the arrangement process and its prices, for the public view.
Transparency Attracts
“Transparency is no longer an option; it’s a must”. That’s according to Forbes magazine, and it’s completely true. When your customers see your prices online, it instills trust in them that you will be upfront with them about the arrangement costs, and anything else they may need to purchase. The general population often doesn’t know anything about their service options when planning a funeral and having the ability to view them beforehand will give them more confidence in planning, making the process easier when they sit down with your staff.
Get Ahead of the Curve
With the potential FTC requirement, and now knowing how beneficial it is to display your prices, why not get started today? Our partners have combined price transparency with an online planning tool, to drive sales and reach more customers.